I’m excited to share this Upcycle jeans apron with you. HI My name is Lori Harder and I design and create projects for Coats & Clark and other companies in the home sewing industry. I was looking for a quick and inexpensive gift idea. I came up with converting a pair of blue jeans into a chef’s apron. I found the largest pairs of attractive men’s and women’s used jeans I could find at Goodwill. Salvation Army or thrift stores are also great places to find used pairs of jeans at low cost. Men’s size 36 or 38 waist; or women’s size 16 or 18 worked quite well. A plain pair of Levi’s makes a great man’s apron. I also bought a few pairs of jeans with lots of details like rhinestones down the side seams, zippers on the back pockets, flaps and buttons on the back pockets and lots of topstitching. I bought a basic apron pattern with 3 sizes included – Simplicity A8371 and kept as many details on the jeans as possible for a stylish apron. For this project you’ll need: 1 pair of jeans 1 spool Coats Jeans Thread 1 spool Coats All Purpose Thread 1 package double fold bias binding 4 yards of 1 inch wide gross grain ribbon To get the most usable fabric, cut carefully in the following order: Neatly cut out back pockets leaving ½” seam allowance around entire pocket. If your pair of jeans has a flap above pocket, cut around entire pocket and above flap keeping them together. (1) Across from top corner of one back pocket to the other back pocket at narrowest point between them. (2) At narrowest point from one top outer corner of back pocket up through yoke and waistband of jeans.(3) In one continuous line from the ankle ½” behind the inseam of right pant leg up to the crotch and down the inner side seam of left pant leg. This creates ½” seam allowance to the back of inner side seams.(4) From bottom of back pocket to crotch.(5) Now the jeans can be opened out flat. Fold inner seam allowance of left leg under and pin to right leg with inner seams butted up next to each other starting at the bottom hem working up to the knee area. (6) At this point the left upper leg will start to overlap the right upper leg to stay flat. Cut crotch of jeans on right side of center seam ½” away from center seam going up and stopping next to bottom of fly. (7) The crotch on the left side will be overlapping onto the right side. To keep the front of the jeans flat, tuck the crotch area under, folding at the front center seam tapering a dart about 2 inches up the fly. (8) Edgestitch inner side seams together pivoting at the crotch and continuing up crotch to the fly using Coats Denim Thread. It’s amazing how this thread doesn’t even show letting the original topstitching on the jeans take center stage! Cut out bulk of crotch on backside leaving ½” seam allowance. Take a dart on each side of the back pant legs with point starting at knee area outer side seams tapering out wide enough to keep jean fabric flat. (9) Edgestitch darts in place. Center top of apron pattern on top waistband of jeans and cut out pattern, keeping the original hem or cut to desired length.(10) Edgestitch front waist pockets closed and baste sides of pockets. Trim off inner pockets on back leaving ½” seam allowance.(11) Reinforce any worn areas on jeans with a patch on back topstitching around patch. Once again Coats Jeans Thread performs a disappearing act!(12) Fold ½” seam allowances under at edge of back pocket around entire pocket. Determine front pocket placement by holding apron up to your body. Edgestitch pockets in place around sides and bottom. Edgestitch top of pocket separately pulling pocket out of the way on each side to keep it open, or if there are flaps edgestitch on upper edge of flap. (13a & b) Bind side edges of apron down to waist with double fold bias binding and matching Dual Duty XP All Purpose Thread. (14 & 14 b) Fold under ½” seam allowance on sides and fold under again to clean finish. Topstitch. Clean finish and hem apron by folding under 1” and topstitching at 7/8” or keep original hem. For the ties, cut four 1 yard pieces of gross grain ribbon. Fold end under ¼” and again ¼” onto right side of ribbon. Place folded ends on wrong side apron at each front top corner. Stitch in place. Cut other ends of ribbon on the diagonal to prevent raveling.
