Rickrack Rooster Apron Tutorial ~ by Auntie Dem

One of my favorite McCall’s patterns is #1143, from 1944. My mom turned 4 yrs old that year.

I believe this vintage pattern has been previously listed on ebay for $77.00.

WOW! I can’t justify paying $77.00 for an apron pattern (plus materials!) but I’m quite frugal.Anything can be made, right??I watched my grandmother sew all the time while growing up. I had many fancy gowns that she had repurposed from out-of-date clothes of my mom’s and aunt’s.

Side note: “Repurposed” ….
When did we start using that word? Upcycled sounds trendy.

My grandma didn’t have a word for it, other than: Make do! or… Well, that’s what you’re getting! <3 her!

This is how my first attempt came out:

On to this vintage-inspired tutorial:

I do not own this pattern, so I made my own version. (Just like grandma would have!) I made my own pattern pieces, drawn in pencil, on tissue paper. If you’ve read any of my previous blogs (or saw previous pattern pieces photos), you’ll see that my pattern tissue is actually gift wrap tissue. Frugal, and the paper won’t kill my scissors!

I made my skirt using a middle panel, placed on the fabric fold, and two side panels. The women back then were tiny, so I made this one to fit me ;) Imagine that!

 I eyeballed the scroll-shape along the bottom of the panels, and up the outer side of the side panel. I didn’t think that I could press a ¼” hem along all those scrolls, so I also cut a back-side stabilizer band to go along the three scroll sides of the skirt. After I cut the skirt panels out, I traced a band 5 ¼” tall to match on the “scroll” side.

The bib looked like a heart shape, so I measured my approximate bib area, drew than square on tissue, and drew a heart in it. I used the curve of the skirt scroll to draw the top of the bib.

I cut the waist bands and waist ties when it was time to sew them, as they are plain rectangle shapes. Cut them after the skirt is sewn together to get the true measurement.

The neck straps in the original pattern crisscross the back. I normally make neck ties that tie at the base of the neck. The straps might make the apron too small for other people (I’m vertically challenged.)

Materials:

1.75m fabric (I didn’t measure, so this is approx) I used Blue Gingham
scrap fabric for Chicken pocket, I used Yellow Gingham
6m rickrack for the skirt hem, and bib edge
1m rickrack for the pocket trim
thread, notions

Pattern Pieces:

Middle Skirt panel Cut 1: see pattern piece

Side Skirt Panel Cut 2: see pattern piece

Stabilizer Bands Cut 2 of Side, Cut 1 of Middle (see photo)

Waist Bands Cut 2: 2 ½” x 28”

Waist Ties Cut 2: 3” x 34” (total length of waist ties and band should = 90” or more)

Neck Straps Cut 2: 3” x 32” (your measurement plus 2”.) Mine measured 30”, so I cut it at 32”.

… OR …

Neck Ties Cut 2: 3” x 24”

Bib Cut 2: see pattern piece

Pocket: Cut 2: see pattern piece

Assembly:

unless stated, seam allowance is ¼”

Apron Skirt:

RST (Right Sides Together) sew middle skirt panel to side skirt panels.
Zigzag or serge seams.

RST sew stabilizing bands together at sides. 

It should be a weird shape, as it matches the bottom raw edge of the skirt.
Zigzag or serge seams.

Press ¼” under on the straight edge of the skirt stabilizing band (not the scroll side, the straight side.)
Press under ¼” again and stitch. Repeat for all stabilizer bands.
You will have to clip your curves.



RST, pin stabilizing band to skirt edge, matching up the scroll shape.
Sew in place.
Turn right side out, press.

Attach rick rack to scroll edges of skirt.

Neck Straps or Ties:
Decide whether you want this apron to have vintage neck straps that crisscross your back, or neck ties.

Straps:
Place bib piece on your torso, and measure from the corner of the bib top , across your back, to the side of the skirt panel.

Add 2” to this length, then Cut 2 rectangles 3” wide. 

FYI: My strap measured 30”, so I cut it 32” to allow for adjustment

RST, sew neck straps down one side, making a “tube” shape.
Turn right side out. Press.
Topstitch along both long sides.
Repeat for other strap.

 …. OR ….

Ties:
Cut 2: 3” x 25”. RST, fold in half lengthwise.
Sew along two sides. Turn right side out. Press.
Topstitch along three sides.
Repeat for other tie.

Apron Bib: 

Find your neck straps (or neck ties) placement at the top bib corners of the bib FRONT.

RST, pin the straps/ties to the top bib corners.
DO NOT MATCH up the raw edges.
The straps will be on a little bit of an angle. 

RST, pin the bib FRONT to the bib BACK (lining.) The straps are between these layers.

RST, sew bib along three sides, Seam Allowance ½”, sandwiching ends of neck straps or neck ties between the bibs.

Leave the waist edge open.
Clip seam to ¼”, clip curves.

Turn right side out. Press.

Topstitch around bib edge.**Next time I will attach the straps by leaving gaps open on the top of the bib, and tucking the straps inside, as the layers will be topstitched anyway.**

Attach rick rack to pressed edge of the bib.

Waist Band:
RST, press 1/2" along one (bottom) edge, and 1/4" along other (top) edge on one waist band.
Flip bands over, and repeat for other waist band.
Both of your bands need to be the same size/shape when you are done ironing them.

Attach Waist Band to Skirt:
Open up the folds that you pressed into the waist bands.
Find center of skirt and centers of bands.
RST, attach skirt raw edge to bottom waist band raw edge (the side with the ½” fold) at centers.

Attach rear-facing waist band in the same way: Right side of band pin to Wrong side of skirt at raw edge.
Sew 1/2" seam (along the fold.)

Press waist band back to normal.

Press the sides of the waistband ½” under  (approx), to match up with the side of the apron skirt edge.
Pin for now. This is where the waist ties will be going.

Attach Bib to Waist Band Skirt:
Find the center of the bib, and match it to the center of waist bands.
Insert the bib between the top of the waist bands. Pin in place.

If you made neck ties, skip down to “Waist Ties:” to finish.
Carefully figure out where you want your neck straps. 

Crisscross the neck straps. Insert the neck strap raw edges into the waist band, on the top edge of the waist band, beside where the waist ties will be going. 

Try this on before you sew! If your straps are too long, then adjust to fit.
Pin in place.

Waist Ties:
RST, fold one tie lengthwise (hot-dog style). Pin.
Sew around 2 sides of the ties.
Clip corners. Turn right side out. Press. Top stitch around three edges.
Repeat for other tie.

Attach Waist Ties to Waist Band:

Insert unfinished edges of the waist ties into waist band openings at the sides.
Top stitch in place around 4 sides of the waist band.

Pocket:
If you want to add any detail or applique to the front of the pocket, now is the time before you sew the pocket together. You could also hand embroider or sew a tiny button for the chicken’s “eye.”

RST, sew pocket front to pocket back along most of the pocket edge.Leave about a 2” opening on the straightest edge (chicken’s back area).Press the opening to match with the seam you just made, so when you turn it right side out, it will be already pressed, and look good.If you wait to press it after, it can be a little trickier to iron.

Clip curves, but not the opening seam. (Pinking shears are great for this.)

Turn right side out through the opening. 

Poke the curves, so that it is very neat. Press.

Topstitch along the edge of the pocket.

Attach Pocket to Skirt:
Try your apron on, and find a comfortable spot for your hand.  Pin pocket in this spot.
Cut rickrack pieces for the chicken’s crest, legs, and beak. 

Sew pocket and rickrack pieces to skirt front.

TA DA! 

Rickrack Rooster Apron ~ by Auntie Dem