Tutorial #5 Recyle Jeans Apron

I decided to sew a bit this week. Voila! Pinterest inspired project number 5 is an apron made from an old pair of jeans and a bit of scrap fabric.

The pin I pinned is here.

I traced it back to here. I don’t know if the link will work as there is apparently a bit of site rebuilding in process.

The original is a no sew. Just cut the back out of a pair of old jeans that fit leaving the waistband in tack and you have a garden apron. Two minutes tops invested  in the project. However,  I wanted a bib. I’ve been wearing bibbed aprons for the past couple of weeks while working. It helps to have pockets for small tools and brushes since I often lay them down and have to search for days. The bib is necessary because I am messy.

This is my take on the jean apron:

Bib Apron (slightly cock-eyed on hangar)

First your materials list:

Stuff You Need

Materials

A discarded pair of jeans

Belt Fabric – 4” x 104”

Neck Strap Fabric – 3” x 28”

Thread

1.5”X 20” Medium Weight Stabilizer (Pellon) Iron –on if you have it.

2 Buttons

Sewing Machine (you could do this by hand and just leave raw edges to fringe in wash)

Steam Iron

Bib and Apron

• Begin by cutting the waist band at the side seams and ripping the side seams open.
•  Measure approximately 3 inches below the back pockets, draft a straight line across the butt and cut.

The Butt Cut

It is really helpful to use a cutting board or mat here. You can line the waistband up straight across one of the graph lines on your board, measure and use another of your graph lines as a cutting guide. Or just eyeball it. It’s an apron.

• Cut an 11 x 15” piece from one jean leg for the bib.

Stand that seam up and then cut

In retrospect, I would have left this a rectangle and not cut it to resemble an overall bib. Your choice. I will advise that as you cut the leg, fold it so that the seam is standing and does not fall to the side. This will allow you to center the leg seam with the back seam of the jean.

• Overcast all raw edges on the bib and the apron.

I wanted the edges to fray a bit in the wash so I did not finish the edges other than overcasting with the zigzag stitch.

• Pin the bib to the apron, right side to wrong side,  and zigzag stitch across. No need to make a seam, just sew it flat to the waist of the jeans. You will want to overlap the waist about 1”

Pin Bib to Waistband

Belt and Neck Strap

Cut Belt and Strap

Stabilizer AKA Pellon

• For the belt, turn raw edges in ½” on all sides of 4” x 104” contrasting fabric and press. Press belt in half lengthwise.
• Center the Pellon or stabilizer on the belt front and press.
• Stitch the belt around a scant 1/8” from the edges to close.
• Fit the belt through the belt loops, center and stitch to each end of the waistband.

Neck Strap

• For the neck strap, turn raw edges in ½” on all sides of remaining fabric strip and press in half lengthwise.
• Stitch the strap around as for Belt.
• Place Strap on Bib, overlapping 2 1/2 – 3”, place button near top of Bib on Strap and sew in place.

You are done!

There was plenty of jean left over for a bag! It’s almost done. I think we can share that one later this week.