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Are you ready for a crazy-quick sewing project? I’m calling this the “half hour half apron” because it’s one of the fastest sewing projects I think I’ve ever completed. Honestly, if I busted out a few more of these half aprons, I believe I could get my time down to 15 minutes. No sweat. My point is, this half apron is a breeze to make. This is a perfect project for beginner sewers. Plus, who doesn’t need an adorable handmade apron in their kitchen?
This half apron is made up entirely of rectangles, all of which are the same width. You only need to be able to single stitch in a straight line, and you don’t need a pattern. You guys – if you’ve ever doubted that you could sew something, this is not that project! I’ve even put together a video so you can watch how to stitch this half apron together. Watch on, or keep reading for the step-by-step guide.
Materials
28″ of non-stretchy fabric (with a width of 58″)
Matching thread
Scissors
Sewing machine and notions
Iron and ironing board
Step
Start by cutting the pieces. There are four pieces total, all cut at a 28″ width.
The first piece is the body of the apron, and is 28″ wide and 36″ tall (in the picture this piece is folded in half lengthwise).
The straps are made up of two identical pieces, both 28″ wide and 5″ tall.
Finally, the pocket is what’s left of your original piece of fabric, being 28″ wide and 12″ tall.
Step
Let’s start with the straps. Fold each strap piece in half, right sides in. Iron the fold flat.
Using a straight stitch, sew down the long side of each strap. At one end, make a 90-degree turn and sew to the opposite corner, creating a right angle.
Turn the straps right-side out, and press.
Step
Now to attach the straps to the body of the apron. Take the largest piece of fabric, and fold it in half right side in. It should measure 28″ wide and 18″ tall when folded. Open the fold, and pin the raw end of one strap to the inside of the fold, with the strap leading inside the folded fabric. Repeat with the other strap on the other side of the fold. Both straps should sit inside the folded fabric.
Pin up the sides of the folded fabric. Do the same along the bottom, but leave a 3-4 inch gap in the middle.
With a straight stitch, stitch along the three sides where you pinned, sewing the straps in place. Do not sew across the gap in the bottom.
Step
Through the gap along the bottom, turn the apron right-side out. Iron flat.
Step
And finally, the pocket! Press and sew a 1/4 inch hem along one long side of pocket fabric.
Step
With the hem-side up, pin the pocket to the apron, lining up the bottom of the apron with the bottom of the pocket. Turn and press the sides and bottom of the pocket in, and pin in place. With a single stitch, sew the pocket in place along the sides and bottom.
Next, mark 6.5″ in from both sides of the pocket. This divides the pocket into three sections – two small pockets on the side and one large pocket in the middle. Starting from the bottom of the pocket, stitch along both pinned marks with a single stitch.
And done!
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I made my half apron from this sweet and simple linen print that I’m absolutely in love with. I’m already scheming alternative uses for this fabric so I can buy more of it. Anyone else on a major linen kick right now?
Britt is a stargazer and sunrise-chaser with a collection of magic erasers, and a fascination with the fantastic. A storyteller at heart, she finds inspiration in all the small things, and can likely be found singing show tunes, catching up on K-dramas, or going on adventures to satiate her natural-born wanderlust. (Sometimes even all at the same time.)
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From size to style to color, the choices are endless when it comes to shopping for a sofa. But even before you get into the details, one of the most important decisions to make is which fabric is right for you. Leather sofas are a classic choice, and it’s no secret that velvet sofas are currently having a moment of their own, but one upholstery style we love (and feel doesn’t get nearly enough credit) is the linen sofa. Now, while linen has a reputation for being an exceptionally strong, smooth, and soft natural material, it’s also known for being a bit high maintenance. However, when it comes to sofas and seating, most pieces are made with performance linen, an enhanced form of the fabric that’s designed to withstand more use while still retaining the elegant style and high-quality feel you’ve come to associate with linen furniture. Below, we rounded up 10 of the best linen sofas that will become a staple in your home for generations to come.
Sarah writes about all things shopping for Apartment Therapy, The Kitchn, and Cubby helping you find the best deals and the best products for you and your home. A Brooklyn-born Jersey Girl, she loves a good playlist, a good bagel, and her family (but not necessarily in that order).
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Up until this year, I’d made some pretty tragic assumptions about hemp sheets. I thought, they would be scratchy (especially if organic), sheer, and basically the bedding equivalent of recycled cardboard. Harsh, I know, but now I realize that this myth is totally untrue. Avocado Green’s Organic Hemp Sheets have guided me to the light that is (quality) hemp bedding — and now it’s all I want to sleep in.
Hemp sheets have a texture similar to linen, with a visible weave and a good amount of texture to the touch. They get softer with each wash, but this set by Best List-winning mattress brand Avocado Green arrived soft from the get-go (despite its lack of chemical softening). After I did wash them, I swiftly yanked off the sheets that were on my bed and replaced them with Avocado Green’s hemp set right away. They were irresistibly weighty, soft, and beautiful. At that moment, the price tag began to justify itself.
As it turns out, hemp doesn’t require herbicides or pesticides to grow, and with roots that can grow as deep as nine feet, it’s also a regenerative plant. Translation: It returns 60 to 70 percent of the nutrients it collects and creates back to the soil. For these reasons, hemp bedding has garnered recognition as a sustainable, economic, and ecologically friendly solution to many of the potential issues posed by inorganic textile production. Hemp farms are also effective carbon sinks, “sequestering the climate-change-causing gas at twice the clip of forests” to boot.
Specs aside, it wasn’t until after I spent a week sleeping on these sheets that I realized hemp was the material I’ve been needing for a long time. I abhor being cold, so I prefer to tuck myself into about 17 layers of bedding each night. I also much prefer textured sheets like linen or flannel to percale or sateen. These hemp sheets are robust and weighty — almost like linen sheets that were made for winter. The top sheet falls like a cloak over your curves, essentially tucking you in. The sheets drape beautifully and comfortably, making an unmade bed look nearly as intentional as a made one.
At $399, these sheets are definitely an investment, but after one month of restful, temperature-regulated sleep, I fully believe that they’re worth the price. I’ve been recommending them to anyone who will listen! Finding a set of sheets that allows me to layer on the covers without being drenched in sweat by midnight hasn’t been easy, but Avocado Green has helped me finally conclude my search. Hemp sheets are the way to go for every season, almost every sleeper, and any kind of decor.
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I’m not the person who buys new sheets every year: I tend to find something I really love and stick with it. Recently, however, it was time to refresh my linen supply, and I discovered how hard it has become to find a good, high-quality set of sheets at an affordable price point. It took a ton of research, a few disappointments, and some luck, but I discovered a great source for affordable sheets.
First off, in trying to replace my old sheets, I discovered that the quality had diminished on budget brands I’d purchased in the past. The current Shabby Chic line, which was once known for its exceptionally high quality relative to its price point, looked and felt cheap to me, with its crooked hems and lower-quality fabric. L.L. Bean, which had in the past sold decent percale sheets, now has so many different percales available that it was hard to figure out which one to buy. Linen bedding proved even trickier to pin down: As I researched, I found the prices were sky-high, or customer reviews were negative.
Then my husband mentioned that his incredibly chic friends, who own Lennox & Harvey, a design shop on Martha’s Vineyard, had nice linens that he liked, and he promised that he’d ask them where they got them. I figured our design-savvy pals would have bedding way beyond our budget, but they revealed their guest bedroom’s linen duvet was from… H&M Home!
We immediately ordered a washed linen duvet, matching pillowcases, and a fitted sheet, which you can see below, and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the product. I’m not alone in my admiration either; H&M’s customers give these sheets 4.7 out of 5 stars in their reviews. Not only do the sheets feel great and wash well, but the snap-style closure of the duvets is also an improvement on the buttons most designs have — win, win, win!
H&M’s assortment of bedding colors and patterns feels sophisticated and a little different from other brands (I particularly love the mocha beige and powder pink linens, but note that the actual bed sheets only come in white right now). If you’re looking for sustainable options, you can search their “Conscious” collection, which is made with more eco-friendly materials like organic cotton. Plus, like with their clothing, H&M changes their bedding offerings frequently, so you’re unlikely to end up with the same exact thing as someone else, and though the patterns and colors vary, they tend to always have stripes, checks, and simple solids in stock. I really felt like I’d stumbled on a secret source! It’s worth nothing that the queen and king sizes sell out fast in the linen material though, so I suggest you check back often for restocks if you don’t see what you want right now. These pieces are worth the wait, especially for the prices.
While scouting a decorator’s home for a high-end design magazine recently, I spotted another H&M linen duvet in one of the guest bedrooms (the distinctive snap closures were the giveaway!). It turns out that all of the tastemakers know that the Swedish fast-fashion brand is a great source for bedding. Now you and I do, too!
Laura Fenton is the author of The Little Book of Living Small. She writes about home design and sustainability, and is a regular contributor to Apartment Therapy. Her work has been published in Better Homes & Gardens, Eater, New York Magazine, and Real Simple.
This half apron is made up entirely of rectangles, all of which are the same width. You only need to be able to single stitch in a straight line, and you don’t need a pattern. You guys – if you’ve ever doubted that you could sew something, this is not that project! I’ve even put together a video so you can watch how to stitch this half apron together. Watch on, or keep reading for the step-by-step guide. 
