What better way to protect yourself from the heat and spatter of a BBQ than with an eye-catching apron? Whether you’re making it for yourself or for a loved one, it’s a great item to have on hand. Our apron is made from a pre-printed panel from the Grill & Chill collection by Emily Dumas which includes pieces for the apron, pocket, and ties. We did a bit of a glow-up by adding a canvas lining to the apron and the pocket. The lining adds weight and durability to the apron. It also helps to hide all of the seam allowances. This is a great project for a beginner sewist.

Here’s what you’ll need:
1 pre-printed apron panel. We used the Grill & Chill panel by Emily Dumas
1 yard cotton canvas or similar weight fabric
¼ yard fusible interfacing for ties
1 spool matching sewing thread
Fabric scissors
Straight pins
Hand-sewing needle
Sewing machine with straight stitch
Iron and Ironing Board
A dull tool to turn the ties inside out – we used a wooden stir stick, but a chopstick would also be a good option

The first thing you’ll need to do is cut out each of the pieces on the printed panel including the main body of the apron, the pocket, and the pieces for the neck and waist ties. Use the pattern pieces of the neck and waist ties as a template to cut out the fusible interfacing needed to reinforce the ties.

Take the body of the apron and lay it over the lining fabric (canvas). Pin through both layers along the edges of the apron. Cut out the lining, using the apron as a guide.

Repeat this process to cut out the lining for the pocket piece.

Pin main pocket piece and pocket lining together with right sides facing (if your lining has a right side). Starting at the lower edge of the pocket, near one corner, start stitching the main pocket fabric to the pocket lining. Stitch with ¼” seam allowance. Leave an opening along the bottom of the pocket of approximately 3” as shown in the second image above.

Carefully trim the corners. Then turn the pocket right-side-out, through the opening in the bottom of the pocket.

Carefully press the edges of the pocket making sure that it is fully turned out. Once it is pressed, you shouldn’t be able to see the lining from the front of the pocket.

Stitch across the top of the pocket using ¼” seam allowance. This will help keep the lining to in the inside of the pocket.

Pin the pocket to the front of the apron. Place pins along the sides and across the bottom.

Using the edge of the presser foot as a guide, start stitching the left side of the pocket, starting about 1” below the top edge of the pocket. Stitch up to the top edge. Leaving the needle in the pocket, raise the presser foot and pivot your work 90 degrees counter-clockwise. Make 2 – 3 stitches toward the side of the pocket. Pivot again and edgestitch down the side of the pocket. Then pivot and edgestitch across the bottom of the pocket and then pivot and edgestitch up the right side. Then mirror on the top-right of the pocket what you did on the top-left. Using the presser foot as a guide, topstitch down the right side, across the bottom, and then up the left side to where you started stitching. Overlap a few stitches and trim threads.

The images above show what the top and bottom corners of the pocket should look like, respectively.

Place the ties facedown on the ironing board. Then place the interfacing with the glue-side-down over the first strip.

Carefully press the interfacing to the first tie. We used a wool setting with steam for about 5 – 10 seconds. DO NOT slide the iron over the interfacing. Press and then lift the iron and press the next section. Repeat this process for the other three ties. Allow to cool.

Fold the first tie in half as shown in the image above. Stitch the long edges together with ¼” seam allowance. Repeat this step for the other three ties.

Press open the seam allowance as shown in the first image above. Make sure to centre the seam.

Using ¼” seam allowance, stitch across the top of one end of each tie. Be sure to begin and end with a backstitch so that it is very secure.

Trim the corners as shown above. Then, using a narrow, dull, tool (we used a wooden stir stick), turn each tie right-side-out.

Press each tie flat. Make sure again that the seam runs along the centre of the tie.

Pin the ties to the apron. The longer ties should be attached at the waist, and the shorter ties attached at the top of the apron.

Pin the lining to the apron with the right sides facing. Stitch the apron and the lining together with a ½” seam allowance. Leave an opening of about 4 – 5” in order to turn your apron inside out later.

Trim the corners and carefully clip the seam allowances along the curves.

Turn the apron right-side-out through the opening.

Make sure that the corners and the seams are fully turned out. Then carefully press the edges of the apron. The lining shouldn’t show from the front of the apron.

Topstitch around the edge of the apron. We used the edge of the deep red line on our apron as a guide.

The final step is to hand-stitch the opening closed.

We are now ready to heat up the grill!
Do you think you’d like to make an apron? For yourself? Or as a gift? Please feel free to forward this article to a beginner sewist to give them some inspiration.