Super Simple Chef's Apron

One of the things any restaurant needs is aprons for the cooks. When the whole restaurant thing started I imagined myself making all sorts of cute aprons for the cooks. Paul immeadiately nixed that idea as impractical as cute aprons in a barbeque place, especially white ones, would get very dirty, very fast and would be impossible to clean.

I will admit that he is probably right but that didn't stop me from experimenting with some cute fabric that I had sitting around here.

Here's what I came up with:

Simple, straight forward and to the point.

If you are interested in how I put it together, here are the basic instructions.

Sizing - This Apron should fit anyone from 20" around and 4' tall to 80" around and 7' tall. I haven't tested both of these extremes but it makes sense to me.

Supplies:

1 1/2 yards of mid-weight cotton fabric, about 45" wide

2 3/4" D-rings

usual sewing supplies

Construction:

1. Rip a 5 1/2" strip of fabric off each of the selvedge (finished) edges.


2. Rip off the 1/2" selvedges


3. Rip three 2 1/2" strips and sew them into long strips by folding the long raw edges into the middle of the wrong side, fold again en-casing the raw edges and edge stitch both long edges . Sew decorative stitch down the middle of the strips for additional strength.


4. Hem the bottom of your apron by folding the bottom edge to the wrong side about 2" twice and secure with a decorative or straight stitch a couple of times.


5. Hem the long edges of your apron by folding the edges to the wrong side about 1/2" twice and secure with a straight or decorative stitch once.


6. Fold your apron in half the long way and measure out from the fold approximately 5 1/2" on the unsewn end. Mark with a pin. From the unsewn edge measure down the sewn edge approximately 11" and mark with a pin. Fold you apron along a diagonal line marked by these pins and cut along these lines. Unfold your apron, fold over these edges individually approximately 1/2" twice to the wrong side and sew down with a straight or decorative stitch.


7. Take two of the three strips made in step 3 and attach one at each junction of the diagonal edge and the side edge on the sides of your apron. Really sew it down securely and cover the raw end. Trim the unsewn end neatly and tie it in a knot.


8. Using the remaining strip from step three, cut it into two pieces, one about 7" long and one the rest of the length. String your D-rings onto the shorter piece secure the cut ends together.


9. Fold the remaining unsewn edge of your apron (the top) over twice to the wrong side approximately 2" securing one raw edge of the long strip on one side and the edges of the shorter strip with the D-rings on the other side.


10. String the long strip through the D-rings, adjust to fit around your neck. Trim the long strip, if you would like, and knot the raw end.

Enjoy!

I like tying this style of apron in front so I can hang a towel off the ties in front. I also have a tendency to just use the ends fo the apron as a towel. I did not add a pocket but that is a personal preference. You can change the length to suit your taste. If you are making this for someone else, leave it long and they can always tie it shorter like you see waiters do in wanna be fancy restaurants.

I used many sources on the web as well as my own stash of purchased aprons to fiure out this design. If you can't figure out my instructions this is always the incomparable Martha Stewart as a source of all good things.

One other thing... this pattern will work well for canvas though I find canvas a little inflexible for hand wiping.

Time to do some cooking!