So, I’ve made aprons before, as anyone who has been to my house is well aware….. I have many.

Some I have made, some I have bought, some are souvenirs, but I love them all. So when my friend Zoe offered me a spot on an apron making workshop that she had won in a charity auction? I was so in.

Zoe concentrating.

The workshop took place in Hamilton House, a once derelict building that is now home to artist studios, therapy rooms, and a bar.

It was run by a lovely lady called Ros Marshall, who is a costume maker by trade, working on lots of fabulous things like the Shakespeare season at the Tobacco Factory, and also she worked for four years as an assistant on that most classy of all Bristol-based shows…. Skins. She also writes Cloth magazine, along with a friend that she shares studio space with.

We were asked to bring a metre of fabric… I chose this fruity number:

And also took some material from my box of exciting stuff that I was given by my cousin’s mother-in-law. It started off as some sort of dress/skirt type item with a ruffled bottom, I cut off the bottom:

…and unpicked the seams, so that I could use the material to line the apron, make bias binding, a pocket, and and of course use the ruffle as a fun fun frill!

First we made a paper template using pattern paper, then drew around it with tailors chalk and cut with a seam allowance.

I also cut out the same again in the red spotty fabric, then made a pocket, and pressed and sewed it to the front. I sewed the front and back wrong sides together, then also made some bias binding by cutting 5cm wide strips of spotty fabric on the bias, and applied it to the edges.

Then added a bit of the ruffle I liberated from the bottom of the old outfit…

Then attached fabric tapes and D rings to form straps…. Et Voila!

Snazzy yeah? Funtimes! I feel inspired to tackle the remainder of my box of fun now!