Tuesday, April 19, 2011

To market, to market, to market we go



Seen that so many of my lovely customers are market sellers, I could not resist sharing this pretty little apron tutorial which you can make in a dash and ensure you are the envy of all the other stall holders this weekend!

All you need for this is 1 fat quarter (46cm x 56cm) of SewPretty fabric and 1 co-ordinating fat quarter.



1.Line up and trim your FQ's so that they fit neatly on top of each other, then cut off a 2 inch strip from the longest side. (These are going to be used for your straps)


2.To make the straps simply fold each strip in half and sew (as close as to the edge as dareable) then turn inside out.



Now I have struggled many a time to pull through straps like this, and I kept thinking there must be a better way to get this right! I even saw that you can purchase a special tool to help you do this, but I have found a cheaper way with a safety pin. (You may have known this already and failed to pass this great trick on, tut tut)


Simply insert the safety pin on one side making sure you only go through 1 layer of your tube. Then turn the safety pin in on itself and help the tube along by folding in the raw edges to start the process off. then simply keep pushing the safety pin through whilst pulling the fabric down. 1 minute as opposed to 1 hour!


3. Iron your straps flat and insert them between your 2 FQ's (which need to be right sides together) measuring about an inch from the top. Secure them with pins.


4.Stitch all the way around your 2 FQ's leaving a small opening to turn it through.

5.Turn right way out and iron, then stitch along the edges once again to close the opening.



6.Now just fold the bottom piece up over the top to create your little pockets, decide on what size pockets you would like depending on your craft and place pins to mark out the lines (I like to keep a small pocket on the side for pens, one for business cards, one for a few coins, and one for a few sweet treats!)


7. Sew your lines reinforcing at the joins, trim off all excess thread and tie 2 knots in the ends of the straps.



And that is it! All done! A little bit of fabulous style to your market in minutes! Other ideas to try are making a tool belt for your little man, a serving/laundry apron for yourself, a gardeners tool apron. The list can just continue! I would love to see what you create with this idea so just send any pictures to info@sewpretty.co.nz

This weekend, Sew Pretty will be at the Little River Pumpkin Festival! See you there!