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THREE RIVERS AREA — In these trying times, there is comfort in sentimental traditions. The habit of wearing aprons is one of those rituals from yesteryear capable of eliciting strong memories. For master sewer Millie Harris of Heber Springs, aprons are a necessity and a reminder of a simpler time.

Member of the Cleburne County Home Extension program since 1987, Harris recently taught an apron class to other members. She was assisted by Dottie Rumburg and Peggy Neal.

Obtaining the distinction of master sewer required her to attend two weeks of training in Batesville.

“They taught me everything,” she said. “I had been sewing all my life, but there was a lot I didn’t know.”

She tries to make the classes she teaches now as informative as the training she received. During the recent class, she taught the students how to make simple aprons. Harris cut out all the pattern pieces in advance to save time. She stocked up on fabric pieces and wonder-under, an iron-on fusible fabric, for embellishing.

“It was a fun class to teach,” she said.

The 19 students couldn’t agree more. Five of the students entered their class projects into the Cleburne County fair.

“All of them won blue ribbons,” Harris said with pride.

She has fond memories of her mother and grandmother wearing their aprons.

“It was a must,” Harris said. “I’d walk in the kitchen as a child, and the first thing I’d do is put one on.”

Aprons weren’t only for kitchen chores, however.

“I used to go to the chicken house and gather eggs in my apron,” she said. “I still hang on to the aprons my mother wore for Christmas, and they’re all worn out.”

Harris grew up in Cotton Plant and took every home economics class she could in high school, she said.

“I took more when I went to college in Jonesboro,” she said.

After college, she left Arkansas for sunny California, where she worked “40 some years” as a consumer representative for the state.

“I always knew I’d return to Arkansas to retire,” she said. “I just never knew how much fun it would be.”

Try the following patterns to make your own apron.

ONE YARD PINAFORE Materials needed: 1 yard fabric (washed) 2 packs of single fold bias tape button or snap

Directions:

1. Trace pattern on the back of fabric & cut out.

2. Shoulders - sew left side dotted lines, front to back, together (front of fabric facing one another), repeat with right side.

3. Sew bias tape along all solid edges of the remaining fabric.

4. Sew button or snap on the left back panel (x) with an opposing snap or button hole on the opposite back panel (l).

Variation: Save on bias (cost of buying or time making), and make this apron reversible. Cut 2 of same pattern, place right-sides together, stitch around entire apron, leaving a 4” opening along one side. Turn right side out, stitch shoulders together (stitch together one set of shoulder seams making sure that second set is out of the way, then hand stitch together the remaining set of seams), close opening.

CLASSIC APRON Materials Needed: 1 yard of fabric 16-by-9-inch piece of coordinating fabric for the pocket 2 (5/8-inch) D-rings 2 yards of 7/8-inch ribbon Apron Pattern

Step 1: Place the apron pattern on the folded fabric and cut out.

Step 2: Fold the rectangle of coordinating fabric in half with right sides together. Stitch around three sides of the pocket using a 1/2-inch seam allowance, leaving a 3-inch opening at the bottom. Clip the corners.

Step 3: Turn the pocket right side out and push out the corners of the pocket with an item like a chopstick. (Don’t use something too sharp or you will poke a hole through the fabric.) Press the pocket flat, folding in the raw edges of the opening. Topstitch along the fold, which will be the top of your pocket.

Step 4: Place the pocket on the center of the apron approximately 12 inches from the top. Stitch the sides and bottom of the pocket to the apron.

Step 5: Using a double fold hem (folding fabric in 1/2 inch, pressing, then folding 1/2 inch again and pressing for a 1-inch hem), pin and stitch the sides and bottom of the apron. Step 6: Using a double fold hem (folding fabric in 5/16 inch, pressing, then folding 5/16 inch again and pressing for a 5/8-inch hem), pin and stitch the curved side of the apron.

Step 7: Fold down 1/4 inch along top and press. Fold 1 inch again and press. Stitch facing down.

Step 8: Cut a 2-inch piece of 7/8-inch ribbon. Slip ribbon through 2 5/8-inch D-Rings and stitch ribbon close to D-Rings.

Step 9: Stitch ribbon with DRings to top right of apron. Stitch 28-inch piece of ribbon to top left of apron. Finish raw edge of ribbon by folding over twice and stitching.

Step 10: Stitch 24-inch-long piece of ribbon at the top of the straight side. Repeat for the other side. Finish raw edge of ribbon by folding over twice and stitching.

BLUE JEAN APRON Materials needed: Denim pant leg Bias tape binding 1-inch twill tape

Directions:

1. Cut the leg off an old pair of jeans. Cut up the inside seam and open the pant leg out flat.

2. Cut the top of the apron (the pant bottom) the width you want for your chest. Medium size measures 12 inches across

3. Shape the apron to the desired width at the waist.

4. Fold the pant leg in half now and trim up all the edges evenly. You will also want to clean up the bottom of the apron with a nice curve.

5. Now trim out all the edges of the sides and bottom with the Bias tape. Wide double fold bias binding works well. Try using the three stitch zig-zag just for fun.

6. Now add your straps. A grommet press works well if you have access to one. Add the twill tape. You can use ribbon or fabric or whatever you want. Just make sure you make them long enough to tie at the neck and waist.

RUFFLE APRON You will need the following fabric: (1) 15 1/2-by-20 1/2-inch piece of fabric for the back of the apron - Piece A (4) 6 1/2-by-33 1/2-inch pieces of fabric for the ruffles - Piece B (2) 4 1/2-by-24 1/2-inch pieces of fabric for the apron strings - Piece C (1) 4 1/2-by-20 1/2-inch piece of fabric for the band - Piece D

Directions:

Make a 1/4-inch hem by folding under 1/4 inch of the fabric and then folding over again, enclosing all raw edges of piece A. Iron under 1/4-inch on all sides and stitch.

B Pieces - Hem the same way on the two short sides and one long side, leaving one 33-inch side unsewn. Repeat with all four pieces.

Working on the right side of the fabric, using long machine stitches,stitch along the unsewn side at 1/4 inch and again 1/8-inch in seam allowance. Pull threads to adjust gathers. Starting on the bottom, pin the top edge of the ruffle to the wrong side of the fabric on piece A at about 1 inch up from the bottom. Wrap the gathering threads around the pin. Adjust gathers to fit across and pin piece down on opposite side. Stitch over the gathers to keep in place.

Sew the next ruffle (B) to piece A about 4 1/2 inches above the top of the previously sewn ruffle, making sure the top ruffles overlaps the bottom ruffle by about an inch. Repeat with remaining ruffles.

Once the ruffles are sewn on, you should have about 1 1/2-inch of piece A left at the top.

Take pieces C and hem all three edges, leaving one short edge open.

Next, take piece D and fold in half. Press with iron. Fold under 1/4 inch on remaining three sides. Place the top of piece A inside of piece C and pin to hold in place. Place pieces C on both ends of the band. Secure in place with pins. Stitch two short ends (being sure to catch the apron strings underneath) and stitch along the open end.

Three Rivers, Pages 57 on 11/19/2009

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