Every holiday host needs an extra set of pockets — for a phone, a timer, a recipe card, and the candy cane someone just handed her. This patchwork holiday half apron delivers them, in festive Christmas prints with a quilted front that feels as good as it looks. It is a wonderful handmade gift for the cook on your list, and it sews up in an afternoon from fat quarters you may already have in your stash.
What You’ll Make
One patchwork half apron, about 22″ wide by 16″ long, with a lightly quilted front, one wide divided pocket, and long waist ties that wrap and tie in front. A beginner-friendly project — the patchwork is simple strip piecing, and there are no buttonholes, zippers, or curves to worry about.
Materials
7 of the 8 materials below (88%) are available at Linda’s — links included. The last one is easy to find anywhere.
- Confetti Cotton Christmas Fat Quarter Bundle, 12 Pcs. — choose three festive prints for the patchwork front and waistband. One bundle makes several aprons. Get it at Linda’s.
- 308 Christmas Green Moda Grunge - Fat Quarter — a rich green for the big divided pocket. Get it at Linda’s.
- Floriani Heat N Sta Fleece (Fusible) 45″ x 1yd — fusible fleece gives the apron front its soft, quilted body. Get it at Linda’s.
- 1103 Burgundy Aurifil Cotton 50wt Large Spool — a deep holiday red for piecing, quilting, and topstitching. Get it at Linda’s.
- Olfa Deluxe 45mm Rotary Cutter — for cutting your strips and squares cleanly and quickly. Get it at Linda’s.
- Quilting Pins Fine by Clover — to pin seams, the pocket, and the waistband before sewing. Get it at Linda’s.
- Riley Blake Designs Quilty Clips — handy for holding the thicker quilted layers together at the waistband. Get it at Linda’s.
- About 2 yards of 1″ cotton webbing — for the waist ties, available at most craft stores or your local quilt shop.
Steps
- Cut the patchwork pieces. From each of your three Christmas prints, cut two rectangles 8″ by 12″. You will have six rectangles in total. From a fourth print in the bundle, cut one waistband strip 4″ by 23″ and save the rest for a second apron.
- Piece the front. Lay the six rectangles out in two rows of three, mixing the prints so no two matching pieces touch. Sew the rectangles in each row together with a ¼″ seam, press the seams open, then sew the two rows together. Press well. Your panel should measure about 23″ by 17″; trim it neatly to that size if needed.
- Fuse and quilt. Cut a piece of fusible fleece the same size as your panel. Following the fleece package directions, fuse it to the wrong side of the panel. Quilt with simple diagonal lines about 2″ apart, or stitch in the ditch along the patchwork seams. Trim any stray threads.
- Hem the front. Fold the bottom and both side edges of the quilted panel ½″ to the back, press, and topstitch close to the fold. Leave the top edge raw for now — the waistband will cover it.
- Make the pocket. From the green fat quarter, cut one rectangle 12″ by 9″. Fold the top edge down ½″ twice, press, and topstitch. Fold the other three edges under ½″ and press.
- Attach the pocket. Center the pocket on the apron front, about 2″ up from the bottom edge. Pin it in place and stitch down one side, across the bottom, and up the other side. Add one extra line of stitching down the middle of the pocket to divide it into two compartments, backstitching at the top for strength.
- Prepare the waistband. Fold the waistband strip in half lengthwise with wrong sides together and press. Open it, fold each long edge in to the center crease, then fold it in half again so the raw edges are tucked inside, like double-fold tape. Press well.
- Add the ties and waistband. Cut the webbing into two equal pieces. Slide one short end of each piece into the open ends of the waistband, about 1″ in, and pin. Slip the top edge of the apron into the waistband fold, centering the apron, and clip all the layers together.
- Stitch and finish. Topstitch along the open edge of the waistband from one end to the other, catching the webbing ties and the apron top as you go. Backstitch over each tie for extra strength. Give the apron a final press, wrap the ties around, and tie a bow in front.
Tips
Pre-wash your fat quarters if the apron will be washed often — holiday baking is messy work, and this apron should go straight in the wash without worry. For a Thanksgiving version, swap the Christmas bundle for fall prints and keep the same green pocket. Make the ties longer if you like a big front bow, and add a second divided pocket if the cook on your list carries a lot. To gift it, roll the apron up, tie it with the waist ties, and tuck a wooden spoon or a favorite recipe card into the pocket.
Where to Get Everything
Seven of the eight materials — the Confetti Cotton Christmas fat quarter bundle, the Christmas Green Moda Grunge fat quarter, the Floriani Heat N Sta fusible fleece, the Burgundy Aurifil thread, the Olfa rotary cutter, the Clover quilting pins, and the Riley Blake quilty clips — are all at Linda’s, linked above: 88% of the list from one shop. The cotton webbing for the ties is easy to find at most craft stores or your local quilt shop — bring a fabric scrap along to match the color. Happy sewing!
