Jan 31
2010

Reversible scalloped apron tutorial

Fancy, flirty aprons are all the rage, and they sell for good money at a lot of stores. But if you can sew, you can make your own, and I’ll show you how. Seem a little too frilly? Use it any old time, but especially when you have guests. People get a kick out of them! And don’t be afraid to use it; it’s just fabric, and you can wash it.
This pattern is for a fully reversible, gathered, scalloped apron with pockets. Have fun with the fabrics and mix them up to make it more interesting. This apron uses the same fabrics on both sides, but in opposite placement.

EDITED TO ADD brief description on making this a full apron. See below.

NOTE: This is one of our more popular projects. If you make it, please share pictures with us on our Flickr page! Also, submit anything made with fabrics from Warehouse Fabrics Inc. to our gallery page. Simply click “Add Photo to Gallery” just above the pictures.

Supplies

(Click fabrics for direct links for purchase at Warehouse Fabrics Inc.)

Madison black/candy pink: MANBLK	Dottie black/white: DOEBLE
Main fabric and lining fabric, 1-1/2 yards each.

The pattern

Scalloped apron pattern piece 1
Scalloped apron pattern piece 2
Scalloped apron pattern piece 3
Scalloped apron pattern piece 4
Scalloped apron pattern piece 5
Scalloped apron pattern piece 6
Scalloped apron pattern piece 7
Scalloped apron pattern piece 8
Scalloped apron pattern piece 9
Scalloped apron pattern piece 10
Scalloped apron pattern piece 11
Scalloped apron pattern piece 12
Scalloped apron pattern piece 13
Scalloped apron pattern piece 14
Scalloped apron pattern piece 15

Here is a picture of the layout before I took the pages apart so you can see a basic idea of the end result.

Pattern. Click for bigger view

I have provided the pattern pieces in a manner that allows you to print from home on regular computer paper. Due to the large size of the skirt of this apron, the pattern requires 15 pages. You’ll see a border around each page; you can either fold or trim, but you’ll see that the pattern pieces are marked where you should tape them together. You’ll tape from the border, and not from the edge of the paper.
I have used letters and lines to show which pieces line up where. Make sure you print at full size. The border allows you some space in case your printer tries to cut a bit off.

FOR A FULL APRON

A few people have asked how to turn this into a full apron, meaning how to add a top portion. Here are some brief directions:

You’ll need a rectangle for the top. I don’t have exact dimensions for you. This could depend on how busty you are. You’ll need two rectangles. Decide how big you want them and then add 1/2″ seam allowances.

You’ll need two straps to go around the neck. You can either tie them together or you can add two D-rings to one to thread the other strap through. That will make it adjustable but less bulky. You can use our non-turn strap tutorial to make the straps. On each strap, turn one side under before folding and pressing so that you don’t have a raw edge.

Take one of your apron front pieces and baste your neck straps about 1/2″ from each side along the top, on the right side of the fabric. You basically want it just inside your seam allowance.

Now place your other apron front piece right sides-together and sew along the sides and top. Turn right side out and press. Now your apron top is finished except for the bottom edge.

When you get to the step where you make the waistband, center your apron top between the top edge of the apron waistband pieces when you sew those pieces together. Then when you turn the waistband right-side out, your top is all finished. Proceed from there as directed. I have marked below where this step is.

The process

Pockets	Start with the pockets. You’ll place the pieces right-sides together and sew all the way around except for a hole for turning. Use a 3/8″ seam allowance. Normally, I try to leave the turning hole on the bottom of an item, but due to the curves on these pieces, I chose the straight-edged top instead. Clip the curves by snipping the seam allowance up close to the stitching, but don’t cut through the stitching.
Pockets, turned	Turn the pockets right side out through the hole and press. Then top stitch 1/4″ from the top edge. This adds a nice visual touch and simultaneously closes up that turning hole.
Apply pockets, part I	Apply the pockets to the skirt pieces. I chose to match the pockets to the waist band I’d be using for each side. On this apron, it can be a bit tricky because it hasn’t been gathered yet and it’s hard to tell just how the skirt will fall when finished. I got it right on one pocket, and in the end my other pocket was at a bit of an angle. I totally fudged this in the photos with my pose so you couldn’t tell. But, heck, I just told you anyway. See the pocket to the left? In hindsight, I would have tilted it just a little bit to the right on the bottom.
Apply pockets, part II	Pin your pockets in place and sew around the sides and bottom, close to the edge.
Line up skirt pieces	Place the skirt pieces right sides together and pin around sides and bottom. Line up all the scallops.
Clip scallops	After sewing (1/2″ seam allowance) all the way around the sides and bottom, clip each scallop to just below the stitches and trim some of the bulk away.
Turn right-side out	Turn and press. With the scallops, this will take a little time.
Top stitch	Top stitch along the sides and bottom.
Gathering stitches	The top of your apron is still open. Now you need to make some gathering stitches. Set your machine on the longest stitch and sew two parallel lines (aim to get them within the 1/2″ seam allowance) near the raw edge. With this heavy fabric, I recommend two sets of stitches running from the center to either edge (my thread broke and I had to redo my gathering stitches; it seems to take some of the pressure off this way). It’s thick and much heavier than your thread, so when you start to pull, be very gentle so you don’t break the thread. We’ll get to the gathering in a minute.
Sew waist band	But first we need our waist band. Take your waistband pieces, right-sides together, and stitch along one long side. NOTE: If you are adding an apron top, this is the step where you add it. Please see the top of this post under “Pattern” for more directions on this. Flip around and press. NOTE: I hadn’t made one of these in a while, and I made the mistake of top stitching at this point. I shouldn’t have. That comes later, so you may see some top stitching in the next few photos, but don’t do it until I tell you to. I had to remove some stitches to finish the next few steps.
Mark seam allowance	(again, ignore the top stitching along the top of the band. Oh, and the horribly blurry picture. Sorry) On either end of your waist band, it is helpful to mark off the 1/2″ seam allowance with some sort of fabric pen or pencil.
Gather	Now you’ll gather your skirt a bit. You won’t have to gather too much, but try to evenly distribute the stitches. Your goal is to have it be the exact length of the waist band WITHIN the seam allowances you just marked. The skirt should stop 1/2″ from either end.
Pin waist band on	Open up your waist band and pin one raw edge to the raw edge of your skirt, right-sides together. In this case, I wanted the polka-dot band with the pink fabric, so that is what I pinned together. The other side of the band just hangs there.
Press seam open	Sew and press band away from skirt of apron. Set aside.
Ties	It’s time to make the ties. Place your tie pieces right-sides together and sew a 1/2″ seam around the whole thing, except the small, straight end.
Turn and press	Turn the tie through the end and press it smooth.
Finished ties	Top stitch the ties. I think it looks nicer this way, but also, when you wash the apron, everything will stay in place much better.
Press seam allowance under	Press under the seam allowance 1/2″ on the loose end of the waist band.
Attach tie	This one is hard to see, so I labeled it. I have turned it so the right sides of the band are facing up. At top, you see the side of the waist band that is not yet sewn down. Below that in the photo is the polka dot band, but it is covered by the tie. The polka dot side of the tie is face-to-face with the polka dot waist band. The raw edges of the tie and waist band are lined up.
Fold band over	Now I’ve flipped over the loose part of the waist band. Essentially, I’ve made a sandwich: pink waist band tie polka dot waist band Now sew a 1/2″ seam allowance on that raw edge. This is easy to do since you made sure the skirt of the apron stopped 1/2 inch from the end.
Turn right-side out	Flip the band around right-side out, and this is what you’ll see. (Repeat with other tie.) Now is when you should top stitch the top of the waist band. Your ties are already top stitched, so just continue that along the top of the waist band. Now, the only unfinished part of your apron is one side of the waist band.
Slip stitch closed	You’ve already pressed your seam allowance, so everything should sort of fall into place here. Pin your waistband to the skirt and slip stitch closed by hand. Now your apron is beautiful from either side, and it’s like having two aprons in one!

Other views

Front, side I

Side, side I

Back, side I

Side II

Print with images Print without images

Categorized: Accessories

Tagged: Accessories, apron, reversible apron, scalloped apron, sewing, sewing tutorial

Kitty

Hi, I love that cool fabric. Could you post where you got it? It seems like it would be cool cut on the curved lines so the bottom followed the pattern of the fabric too. that’s what I’d like to try. Thanks for any info, Kitty
admin

Kitty,
The fabric is from this site, Warehouse Fabrics Inc. If you click on the icons for the supplies at the top, it will take you to the pages for those fabrics.

Lining up the fabric was sort of tricky, unless you were to make the scallops specifically for this particular fabric, which I didn’t. You could certainly try it! Good luck!
Janni

I made this apron for a friend’s birthday yesterday. Your pattern was great. It was very easy to follow your tutorial. It was just the project I was looking for. She loved it.
I did want to note that if you are using a fabric that has direction(top/bottom) to it you need to be sure and reverse the ties. I ran into this problem and didn’t have enough to cut a new one so I had to piece the tie. She didn’t care, and loves it anyway.

I took pictures, but am not sure how to post them for you to see how it turned out.
Thank you so much for sharing your work.
Janni
admin

Janni,
I’m so glad you made one of the aprons! You can submit photos to share through the Warehouse Fabrics Inc. photo gallery. We’d love to see them!
Robyn
http://Pimentel-Chiclayo-Perú Raquel

Muy lindo el delantal y gracias por el grafico para poder confeccionarlo. Saludos
Judi

Very fun and love the fabric. Do you happen to custom make items to sell? I would love to have a few in tween size for my 10 year old daughter’s party to hand out. Thank you!
Pingback: 10 Free Apron Patterns | Skip To My Lou
http://goodideasandtips.com Amy Allred

I love this tutorial….it is so darn adorable. Thanks a ton for sharing!!
Pingback: Reversible Apron Tutorial
Michele Kirk

LOVE IT!! Wonder if there’s a way to make it a full apron? I’m a messy cook but love to look as cute as possible!! Thanks for sharing!!
admin

It’s not too hard to add a top. If you’d like to contact me through the contact form on the right of the page, I’ll give you a basic idea how.
Pingback: 12 Handmade Gifts « stylelyssa
Lia

HI, I was just wondering, about how many hours this project takes to complete?

it’s lovely by the way
admin

Hi Lia,
I’ve never timed it and I’ve probably never done every bit of it at one time. I usually cut at one session and sew on another, and since I have a baby, I really have to break things up and do them as I have time.
But I would estimate maybe 3 hours. That would be my guess for having to print out the pattern, tape it, cut everything out and sew.
Robyn
Liz

Just finished this apron yesterday! I LOVE IT! I got my first sewing machine for Christmas, and this was my first official project. Thanks so much for the pattern!
http://www.icedjems.com Iced Jems

Thanks for the fabulous tutorial! I’m about to have a go at one of these! x
Tricia

thanks for the fantastic pattern and clear instructions…I’m looking forward to making this…my pattern is put together…i’ll send you a pic of the final product!
Trish
admin

I would love to see it!
Wannabe Crafter

This is exactly what I need for a bridal shower gift, love it!

I’m fairly novice to sewing, etc, can you tell me if this would be appropriate for someone that is plus size, or if I will need to make it larger. The bride to be is a bit larger than I and is in another state, so I can’t really measure or anything. I also want it to be a surprise. I’m not totally sure of her size, but I’m going to guess 16 or so. I’m a 10-12 usually, so I’m not sure if using myself as a model will be useful.
admin

Sorry — I was having technical difficulties replying to you before …

You might want to try to make it a little bigger, though that might be slightly complicated with the scallops. When I wore this apron pre-baby and was about a size 2-4, when I tied it the edges of the waist band touched together in the back. I don’t have one on hand to try on now that I have a couple of extra pounds yet to lose to see how it fits. It could always just set wider apart in the back. Or maybe you could add another small scallop to each side and then also add to the waistband accordingly. Good luck. Feel free to ask more questions.
Jessie

I just finished making one of these to wear to my cake decorating classes, and i’ve gotten so many compliments already! I plan to make a top that I can button on when I want it, as I’m a very messy cook. I had to remove the outer scallop on the pattern and shorten the waistband because I’ve got a very tiny waist, but with some measurement and careful adjusting, this apron turned out just as adorable as the one in your pictures! I’m so glad you shared with us! Thanks!
admin

Thanks for reporting back, Jessie! I’d love to see a photo, if you have one. If you’re on flickr, you can put one in our group. The link is at the top right of the blog.
shirley

I love this pattern. I’m planning on making aprons for all the girls in my wedding party but I can’t seem to get the attachments to open for me. Is there any way you can send them to me in an e-mail. I’m hoping I can open them that way.
http://homespun-threads.com/ Aimee Larsen

Thank you for your tutorial. http://myhomespunthreads.blogspot.com/2011/07/apron-giveaway.html#disqus_thread

It turned out beautiful.
admin

Aimee, it’s just gorgeous! I absolutely adore how you pieced it together. It’s just beautiful! Thank you for sharing it with us.
Janet

Aimee, I just made your apron and it turned out beautiful! I love how you made the patterns so easy to be printed off and put together. They were perfect. Thank you for sharing this!!
Pingback: {free pattern} Reversible Scalloped Apron | AproniCity
http://www.warehousefabricsinc.com/blog/reversible-scalloped-apron-tutorial/ Michelle

I was wondering if you could tell me how much of each fabric is needed. Please!
admin

Hello Michelle. Under the photos of the fabrics used, it says 1-1/2 yards of each. Thanks!
http://www.warehousefabricsinc.com/blog/reversible-scalloped-apron-tutorial/ Michelle

Wow! I’m blind. Thanks!
admin

It’s a little hard to see!
Kelly

This is such a cute idea. I would love to make one for my sister but I’m a little confused about the pattern. Is it just for one side of the apron or two? The skirt pattern says to cut 1 fabric and 1 lining but what if you want to have it double sided with 2 different fabrics like yours? I’m assuming I cut 2 fabrics and 2 linings then. Can you tell I’m new to this? Sorry for the silly question!
admin

Hi Kelly,
The apron is two-sided — i.e. a different fabric on each side so that it’s reversible. The apron skirt pattern piece is cut on the fold, so it’s a half-piece. Place the part marked “fold” on the fold of the fabric so that when you cut it out, it’s twice as wide as the pattern piece. Do that for both the front and back of the apron skirt. So you’ll have two full-sized apron skirt pieces in different fabrics. I hope that made sense. If not, please let me know.
Robyn
Teanna

I saw the question about making the apron for a tween. Where you able to find it for a smaller size?
admin

Sorry, right now I just have this pattern in one size. If you want to make it smaller, you could perhaps trim off the last scallop and adjust the waist band accordingly.
Eileen Covington

I just finished one of these scalloped aprons in two contrasting holiday prints. It is absolutely beautiful. I added some holiday ribbon and rick on the pockets and waistband. I am making another one tomorrow. I did make it about an inch longer because I made it for a very tall person. I just cut an inch below the scallops following along the lines estimating with my scissors and it came out great. I also used some interfacing for the waistband. It looks so festive.
admin

Sounds lovely! I’d love to see a picture. If it’s made with our fabrics, you can submit to the gallery on our web page. If it’s made from tutorial and/or with our fabrics, you can submit to our flickr page. The link is all over the blog.
Jeannie Smith

I cannot wait to make this darling apron!! Just one question: On pieces 14 and 15, after taping them together, it says to cut on the fold. There is not fold indication. I am assuming it is on either of the short ends?? I am a grandma and would have to double that waistband easily, but not sure if that was the intent.
thanks
admin

Jeannie,
Yes! I forgot to mark the fold line, but it is definitely cut on the fold. Just line up a short end on the fold. Thanks for pointing it out!
Kandi

I can’t print out the pattern yet to measure, but I’m wanting to by the fabric. How much of each fabric would I need to make this apron? Also, is there a lining between the two fabrics? Thanks!
admin

Kandi,
It takes 1.5 yards of each fabric. I should probably put that in a more noticeable place because nobody sees it! There is no lining between them, although some people like to interface the waist band.
Nina

Hi,
I love this apron! Your tutorial was very easy to follow… thank you!! I just finished making this apron for my mom for Christmas. After I finish making a set of matching pot holders, I post the pic to your Flikr page.
http://alicebeyondtherabbithole.blogspot.com/ Olivia

Super Cute! Thanks so much for the tutorial, I tried a pieced look like my homespun threads. http://alicebeyondtherabbithole.blogspot.com/2012/03/scalloped-apron.html
Robyn

Olivia, I love the patchwork! Thank you for sharing it!
Robyn
Robyn

Readers,
We are having trouble with a few of our blog posts.
Meanwhile, you can access this post on Scribd at this link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/88895472/Scalloped-Apron-Tutorial.
Thanks and sorry for the trouble.
Robyn
Lyn

So I think this pattern + Tutorial is great, but was wondering how this pattern would work for a bigger girl? If I needed to enlarge the pattern how would I do that?
Robyn

Hi Lyn,
I’ve been pondering this today. First off, depending on the size you need, you could just lengthen the ties a little and allow the apron to be more open in the back. It really doesn’t need to cover one’s butt. Because the waist of this apron is curved and not just a straight line, simply adding scallops could cause a problem with the fit. So I don’t know if you’d get a great fit in the end, but if you’re going to do that, I’d add a scallop or two in the center and just try to curve the waist to match up. Hopefully that would do the trick.
Robyn
Lyn

Thank you!
Lyn

You mention that you need 1.5 yards of each fabric, but the fabrics you used come in much wider widths than the ones I want to use (yours were 58 and 54, the ones I want to use are 44 each) would that be a problem?
Robyn

Lyn, it’s been so long since I laid out the pattern, and I just very quickly pulled it out and made some measurements. The skirt portion is cut on the fold and that 1/2-pattern piece is 21.5″ wide, so a 44″ piece of fabric folded in half would barely cut it. But if the selvages are wide and get in the way, there’s no reason you can’t shave 1/2″ off the outer edge of the final scallop or something.
You’d probably need 2 yards of each fabric if you use 44″ wide fabric. I really hope I got this all right! It’s kind of early for me. Maybe even get a little extra fabric if you can afford it, just to be safe. And if you could let me know how much was enough, exactly, I could add it to the blog post. Thanks!
Robyn