Use a large men's shirt to make a saucy woman's apron.
1) Choose a large shirt and a simple apron that you like. If you don't have an apron, look for a pattern like this free Burda pattern.
Unpick the pocket with a seam ripper. Cut off the sleeves and cut the front and back apart at sides and shoulder.
2) Cut out apron.
Put the apron or pattern on the center front of the shirt as close to the collar as possible. Center over the button line. Pin. Make sure to add a 1/2 seam allowance on the sides! Cut out the front layer only extending over the side seams if needed. It will look like this:
3) Make Front facing. Lay one sleeve, cuff end up, on top of the apron so that the center top of the arm is exactly on the button line and the side seams are on the side. Pin. The sleeve needs to go at least 2" below the armhole and across one half of the front. If it is not big enough, cut out the shirt back and use the top of it following the same idea.
Cut off the part of the sleeve that extends above the top.
Pin to apron front. Flip over so apron is on top and trim sleeve along apron bib.
Now the tricky part is finished.
4) Make the neck and waist ties. Cut or rip strips using the shirt back. I made the neck ties 3 inches (7 cm) wide by the width of the shirt back. Waist ties are 4 inches (9 cm) wide.
Fold ties in half lengthwise, right sides together, and sew one short and one long side on all four ties using a narrow seam allowance (1/4 inch). Clip corners, turn right side out and press.
5) Add stuff. Reattach the pocket if you like.
Make ruffles. Rip strips from the back about 2 inches wide. I made two long and two shorter. The measurement is less important than the way the stripes or plaids look. Also, they need to fit on the front leaving a 1/2 seam allowance on the apron armhole sides. Fray the sides of the ruffle strips, then sew close to 3 edges to finish. Sew down the center with a long stitch and loose tension. Gather the strips by pulling one thread and then pin to the front. I also pinched the bottom into a point. Make sure to leave 1/2 inch on the sides and don't gather the top where it will be in the seam. Shorten the stitch length and sew the ruffles down over the previous stitching line backstitching at the bottom to secure.
Now put the ties on top of the ruffles 1/2" from the side. The raw edges will line up at the top and the ties will hang down. Do the same thing for the waist ties. Raw edges line up at the sides, ties going to middle. Pin with the pin heads at the outside edge. You can also baste the ties on.
6) Facing. Finish the bottom edge of the facing. I folded it over one time and zig-zaged it.
Place the facing right side down on the right side of the apron and pin the sides and top. Make sure that the ruffle sides are free. Stitch around, clip corners and curves. Cut tie ends in seam allowance. Turn right side out.
7) Finish lower side edge. below the ties, turn edge under 1/4, turn again and pin. Stitch.
Fini
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