There’s exciting news in the land of FanningSparks this week—I’m heading back to school! To the John C Campbell Folk School, that is! I’ll be participating in a 6-week Work Study Program. Long time readers may recall that I had a similar experience in early 2019. I can’t wait to share all the details of this exciting opportunity with you but in the meantime I have a new project and DIY tutorial I’d like to share.
Since the Folk School is all about making, I decided a new Maker Apron would be the perfect addition to my back-to-school wardrobe. My new Maker Apron aligns with the theme of reclaiming, repurposing and upcycling which I shared in my last post. It is made from a simple pair of thrifted denim jeans. The beauty of this apron is twofold 1) its strength and durability and 2) its custom design. This project repurposes denim work pants leveraging the sturdy denim fabric and garment elements. The Maker Apron is designed to withstand dirt and abuse. Whether it’s sawdust from woodworking, paint spatters from glazing pottery or dirt and mud from gardening, this Maker Apron protects you and your clothes.
The custom design features a series of pockets tailored to the specific needs of your craft projects. Need a skinny pocket for a pencil? Check! Need a secure pocket for a smart phone? Check! Need deep pockets for pruners or sanding blocks? Check! Need a loop to hold a towel? Check! Need a spot for safety glasses? Check! This tutorial explains how to create each of these pockets leveraging parts from the thrifted jeans. But you can easily customize the configuration to suit your own special needs.
I couldn’t resist the opportunity to embellish my Maker Apron with colorful bias tape. It’s used to finish the edges and make the ties. Plus it’s woven into an eye-catching grid on the bib. This is, of course, optional. Feel free to embellish the apron in any way you wish.
The Maker Apron isn’t difficult to make with basic sewing skills. But it’s possible to simplify the design so it’s even easier to make. The trick is to use only patch pockets and leave the apron unadorned. I’ll point out the differences for the Simpler Version in the instructions that follow. Let’s get started!
Supplies Needed
. Old Pair of Jeans See Step 1 for specifics and suggestions.
. Bias Tape 2 packages (3 yds each) of extra wide double fold bias tape. Bias tape comes in a variety of colors. I chose the dark rainbow colors from Hobby Lobby’s Sew-ology brand.
. Sewing Thread
. Topstitching Thread If the jeans you’ve selected already have topstitching, look for a thread color that matches.
Equipment and Tools Needed
. Sewing Scissors
. Seam Ripper
. White Chalk Pencil and/or Dark Fabric Marker I love the Pilot FriXion marker.
. Square or Rectangle Ruler These rulers, typically used for quilting, are ideal for ensuring lines are square.
. Curve Ruler (optional)
. Sewing Machine with a Denim Sewing Machine Needle
. Straight Pins
. Iron
. Bodkin or Large Safety Pin
Instructions
Step 1 – Find and Prepare Jeans The first step is to find an appropriate pair of denim jeans. Look for workwear jeans—made of heavy, bottom weight, 100% cotton denim. Nowadays, most jeans seem to be made with a cotton blend incorporating polyester and/or spandex for stretch and comfort. While this fiber content is great for everyday wear, it is not ideal for this project. You can test for fabric content by holding a section of the jean fabric between your hands and pulling in opposite directions. If the fabric stretches, you don’t want this pair.
You’ll also want the biggest pair of jeans you can find so you’ll have lots of fabric. Look for a loose fit in a large size. I found a like-new pair of big and tall Carhartt utility jeans in the men’s section at the local Goodwill store. Each leg is big enough to make an apron—they measure about 16” around at the hem, 30” around at the top of the leg and are about 32” long. It took a little searching but it was worth the effort because these jeans are perfect for this project and cost only a few dollars.
Wash the jeans at least once.
Step 2 – Cut Apron Body Lay the jeans flat on your work surface and prepare to cut off the legs. You’ll want as much fabric as possible for the body of your apron so find the highest, uninterrupted point on the pant leg. It will likely be just below the bottom end of the zipper. Cut straight around the pant leg. Take care not to cut the front or back pockets.
Choose one of the pant legs and lay it flat on the work surface. The hem of the pant leg will become the top edge of the apron bib so you’ll want to choose the pant leg with the least worn hem. If both hems are too worn or uneven, simply stitch a new hem after this next step.
The outside seam of the pant leg will serve as the center line for the Maker Apron. Determine which side of the pant leg, front or back, is wider. The back section of the pant leg is likely to be wider so you will cut along the inseam on the back of the pant leg leaving the seam allowances attached to the front of the pant leg. Press this new center seam flat. You may wish to stitch down the seam allowance to keep the center seam in place. The result is a piece of fabric shaped like a trapezoid.
Step 3 – Deconstruct Jeans Prepare to remove the pockets, waistband and belt loops. Workwear jeans are typically sewn with industrial-grade seams so a good seam ripper (and a good dose of patience) is required for this step. Start by removing the patch pockets from the back of the jeans.
Next remove the belt loops and the waistband.
Simpler Version: Skip to Step 5. Bypass the rest of this step as well as Step 4.
Prepare to remove the front pockets from the jeans. The objective is to keep the denim front and the fabric pocket lining intact. Cut down along the side seam on the back side of the jeans leaving the seam allowances attached to the front of the jeans. Use the seam ripper to remove the seam allowances. Granted, it would be easier to simply cut off the seam allowances but this approach allows you to maintain as much fabric on the outside of the pockets as possible. Cut along both sides of the zipper from the waistline down to the bottom edge.
Step 4 Prepare Front Pockets Measure one of the back patch pockets from the top edge to its lowest point to determine the pocket height. My back patch pocket, and thus my pocket height, is 6¾” high.
Lay one of the front pocket sections flat on the work surface. Use a rectangle ruler to mark a straight line across the top edge. Then measure down from this top edge to the pocket height and mark a second line. Cut along the lines taking care not to cut the pocket lining.
Use a rectangle ruler, squaring up to the top edge, to mark a straight line down the outside edge. Then do the same on the inside edge making the pocket as wide as possible. This should result in a rectangle with 90⁰ right angle corners. Cut along the lines taking care not to cut the pocket lining. The front pocket will now be surrounded by a rectangle of denim fabric with the lining peeking out below. Repeat for the second front pocket.
Step 5 Prepare Apron Body As noted above in Step 2, the outside seam on the pant leg will serve as the center line for the Maker Apron and the hem of the pant leg will become the top edge of the apron bib. See the below graphic for the finished measurements of the Maker Apron.
Lay apron body on flat surface with wrong side up. Use a rectangle ruler to measure the top edge of the apron bib keeping it square to the center line. I made my top edge 11” wide measuring out 5½” to the left and right of the center seam. Mark this line.
Align the ruler with the top edge line and center line. Measure down 12”. This will be the waistline. Measure an equal distance to the left and right side from the center seam to set the width of the waistline. I made my waistline 17” wide measuring 8½” to the left and right of the center seam. Mark this line.
Align the ruler with the waistline and center line. Measure down 17.5”. This will be the bottom hem of the apron. Measure an equal distance to the left and right side from the center seam to set the width of the bottom hem. I made my bottom hem 22” wide measuring 11” to the left and right of the center seam. Mark this line.
Note: You may need to adjust these measurements if your jeans yielded a bigger or smaller piece of denim fabric. Likewise, you may wish to enlarge or shrink the apron body to tailor it to your needs.
Use the ruler to draw a straight line from the left edge of the waistline down to the left edge of the bottom hem. Repeat on the right side.
Draw a gentle curve from the right edge of the waistline up to the top right edge of the apron bib. A curve ruler and fabric marker are helpful for this step. Do not yet mark the left side.
Cut along marked lines leaving the left side of the apron bib uncut. Fold the apron bib in half along the center fold. Carefully ensure the edges are aligned. Then trace the curve from the right side of the apron bib to the left side. Cut along this line.
Simpler Version: Skip to Step 8 bypassing all mention of a pocket band.
Step 6 Prepare Pocket Band Prepare to create a band of fabric across the apron body. The repurposed pockets will be attached to this “pocket band”. Lay the apron body on the work surface with the wrong side facing up. With the rectangle ruler, measure about 3” down from the waistline staying square to the center line. Mark a line. Measure for a second line using the pocket height we calculated in Step 4. My patch pocket measured 6¾” high so this is the same distance I measured down for the second line. The idea is to make the pocket band the same height as the patch pockets. Cut on both lines.
Prepare to measure the two front pockets we cut out in Step 4. Lay bottom section of apron skirt, right side facing up, on the work surface. Start with right front pocket. Place it with right side facing down along the right edge of the apron skirt. Align the bottom edge of the pocket with the top edge of the apron skirt. Fold pocket lining up so it is out of the way. Carefully align along the top edge. Repeat with the left front pocket. As shown in the photo below, measure along the top edge to calculate the distance between the two pockets. I had a gap of 6¾”.
If you’re lucky there will be no gap between the 2 pockets. But more likely, there will be a gap which we need to fill with a rectangular piece of denim. To calculate the size of the rectangle, add 1¼” to the width of the gap. Cut a section of the pocket band equal to this width. In my case, this rectangular piece of fabric measured 8” wide x 6¾” high.
Prepare to reconstruct the pocket band with the actual front pockets. Lay the right pocket on the work surface with the right side facing up. Lay the newly cut rectangle over the pocket, right side facing down, with the top and right sides aligned. Pin in place taking care to keep the pocket lining out of the way. In the photo below, the right side is attached with green sewing pins. Repeat with the left front pocket on the left side.
Attach the front pockets with a ¼” seam along the right and left sides. Open out the reconstructed pocket band and lay above the apron skirt to check fit. The bottom edge of the pocket band should be the same width as the top edge of the apron skirt. Adjust if necessary. Overcast seams carefully since they will remain exposed. Press seams to the sides.
Lay newly reconstructed pocket band on the work surface with right side facing up. Smooth out all sections taking care to align all layers on the far right edges. Pin in place. Repeat on left side. Stitch ¼” seam along right and left sides. Optionally, you may stitch down the pocket linings by smoothing them flat underneath the new pocket band and sewing over the vertical seams.
Note: You may notice diagonal seams on the pockets in the photo below. Your reconstructed pocket band will not have these diagonal seams. Please don’t let them confuse you. They exist on my pocket band only because I had to piece together fabric for the rectangle covering my front pockets.
Step 7 – Attach Pocket Band Lay the apron skirt, with right side facing up, on the work surface. Place the newly reconstructed pocket band on top with right side facing down. Align top and side edges. Pin and then stitch ¼” seam. Overcast seam carefully since it will remain exposed. Press seam down towards hem.
Fold pocket band in half to find center. Mark center line with a sewing pin.
Lay apron bib on work surface with right side facing up. Lay apron bottom directly below the apron bib also with right side facing up. Align edges and center lines. Use a rectangle ruler to draw a straight line from the right bottom edge of the apron bib to the right bottom edge of the apron hem. Repeat on left side.
Trim along the lines. Pin all layers together along the newly cut side edges of the pocket band. Sew a ¼” seam along the cut edges taking care to avoid sewing into any metal rivets that may be on the pockets. Overcast the seam.
Lay apron bottom and pocket band section on the work surface with right side facing up. Lay apron bib on top with right side facing down. Align bottom of apron bib with top of pocket band. Pin in place.
Stitch with a ¼” seam. Overcast carefully since this seam will remain exposed. Press seam up towards apron bib.
You may wish to topstitch the two seams connecting the pocket band to the apron body. Use thread in a color matching the existing topstitching. Increase the stitch length on your sewing machine. I changed mine from standard 3mm stitches to 4mm stitches. Prepare to stitch a scant ⅛” from the existing seam. Stitch slowly.
Step 8 Attach Patch Pockets Start by finding the center of one of the patch pockets. Center this patch pocket on the pocket band placing the top edge of the pocket slightly higher than the top edge of the pocket band. Pin in place.
Find the center of the second patch pocket. Center this patch pocket on the apron bib about 2¾” down from the top edge. Pin in place.
Simpler Version: Center one patch pocket on the apron bib and one on the apron skirt. Pin in place.
Stitch both patch pockets in place sewing along sides and bottom. Topstitch if desired.
Simpler Version: Skip customized pockets and decorative elements. Skip to Step 11.
Step 9 Customize Pockets This is the time to finetune the pockets and storage options on your Maker Apron. For instance, you may wish to divide the top patch pocket with a vertical seam. I chose to add a long, skinny pocket specifically for a pencil. I simply stitched a vertical seam about 1¾” from the left edge of the top patch pocket. This has the added benefit of shrinking the rest of the pocket opening so my smart phone fits more snuggly.
Another option is to add the belt loops you removed from the jeans. I chose to sew a belt loop horizontally on the left side just above the pocket band. I’ll use this loop to hold a bandana, small towel or cleaning rag.
Step 10 Add Decorative Elements This is also the time to add any embellishments to your Maker Apron. The options are limitless but keep in mind you’ll likely be laundering your apron frequently so decorative elements should be sturdy and durable. I decided to make a small woven grid on the apron bib. I used the same rainbow-colored bias binding I planned to sew around the apron skirt.
The below photo shows the steps I followed to make my decorative grid.
Originally, this woven grid was to be purely decorative. But I discovered it could easily be functional as well. Here you can see the rainbow grid holding a pair of safety glasses.
Step 11 Finish Bib Sides Prepare to reuse sections of the jeans’ waistband to finish the curved side edges on the apron bib. Measure the outside edge from the top of the apron bib down to the waistline taking care to follow the curved line. Add about 2” to this measurement. Cut 2 sections of waistband to the calculated length. The curved section on my apron bib measured 12¼”.
The finished width of the waistband on my jeans was 1½” (4” when unfolded) which is a little too wide for finishing the curved edges. Unfold the waistband sections and trim ½” off each long edge.
Fold under ½” along each long edge. Press. The new finished width will be 1”. These waistband sections will be repurposed to cover and finish the curved edges so I’ll refer to them as “facings” going forward.
Determine the best side of each facing section—likely the side with topstitching.
Place apron bib, with wrong side facing up, on your work surface. On the right side of the apron bib, unfold the facing and place it along the curved edge with the right side facing down. The top end of the facing should extend about ½” above the top of the apron bib. Pin in place. Repeat on left side.
Sew ½” seam along the curved edge from the top of the apron bib down to the waistline on both the right and left sides. Unfold facing and pull around to the front of the apron bib. Refold. Check to ensure the facings cover the curved edges smoothly. Adjust if necessary. Don’t sew the facings closed yet.
Step 12 Bind Apron Skirt Prepare to finish the bottom edge of the apron skirt with bias tape. Round off the bottom corners of the apron skirt.
Press the bias tape to remove the creases from the packaging. I used extra wide double fold bias tape in dark rainbow colors. Lay apron skirt with wrong side facing up on work surface. Unfold bias tape, align the edge with the apron skirt and pin in place. Continue all the way around the apron skirt.
Sew the bias tape to the apron skirt stitching just inside the fold. Take care to avoid any metal rivets around the pockets. Sew slowly around the rounded corner—stopping with the needle down to reposition the fabric a few times.
Refold bias tape wrapping it around to the front of the apron skirt. Cut small notches out of the denim fabric at the rounded corners. The bias tape should cover the stitches from the previous seam. Pin bias tape in place. Sew close to the folded edge.
Step 13 Finish Facings With the bias tape sewn around the apron skirt, the facings around the apron bib can be finished. Select one of the facing ends and open out flat. It may be necessary to remove a few of the topstitches. Fold the raw end to the inside of the facing so it is even with the edge of the apron bib.
Carefully snip off the corners of the fabric to reduce the bulk. Stitch across the entire width of the facing 2 or 3 times. The objective is to finish the raw edge and hold it securely in place. It’s also helpful to protect the first few inches of the facing’s long edges. Overcast these edges with a zigzag stitch to prevent them from fraying. Repeat for the other 3 facing ends. This is how the facing end should look at this point.
Refold facing wrapping it around to the front of the apron bib. The facings should cover the stitches from the previous seam. Pin facing in place. Sew close to the folded edge. You may wish to topstitch this seam. The finished ends of the facings will look something like this.
Step 14 Make and Insert Ties Press the bias tape from the second package. Cut the end of the bias tape square. Fold raw edges up inside the fold. Sew along entire length of both sides. For neat and accurate stitching refer back to the topstitching tips in Step 7. The two rows of stitching will close the folded edges and reinforce the ties. After the binding is stitched it is ready to be inserted into the apron. Use a bodkin or large safety pin to pull the binding ties through the facings. Start at the waistband on one side of the apron, pull the binding tie up through this facing, pull the binding tie out into a loop across the top of the apron bib, pull the binding tie down through the other facing, and end at the other end of the waistband.
Your new Maker Apron is finished! To wear the apron, simply slip the neck loop over your head and tie in the back. Just load up your essentials and start making!
More Info
Please pin this image to share or save for future reference.
The mission of the John C Campbell Folk School is to “transform lives, bring people together in a nurturing environment for experiences in learning and community life that spark self-discovery.” You can learn more on their website. You may also enjoy my previous posts about the Folk School.
Today’s Takeaways
1. Due to their durability and strength, denim jeans are ideal for reclaiming, repurposing and upcycling.
2. Consider sewing a Maker Apron following the step-by-step instructions in today’s post.
3. Customize the design of this Maker Apron to meet the specific needs of your own making projects.
Comments are closed.