As we draw towards the end of the year, we at Calico Laine are serving a steadily increasing number of customers who are on the hunt for Christmas fabrics to create personalised gifts for friends and family. While you don't have to limit yourself to fabrics that have festive themes, items such as aprons are a popular choice for handmade presents to give to loved ones - or even just as a garment for yourself to wear to protect your outfit while cooking dinner on the big day! In today's blog, I'll be walking you through the steps to create your very own apron. You will need: - 1 metre of fabric (We have plenty of Christmas fabrics to choose from, otherwise we suggest taking a look at our cotton plains and prints) - 1 reel of thread (Our Gutermann Sew-All threads or Moon threads are recommended) - Tailor's chalk - A packet of dressmaking pins - Fabric scissors - 3 metres of cotton webbing - 5 metres of cotton bias binding (Try using a contrasting colour for a unique touch) Step One Mark out a large rectangle on your fabric measuring about 90cm by 70cm (if you find that creating a paper pattern is easier for you, then you can do this first) using your tailor's chalk. Cut this rectangle out. Step Two Fold your main apron piece in half so that your piece measures 35cm by 90cm. Measure outwards from the centre by about 15cm and mark with a pin. Along the long edges of the piece, mark about 20cm down from the top with a pin. Using these two pins as starting and ending points, mark a curve outwards from the top corner on the unfolded edge, then cut. This will be where the apron wraps under your arms. Step Four After you have cut these curves, open your main apron piece up again. Pin your bias binding around every edge and sew. Step Five Stitch your webbing to one top corner of your apron, then hold the apron to yourself and measure the neck piece around your neck for a comfortable fit. Cut to size, then stitch the loose end to the opposite top corner. Step Six Cut your remaining webbing in half, then hold your apron to yourself and work out where you would like your waist ties to sit (you can mark these two spots with pins). Stitch these two pieces onto the apron, then cut from the other end to the length you would like them to be. You now have a completed apron ready to wear! You can also embellish your apron in any way you like, from embroidery and bias binding to adding pockets to the front as well (we do not suggest anything that could become loose or fall off, such as buttons). If you decide to follow our tutorial and make your own apron, be sure to take a photo and upload it to our Facebook page - we love to see what our customers can come up with!