Christmas at Buttermilk Acres - RBD Project Design + Tutorial

His 'n' Hers Christmas Aprons featuring Christmas at Buttermilk Acres 
tea towel canvas fabric by Stacy West @buttermilkbasin for Riley Blake Designs.

Christmas in July?  You bet!  I've been making Christmas items since the fabrics started appearing in April this year:  Christmas flannel, Christmas panel.  I love the Christmas season and it's never too soon to start getting ready!

Stacy has an entire range of prints and vintage-style prints to choose from, but for today's project, I wanted to focus on her tea towel canvas panels.

I couldn't resist making these panels into matchy holiday aprons!

Tea towel canvas is a relatively new product from Riley Blake Designs, "...perfect for window treatments, pillows, jackets, tote bags, aprons, and more."  Before cutting, as with any garment, I pre-washed the canvas and the cotton fabrics.  This helps avoid shrinkage after construction.  You may wish to serge or zig-zag the raw edges before tossing them in the washer. *Ü*

This fabric is soft, supple, and sewed like a dream!  Holds a good press too.  

SUPPLIES for each Apron:  
* 1 Christmas at Buttermilk Acres tea towel canvas panel, prewashed and dried.
     Trim and square each panel to 19-1/2" wide x about 21" or 22" in length

* 1 Fat Quarter accent fabric
     Cut (1) 10-1/2" x 20-1/2" rectangle
     Cut (1) 6-1/2" x 20-1/2" rectangle 

* 1/4 yard coordinating print yardage for straps/ties
     Cut (3) 3" x width of fabric strips

INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1)  Hem the sides of the panel.
 
To make a good edge finish, serge or zig-zag the edges, then press over 1/2 inch, getting a nice, crisp press with a little steam.  Then take it to the sewing machine, and fold the raw edge to the pressed line, and edge-stitch closed.  

Beautiful!  This soft canvas sews like buttah!

Step 2)  Add accent fabric to the top and bottom of the panel.**
   
Have you ever made a pillowcase using the "tube" technique to add the accent fabric casing trim?  Here is a TUTORIAL (Steps 2 through 7).  I used that pillowcase technique to add the accent fabric to the top and bottom of the panels to lengthen the aprons.  I love that one seam encloses all the raw edges!  

Baste the 6-1/2" x 20-1/2" strip piece with right sides together at the top of the panel. Roll the panel up into a tube.  

Next, bring the accent fabric back around and match the long edges together; pin.

Stitch through all layers using 1/4" seam allowance. 

Pull the rolled-up panel through one end. 

Press on both sides. 

**Note:  Add any lace, ribbon, ric-rac or other embellishment to the apron
before stitching on the accent fabric.  Glue-baste or stitch to the main panel.

The top accent fabric should measure about 3 inches wide.  Repeat with the 10-1/2" strip at the bottom of the panel.  The finished bottom accent panel should measure about 5" wide.  At the top, trim the accent fabric even with the panel sides.  

At the bottom, tuck the raw edges inside and edge-stitch the sides closed.  You may also edge-stitch across the accent fabric at the seamlines.

Step 3)  Cut the armholes.

Fold the apron in half, vertically.  From the top corner, measure over 4-1/2" along the top of the apron.  Measure down the side from the top corner about 10-1/2".  Cut from the top mark to the bottom mark in a straight line or slightly curved line.  You may also use this TEMPLATE.

Step 4)  Make the ties.

Join the 3" strips together end to end to form one long strip.  Trim seams to 1/4" and press the seams open.  Fold the strip lengthwise in half and press.  Then fold the outer raw edges to the center pressed line; press again.  Fold in half to enclose the raw edges and press again.

Step 5)  Finishing.

Center the folded ties over the apron top to create a neck loop with enough room to put the apron over your head.   Try it on to determine the length of the neck loop,  between about 19" to 22".  

Fold the ties over the raw armhole edges and pin through all layers.  Edge-stitch all the way around the ties.  Start at the bottom of one tie, sew up the sides enclosing the raw edges, sew around the neck loop then down the other side to the end, making sure to catch the back side as you stitch the ties onto the apron sides.  

I used my #10 Edge-Joining (top-stitching) foot with the center guide positioned along the edge of the ties, then moved the needle position over a couple of spots so the stitching is about 1/8" from the edge.

Tie a knot in the ends of each tie, and your apron is complete!  The ties are long enough to cross over in the back and tie in the front.

These will make a nice gift!  

Ready to get cooking!

Find Christmas at Buttermilk Acres fabrics at your favorite local or online quilt shop, available this month!

photo by Julia @RBD

Look for more inspiration using these fabrics in the coming weeks:
Lisa @ NeverlandStitches

Jessica Dayon