Side Openings on Bibs and Aprons

 

Have had requests for side openings on Bibs and Aprons. The results are shown on one of my Crumb Catching Adult Bibs up above.

Note: Clicking on the photos will enlarge the photos.

Wasn't hard at all to do at all...

Just made a simple change on my 6 inch circular cut-out. Just squared off just one of the corners. That simple!

For the bibs and aprons:

Started off with two strips of fabric 14 inches wide by about 30 inches long for the bib. When starting out, I pinned the two pieces of fabric together with the right sides inwards and the wrong sides outwards.  I turned up 2 1/2 inches to form the crumb catching pocket on this bib, which I allowed for in the length of 30 inches on  both of the fabric strips.

For the apron:  Change the length to 10 to 15 inches longer. You can turn from 5 to 8 inches to form the pockets on the apron.  Plus optional wrap around- tie in the back- straps, with each one being about 30 to 45 inches long.

On the wrong side of one of the 2 fabric strips that I pinned together I centered my altered cut-out, about 4 inched down from the top and about 4 inches in from the sides. Traced the cardboard cut out onto just one side of the fabric. The tracing line became my cutting line afterwards.

 Note: A cereal box came in handy for making up the altered circular cut-out.

Rounded off the top 2 corners on the pinned fabrics. Cut the altered circle out of both layers of fabric. Then cut an opening in the side, above ones heart.

Continued on as usual with sewing a 1/4 inch around the edges.  Started off near the center of the bottom of the bib. Followed the raw edges all the way around the outer part of the bib and the neck area. Went up one side, around the neck cut-out, across the top, and down the other side and cross the bottom, with leaving about a 3 inch opening for turning the bib...  Should look like the above photo, but, on the wrong side of the fabric and without the Velcro on it.

Note: If you need a larger opening for the neck area increase your 1/4 inch row of sewing to either 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch. If doing that, when done you must trim the top of the bib seam to 1/4 inch in the neck area. That is a very important step, otherwise you will have problems after turning the fabric to the right side and top stitching same.

Turn the bib completely inside out through that 3 inch opening. Iron off the bib. Top stitch the bib... Or pin the outer parts of the edges as I did, which you can tell from the white side because I didn't iron it off before top stitching, with hand pressing the edges as I pinned... Just didn't want to break my iron out and did it the old fashioned way... It should look like the above on both sides of the bib after those steps. You are looking at the back of the bib in the above photo.

Turn up about 2 1/2 to 3 inches to form the crumb catching pocket from the back side of the fabric to the front side. That's why you use contrasting fabric for the back of the bib... Top stitch one side down and continue across the bottom and up the other side. Be sure to back stitch in the beginning and the ending of your stitching. It should look like the above photo after the pocket is formed. This step is optional.

For the apron: On the apron you can form 2 pockets by running a row of stitches upwards from the bottom in the center of the apron long pocket to the top of the pocket. Be sure to back stitch at both ends when doing this step.

For the side closure we choose the Velcro. You can actually also use either snaps or buttons and button holes if you prefer to do so. I used two inch long strips of Velcro... It's your option. When completed, should look like the above photo on both sides.

The front neck area opened.

 

 

The front neck area closed.

 

 

The back neck area opened

 

 

The back neck area closed

 

 

The front of the bib

 

 

The back of the bib.

 

The apron: The apron is pretty much the same, except for the length of it and, optionally,  ties added  to it around the waist area to tie in the back or to wrap around and tie in the front of the apron... Style and location of pockets are optional and may vary.  Individual 6 to 8 inch square pockets can be added instead of using the row of pockets as shown on the bib... All your choice, of course.

You can see 3 more of my Adult Bibs/Crumb Catchers  that have the opening in the back of them  by clicking here 
 

Charlie G's Apron

Here's a photo of Charlie G wearing one of the two aprons I made for him recently. Besides his loving to cook, he had me make one for him to wear while he worked in his home/hobby wood shop where he makes lawn ornaments and, most recently doll beds and doll cribs.

The fabric is denim for the body of the aprons with the ties made out of a blue and green John Deere cotton plaid. It's hard to see all of the pockets. There is one at the top section of the apron along with a row of them going across the width of the bottom of the apron, all from the denim fabric too. 

The two aprons are pretty much identical. Except that one of the aprons has a zipper on it, going across a section of one of the bottom pockets for when he goes to the flea markets with the wooden items he hand makes.