Happy birthday Bradley!
(men's apron tutorial)
I think the first step for sewing for a man is the colour scheme, choosing colours they like that aren't too girly. I wanted to make an apron for Bradley - now that we have a barbecue. I found the perfect piece in my stash, a sturdy white cotton with blue stripes and a striped ribbon for the neck strap. This was a sample piece of fabric and already serged, so it saved some extra steps. I made it up as I went along but it worked quite well, so here's another tutorial.Step 1: The rectangle was 26" inches wide and 34" long. I pinned the neck strap in place (20" + hem allowance), and folded over two corners at the top. At this point you can try it on to see if it's roughly the right size. I had to try it on myself then imagine myself a little bit taller.
Step 3: The waist straps were just twill tape stitched in place. I recommend making them long enough so you can wrap around the back and bring them around to the front again to tie.
Step 4: Love is in the details. I hemmed the ends of the straps (by hand) so that they wouldn't fray.
Step 5: I added a 9" x 17" pocket. The serged edges were just folded once then sewn in place, with a 1" hem at the top. Pin it in place before you sew then try on the apron to see if you like the position. I sewed a couple of extra seams to make divisions in the pocket. That way there's a skinny one to hold tongs. Finally, I embroidered Bradley's name to personalize it. I should have done the embroidery first, then hemmed the top of the pocket to hide the back of the embroidery but I didn't think of it. The easiest way to do it neatly is just pencil in the lines before you stitch.
Done! Bradley loved his new apron... Gosh he's handsome. And such a good sport letting me take pictures.

4 Comments:
awww! He's looking good in his new apron! Happy birthday, Bradley!
Happy Birthday Bradley!!!
Hi Claire - the apron looks great. Glad it was a hit.
Thanks! I followed your tutorial and made an apron for my brother. You can see it over at Wardrobe Refashion at http://www.nikkishell.typepad.com/wardroberefashion/.
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