A harvest apron gift

 I have not made an adult gift for quite a while but had come across a suggestion that I knew would be a perfect gift for someone who has an allotment. 

The harvest apron is a double apron with a larger front pocket that can be adjusted to hold allotment harvest without having to carry a basket. 

I did some research & some of the suggestions are rather large which wouldn't suit someone who is petite so I made my own notes & did adjustments. You tube has several videos that suggested the apron could be made quite quickly.  I was much slower than that because I was working out the process. 

I used earthy colours because it will be used on an allotment. The contrasting fabric is perfect to add some interest & it was the same fabric weight. 

You need fabric for the main body (2 pieces or one folded double) 

A waistband, two ties, a loop, ties for the apron part (I used a soft ribbon)

I pressed as I went along because I wanted a neat finish. 

* press over the fold over / harvest part of the apron, fold again & press again. Find the centre point & make a button hole over the fold. This is where the tie will come through.

* sew the two side seams of the apron, leaving about 1.5 inches at the top for the waistband part to be attached 

* trim the side seams with a pinking shears then encase the seam as a french seam. Press 

* make up the two straps on the waist band - right sides together, sew, trim,  pull it through then press & top stich all around the ties. 

* make up the centre tie that will attach to the waistband & hold the ties from the front apron, press all

*gather the top of the back apron to the waistband size (this one was 25 inches for a petite person). I only did a single row of thread for the apron gathering  & that worked fine. 

* The apron top is sewn then encased in the waistband which was quite fiddly to make sure the apron, ties & loop were all lined up to be encased in the waistband. 

Of course, the bobbin thread ran out before the last top stitching line so I had to redo the bobbin. This Brother machine has a top drop in bobbin so you can see the amount of bobbin thread which is useful .

After much pressing & stitching, it was a final press & snipping of loose threads - then ready to be packaged as a gift. 

I like the earthy colours of the fabric & because the apron seams are double sewn as a French seam, it will be hardy enough for regular use & to carry produce on the allotment. 

I hope it will be well received & well used. Perhaps I will make another to improve the process & smooth out the little snags I had to unpick. 

This would be well received as a gift for a keen gardener too, or for someone with hens & they need to collect eggs etc. 

Pressed & folded in to a fabric bag that can be reused for seeds etc. 

I hope I have inspired some to have a go at something else.  Thank you for stopping by, commenting & sharing the blog. 

Dee 🪡📍🧵