Step One

MEASUREMENTS for Oly-Fun:

You need to measure your body, or the body of the person the apron is for, to custom fit the apron. Use the tape measure to help you. Write the measurements down, for reference while cutting the apron pieces. The measurements you need are:

• Waistband – Measure around your natural waist. This is the smallest part of your torso, along the bottom of your rib cage. Your waistband will be your waist measurement minus 2-4 inches for the ties to knot. Make it 4 inches tall. This allows 1/2 inch seam allowance too.
• Bib – This top section of the apron is made of multiple measurements
  • Length– From the natural waist, measure up to where you want the top of the apron bib to be
  • Bottom Width – This is equal to the waistband width
  • Top Width – You need the width of the top of the bib. The apron straps will come from either side of the top edge. Factor in where the straps will lay comfortable when deciding how wide to make the top bib edge
• Length – Measure from the bib top, straight down to where you want the apron to stop. You will shorten this measurement by subtracting the bib length, and 3 inches for the waist band. This will determine the length of the apron skirt
• Pocket – I chose to make my pocket 20″ wide x 12″ deep. You can make this wider or shorter if desired
• Ties – 36″ long/wide by 7″ tall – You can make them thinner if you desire. Mine are a doubled width, for easier sewing, as you will see later. The final height is 3″ each
• Apron Skirt – For normal width fabric, I make my apron width according to the width of the fabric, but these Grab and Go Olyfun packs are only 20″ wide. However, they are 3 yard cuts and have no grain. I made my skirt length equal to the fabric width, and the length about equal to a normal fabric width. The skirt front is 48″ wide by 20″ tall/long. The back pieces are half that width, 24″ wide by 20″ tall/long.

Step Two

Step Three

Using the purple thread and a normal stitch length, straight stitch each back piece to the front, about 1/2 inch from the edges. These are straight sides, as the curved edges of the back pieces will lay across your butt.

Step Four

With your hand, press the seam outward. Using a longer stitch, top stitch about 1/4″ from that seam, to stitch that seam allowance flat.

Step Five

Using your scissors, carefully cut back the excess fabric from the seam. This makes the seam look more finished and professional. Since the Oly*Fun doesn’t fray, this seam finishing is acceptable.

Step Six

Fold over 1 inch of the top long edge of your pocket and top stitch it down. This re-enforces the top of the pocket and will make it hold up better to normal use.

Step Seven

Center your pocket on the front of the skirt. Use straight pins to temporarily secure it. Sew around the edges of the pocket, keeping the top unsecured, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the edge. Make separations in the pocket by sewing straight lines from the top up. This will ensure the fabric won’t bunch up while sewing. You can use the ruler and chalk or pencil to draw your lines before sewing, if desired. I just stitched them straight.

Step Eight

Set your machine to the longest straight stitch. I use this to make a line of stitching for gathering. Stitch along the top of the skirt, about 1/4″ from the edge, stopping at the sides and midway, to make gathering easier. The full top will have a long line of stitching, but broken up into workable sections. Sit the skirt aside for a bit, as we construct other apron sections. We’ll hand gather this later.

Step Nine

Switch your thread to green and reset the stitch length to normal. Fold an apron tie in half. Stitch one end shut, and stitch the 2 long edges together. Leave the other end open, for easy turning.

Step Ten

Using your scissors, carefully trim the excess fabric up to about 1/4 inch to the stitch line. Clip the corners at a diagonal, for nicer corners when turning. Do not cut into the stitching! Do this for each tie.

Step Eleven

Using the chopstick, press the short stitched end into itself. Push the fabric end, so the tube inverts. Pull the fabric along, till the full right side is out. Use the small end of the chopstick to poke the corners out nicely. Use your hands to press the ties nice and flat. Do this for each tie.

Step Twelve

Using a longer stitch, top stitch around each tie about 1/4 inch from the edges, to make the ties stay in their flat shape. I sew the stitched edges 1st, then move on to to the long folded edge. You don’t need to stitch the open ends, as they will be encased in the apron later.

Step Thirteen

Line up one waist band with long edge of one apron bib. Using a normal length stitch, stitch the two pieces together. Do this for both sets of waist bands and bibs.

Step Fourteen

Using your hands, press the seam downward, to the waistband. Using a longer stitch, top stitch this seam flat, about 1/4″ from the seam on the waistband fabric.

Step Fifteen

With the scissors, trim along the backside of the seam to clean up the excess fabric. Be careful to only cut away the excess and not the other apron fabric or the stitching.

Step Sixteen

Hand gather the apron skirt, by gently pulling the fabric along one thread. Match up the edge of the gathered skirt to the other long edge of the waistband. Alter your gathering as needed. Use straight pins to secure the skirt to the waist band.

Step Seventeen

Carefully straight stitch along this edge to secure the two pieces together. Make sure all your gathers are laying neatly along the waistband, and your waistband isn’t bunching. Take your time stitching this, as it can be tricky. Stitch about 1/2″ from the edge.  I use purple thread, to help it blend into the purple fabric better. Remove your straight pins as you sew, or after.

Step Eighteen

Time to add the ties. For the top ones, pleat them so they will wrap around your neck better. Use straight pins to hold the pleating. If you have skinnier ties, you might not need to pleat them. Straight stitch the ties in place, about 1/2″ from the bib top corners, and 1/4″ from the edge.

Step Nineteen

For the other two ties, center them on the waist band edges. Stitch them in place, about 1/4″ from the edge.

Step Twenty

Line up the other bib/waist band piece onto the one with the ties. Make sure all the ties are encased inside and away from the edges. Use straight pins to hold the edges in place. Using a normal length stitch, stitch around the edge. Do not catch the skirt in this stitching. Leave about 1/2 inch of the waistband non-sewn at the unsecured long edge. You’ll secure that edge a few steps.

Step Twenty-one

Using the scissors, cut away any excess fabric about 1/4 away from the seam edge. Clip the corners at a diagonal for better corners.

Step Twenty-two

Turn the bib right side out and press flat with your hands. Use the chopstick to poke the corners out nicely.

Step Twenty-three

Using a longer stitch, top stitch around the edge of the bib, leaving the unsewn edge still loose.

Step Twenty-four

On the back of the apron, smooth down the bib. Fold the raw waistband edge inwards lining it up to overlap the gathered skirt. Use straight pins to keep this in place.

Step Twenty-five

Flip the apron over. Top stitch about 1/4″ from that waistband edge, so it encases the gathered skirt and waistband edges. Go slowly, keep the stitching straight and make sure the backside of the waistband edge is being caught by the stitching.

Step Twenty-six

Above the waistband, top stitch the two bibs together, about 1/4″ from the seam of the waistband. This helps keep the bib and waistband flat while wearing it.

Step Twenty-seven

When you are finished, the apron should look like mine.