Ruffle Apron TUTORIAL.....finally!!!!!!

I am SOOOOOO sorry it has taken me so long to get this Tutorial to you. Thank you for being patient with me. Instead of giving you all the reasons why it's taken me so long, I will just get right to it......Here is the finished apron....below are all the details {and pictures}

MATERIALS NEEDED:
Pair of old overalls
18-20"x 19" of bottom weight fabric {width of your overalls x 19"}
1 yard of MAIN fabric (the one you want to use for the ties)
1/2 yard of 2 DIFFERENT fabrics
Follow instruction for flower HERE.  {I serged the edge on mine with a rolled hem stitch to make it more finished.}

First of all you will need a pair of overalls. You can use any kind, in any condition....you mostly just need the bib and the hardware....I have used pants, shorts, a dress, anything that will work. I find most of mine at a thrift store, but you might still have some in the back of your closet! Cut off the bib just below the waist band seam. You will be cutting off the pockets and the legs. You just need enough of an edge to serge the canvas material to the bib.

Serge overall bib to the piece of bottom weight fabric. Don't worry too much about how it looks right now because it will all be covered up when we are finished. Lay out on your table and mark up your piece in the following locations. Horizontally you need to mark 3" down from the surged edge and then 3" down from each marking. You should have 5 marks. Vertically, you need to mark the center (I used the middle stitching on the overall bibs. Then mark 1/2 way between that mark on the right and left. You should have 3 markings this direction.

Now. Cut your fabric into the following strips.
FABRIC #1 - Main COLOR - use for straps and waist tie.
CUT:
2 - 5 1/2" x WOF (Width of Fabric) {ruffles}
2 - 5" x WOF {waist tie}
2 - 4" x 22" {neck ties}


FABRIC #2 - 
CUT
2 - 5 1/2" x WOF (Width of Fabric) {ruffles}



FABRIC #3 - 
CUT
2 - 5 1/2" x WOF (Width of Fabric) {ruffles}

Serge, Zig-Zag or finish the edges of your ruffles. {make sure you use the 5 1/2" width pieces} I used my serger and just surged both edges of the ruffles. The top edge will be zig zagged onto the apron and will be completely covered. You can choose to finish the bottom edges if you desire. I liked the serged edge on these aprons to give it a more "pioneer" feel.

Now divide your fabric in the middle and then in the middle again. I pinned it {shown above} and then matched these pins to the markings on your bottom weight fabric. {shown below}. Use the horizontal lines to make sure your ruffles stay straight across the apron.

I used my ruffler on my serger to make the fabric ruffle on it's own. If you need more help or have questions about ruffles, see this TUTORIAL on MAKE IT AND LOVE IT.

REPEAT for all 6 ruffles. Pin the bottom ruffle first and then move towards the top ruffle. You can sew on each ruffle as you go or you can pin them all and sew them all at the same time...just be careful not to get poked with all those pins.

Zig Zag each ruffle to the bottomweight fabric. You are done with the ruffle part. If you just serged the edges of the ruffles, you will need to zig zag the excess threads onto the ruffles or use fray check on the ends where the serger thread stops.

NEXT: Take the hardware off the straps that go around the neck. You can throw away the fabric, you won't need it.

Take the 4"x22" pieces of fabric and sew them together into a long tube, turn and then topstitch around the entire piece of fabric.

Pull one strap into the hardware. Going around the middle piece and back through about 1".

Sew down and make a box that is about 1/2" on the strap. I tried to get this as close to the hardware as I could on my sewing machine.

Now thread through the clip and back through the hardware. Repeat with other strap, and connect to the overalls. These will just tie behind the neck.

Now take the 2 - 5"xWOF pieces of fabric. Sew them together on the SHORT edge to make it 2xWOF in length. Now sew them the LONG direction into a long tube. turn tube and topstitch entire length of waist tie.

Now you just need to connect your waistband to the apron. Find the center of your waistband {where you sewed it together}. Pin across the apron front making sure to overlap over the top ruffle edge to cover it up. Sew across the top, sides and bottom making a rectangle

......at the sides you will want to angle slightly to stay ON the fabric.

This is the back of the apron.

I hope it's not clear as mud. I realized I am assuming you have some sewing experience. If you have any other questions, please leave me a comment with your email and I would be happy to help. Enjoy!