Ashbury Heights Apron

Posted on August 26, 2013 by prairiemoonquilts in Tutorials

Today’s post is a tutorial for a project I’m calling the Ashbury Heights Apron, because I made it using fabrics from the darling Ashbury Heights fabric line by Doohikey Designs for Riley Blake.

Apron

The telephone print is just too cute for words!PhonePrint

In the tutorial, while making the tie strings, I mention using these two tools: a bodkin and a Purple Thang, to make turning the tie strings right side out a lot easier.

Tools

The bodkin is used to turn a tube right side out, or to thread elastic or ribbon through a casing — well, it just has all sorts of uses while you’re sewing. I’ve owned a bodkin since I was about 8 years old. Don’t know how I’d get along without one.

You just slide the bodkin inside your tube, clamp it onto the fabric, adjust the little ring to hold the clamp tight, and then use it to push or pull the fabric where you want it.

You can use the Purple Thang for pushing the points out nice and sharp after you have the tube turned right side out.

The Purple Thang is useful for making sharp points on anything you have to turn, and it also comes in handy for pushing stuffing into a pincushion, and well . . . it, too, has all sorts of other uses. I never want to be without a Purple Thang, either.

You can even thread ribbon or string through the slot on the Purple Thang and run it through a casing, too. Such a simple-looking gadget that has so many wonderful uses.

Anyway, back to the apron. The tutorial was originally posted on Riley Blake’s Cutting Corners College, but they’ve revamped their site and done away with that section, so you can just download the free PDF file here: AshburyHeightsApron.

And if you make an apron using the tutorial, I’d love to see it, so give me a holler!

3 responses to “Ashbury Heights Apron”

  1. Vicki says:

    Hi
    For turning tubes I use, for the small ones a plastic straw and for something larger like curtain tabs a piece of plastic tubing with a larger hole obviously. Sew one small end of the tube closed, no need to back stitch. insert straw or tubing right up to the closed end then push fabric inside with a chopstick or some other blunt instrument until it comes out the other end of the tube, pull it through and you’re done. Undo end stitches only if you feel it’s necessary.
    Hope someone find this helpful
    V.B.

  2. Betty Lou says:

    Thank you for the vintage apron tutorial. I love using vintage patterns to recreate my aprons. If I make this one I will be sure to send a pic.
    BettyLou, Aprons In The Attic.blogspot.com

  3. Cindy says:

    I’ll have to make one! I do like that telephone fabric…..cute!

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