Dish Soap Apron Tutorial

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Growing up, every summer my family would pack up, take the 2.5 hour drive up North and visit my grandmother in Clayton, NY. The time we spent there made some of the best memories I carry with me today.  If you have never been to the 1000 Islands, I think it is one of the most  beautiful places I have ever been. The granite shorelines,  and the sparkle of the St. Lawrence  is almost dreamlike in it’s beauty, it was the perfect setting for fun childhood adventures, young love, and spending time with family.

Some memories are so tightly interwoven it is hard to unravel them, giving an everyday item the power to take you back to those summer days on The River.  As long as I can remember my Grandmother always had an apron on her bottle of Dawn dish soap,  I realize many would see an apron for a bottle of dish soap as a little kitschy, but  the dish soap apron became a part of my summer memories, embodying the time spent with my mother and her mother in a place I loved.

1000 iSLANDS

The last time I was in my Grandmother’s house after she passed away, I saw her dish soap apron sitting right there by the sink on her bottle of Dawn dish soap. I really don’t know what came over me, but I snatched it right off the bottle and shoved it in my pocket. I think at the time I was afraid it would get thrown out with the soap bottle when my family was all done cleaning out the house. I have had it in my sewing box for a few years now, every time I run across it I smile and remember many summers spent in Clayton. Recently, I started to notice the fabric seems to be degrading, and it does not seem to be aging that well. It occurred to me that my grandmother’s apron will not last forever, and it will never be used again on a bottle of soap, but it can live on as a pattern  to make a whole bunch more, and no bottle of Dawn Dish Soap would have to go naked at my house again, and I would get a daily reminder of my Grandmother and time spent with my family in the 1000 Islands.

I am really excited to share this dish soap apron tutorial with you, it is an exact copy of the apron I took that day from my grandmother’s house. It is actually very easy to make with basic sewing skills too! When you print the Apron Pattern, make sure it prints at 100% (the apron should measure, 8 inches from top to bottom)

Dish Soap Apron

Dish Soap Apron

Yield: 1 Dish Soap Apron
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Active Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Materials

  • Scrap piece of fabric
  • 1/4 inch wide Double Fold Bias Tape
  • Embellishments

Tools

  • Apron Pattern
  • Scissors
  • Pins
  • Sewing machine
  • matching thread
  • Optional Glue Stick (very helpful, this apron has a lot of bias edges!)

Instructions

Cutting Directions:

Place the indicated line on the pattern piece on to a straight grain fold of the fabric. 

Pin your pattern to a folded piece of fabric, and cut out. Cut only the neck hole on the fold

Trim and Edges:

To finish the bottom hem edges. Insert the raw edge of the apron skirt into the fold of the double fold bias tape. Sew into place using a zig zag stitch on the bias tape. Trim off any excess bias tape at the edge of the apron skirt.

To Finish the Upper edge and apron ties:

Cut off approximately 24” of the bias tape for the upper edge of the apron.

To create a finished end for the apron ties, open the bias tape at the cut ends and fold the edge in about an ⅛ -¼ of an inch, refold the bias tape, and pin to hold. You will sew this up when the bias tape is attached to the apron.

Insert the upper raw edge of the apron into the fold of the bias tape, leave 6” of bias tape on both sides of the apron for the ties. Attach the bias tape to the apron, usiing a zig zag stitch, starting on one of the ties and going up and around the apron, finishing on the other tie.

To sew the binding into the neck opening. Using fabric glue* or needles place the bias tape on the neck hole. Over lap the ends and fold the raw edge under to finish the seam, if you use glue, it will hold all this together while you sew, and it will not gum up your needle. Zig Zag stitch as you have previously with the other hems.

Notes

*Using washable glue to hold the bias tape in place for the neck opening is my perferred method of holding everything in place while I sew. The neck hole is on a bias edge of the fabric meaning it will want to stretch all over the place while you try to manipulate the arpon on the sewing machine, the amount of needles needed to combate the stretchiness and finish the seams on such a small project makes sewing difficult.

Place the indicated line on the pattern piece on to a straight grain fold of the fabric.  Pin your pattern to a folded piece of fabric, and cut out. Cut only the neck hole on the fold

To finish the hem edges. Insert the bottom raw edge of the apron into the fold of the double fold bias tape. Zig Zag stitch on the bias tape. Trim the bias tape at the edge of the apron. You may want to adjust your zig zag stitch on a piece of scrap fabric first.

Adjust your Zig Zag Stitch

On a scrap piece of fabric adjust your zig zag stitch, until you are happy with it. I wanted a small fairly tight zig zag for my apron, but my grandmother’s had a larger zig zag, what ever you like the look of that will fit in the 1/4 inch double fold binding is fine.

To Finish the upper edge and make the apron ties:

Cut off approximately 24” of the bias tape for the upper edge of the apron.

To create a finished end for the apron ties, open the bias tape and fold the edge in, refold the bias tape, and pin to hold. You will sew this up when the bias tape is attached to the apron.

Finishing the top and ties of the apron

Insert the raw edge into the fold of the bias tape, leave 6” of bias tape on both sides of the apron for the ties. Zig Zag stitch the bias tape, starting on one of the ties and going up and around the apron, finishing on the other tie.

Finishing the edges of the apron ties:

The biggest problem you may run into making this cute little dish soap apron is the ties, because they are so narrow you have to make sure part of the bias tape is in contact with a feed dog while you are sewing, otherwise, it will jam up and you will have a big knot.

To finish the neck hole:

To sew the binding into the neck opening, the best way to keep the binding stable is to clue it right down. A long time ago a Mennonite woman told me Elmer’s glue sticks work just as well as fabric glue sticks, the key is to make sure it says it is washable.  Overlap the ends and fold the raw edge under to finish the seam, the glue will hold all this together, dont worry the glue will not gum up your needle! Zig Zag stitch as you have previously with the other hems



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12 Comments

  1. I had one of these years ago and not sure what happened to it. I loved it though. My friend had made me an actual apron for my birthday and brought it to me today and it was beautiful and this was her first time sewing anything. Sending her this pattern for an easier project lol.

    I live in Clayton so it was nice to see this 🙂

  2. I so remember those from my childhood. Thanks for the memories! Thanks for sharing on the Country Fair Blog Party this month. I do hope you will join the new party tomorrow.

  3. FINALLY an apron pattern that looks like *my* grandma’s dish soap bottle’s apron!
    Thank you so much!!

    Laurel in MN 🙂

  4. First off, I LOVE this… because my grandma had one too! So I’m going to be making one… but secondly? I used to live in Clayton. It wasn’t for long and I was just a kid (my dad was stationed at Ft. Drum) but I know exactly where you’re talking about!

    1. Oh, my gosh how funny! I have always wanted to live there, but I think I may be too much of a sissy to tough out a winter on the river!
      Thank you for dropping by again, I was over at your blog last night, I love reading you posts!