Minimal Yardage Cottagecore Apron with ZERO Waste - PATTERN AVAILABLE! 

This turned out so cute! When I hear zero-waste I think of these sack-like dresses that look insanely unflattering and just kind of miserable. This is joyful and charming and very inspiring!

15:50 1700s pockets !! Many sturdy fabrics for upholstery work SO WELL for making this kind of pockets (the ones with floral patterns especially) ! Also in general : inner pockets. A contrasting inner pocket in a jacket is just beautiful and a great way to use these smaller bits !

A very functional and attractive apron. The button details on the bib are such a bonus.

That mystery chunk is going to end up a matching hair bow for me 💖

oh my that button placket was just perfect to finish off the apron! And thank you for making a cute zero waste pattern that isn't just boxy!

I love your design process. In the 1980’s Laura Ashley made a very popular line of British countryside based clothing line. She had a pinafore similar to yours…..Her layering clothes idea was taken from historically researched clothes making. She also had mid length petticoats to be worn under her dresses or skirts…made of muslin material with a plain cotton ruffle. In her tea length dresses they included a very interesting design element of vertical 3 or 4 vertical 1” pleats near the hemline. This came from little girls dresses that you could let out the pleats as they grew. You might want to have a look at that moment of fashion (which I wore and loved). Most of her clothes during that period were 100% cotton and when they were not solid they utilized Liberty fabric style small wildflower prints.

Adorable! That extra little piece could be used to expand the bodice portion for larger bodies. This had inspired me to dig through my own stash of renments and create things! ❤

So adorable! Could also be a really cute pinafore dress if the bottom part went all the way around.

This is such a cute and hobbit-y apron! It was very interesting to see how you planned everything and the piecing in the ruffle is such an nice, period accurate detail it made me smile. Also the buttons at the front really make the whole apron pop out as a complete piece of clothing instead of just a basic apron. I have a LOT of small bits of fabric, either remnants from bigger projects or scraps I salvaged from my gandmothers' sewing boxes, and I tend to use them for napkins, 18th century style pockets or medieval-ish purses, but it often leaves me with even smaller scraps... These end up as pillow stuffing. I did made a dress out of a duvet cover and matching pillowcase with zero waste, though, and it's both super adjustable and flattering, but it's not exactly a small quantity of fabric.

I made a quilt top out of three scrap pieces of fabric. A "fake" quilt print with various pink squares that were almost square, but were really rectangles - I cut the squares apart. A black and burgundy butterfly print from a thrift store. I fussy cut whole butterflies to match the size of pink squares. Then I pieced partial butterflies to make a total of 15 squares. I also pieced some pink squares to make a total of 15. Then I carefully measured a scrap piece of gray and black floral and cut 7/8" wide strips to create sashing. It turned out really pretty. Now I have to figure out a border and backing fabric to make a wall hanging.

Your use of a fork as a pleat tool is GENIUS!! I have a vintage pleat maker tool bought at a good, reasonable price but the fork would have saved me a little bit of money. 😅 Your project turned out to be so lovely btw! 😄

That turned out nice! Beautiful and functional all in one design. Linen, chiffon, lawn, etc are all lively fabrics to work with. My great-grandmother taught me to lightly starch these before cutting, and it tames them wonderfully!

I love how this turned out! I'd love a zero waste bag pattern! Like dice bags, tie on pockets and reticules!

Those shoulder frills on the bias are so cool! Really like the pleats too, best solution.

Dinglehopper! Best name for a "pleating tool"! Will also smooth and detangle your hair. 🧜‍♀️. 😂😂😂

Love your videos! Also appreciated your use of “then Bob’s your uncle “

Just saw, your sewing machine set up to *sew while standing* holy crap. Now locating a wood block or whatever to save my knees while doing lots of little steps. Thanks 😊 [smiley face]

Love the apron, Shannon! The pin tucks and buttons down the front make it even more special. Wearing it over the off the shoulder dress completes you Cottage Core outfit. Did you also make the dress? I'm thinking you surely did. You are an excellent sewist, plunging into projects with no fear. Love your channel!

So clever! And what a dandy dinglehopper you have 😊

I have been binge watching some of your videos. They are very interesting. Especially when you share some history. Small pieces of fabrics are good for making "Fascinainators". This is a term that means small hats or headscarves that grab peoples' attention (or fascinate them). They are wonderfully frilly, fun, fancy, flirty, and just fascinating.😊

I love that you top stitched the pleats in the skirt section, that makes the garment look so much more refined. And the extra piece made excellent decoration for the top part. The whole apron is so cute!

I love the way linen shimmies when it's flipped around. I admire both the end result and the way you managed not to waste anything! 👍❤❤

Absolutely adorable! I love how this zero waste project turned out. Several years ago I made and apron from a free pattern in got iff the internet thinking I wanted something I could use her on the homestead. I got it all together and realized it was hideous on me and has since hung in my closet. This has given me inspiration to go back and try it again. I will have a lot of seam ripping to do as I used my serger for it. I will probably see about dying it a different color too as the color dyed it was just a little too vibrant for what I was looking for. One quick tip for cleaning sewing machine get yourself a paint brush and a keyboard vacuum for the lint. While you are brushing the moving parts you are sucking up the lint at the same time.😉

I love how you designed it on the computer. This is so cute

Thanks Shannon! Your videos are really inspiring and the zero waste component really really really makes me more comfortable using the cheap/thrifted/found/reappropriated fabrics for actual stuff instead of mockups.

I like your work very much! The apron you've made is not only wonderful, it is also a masterpiece !!! Me too, I like such aprons. I like also wearing such apron to cook, to do the washing-up, to clean the house,.... But mine has no ruffles.

I love that your worktable is strong enough and stable enough to Stand on. I'm feeling the fangirl awe coming on... The biggest sewing tip I've stumbled across is to clean your machine whenever you finish your project - that way all the lint I build up from the mock-up purgatory gets swept out of the way. But, since you do multiple projects at once, maybe just set a reminder to clean her out every two weeks? The finished piece is really lovely. Well done... - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi

I'm so glad you posted this!! It's exactly the kind of apron I've wanted as my current one is very "BBQ-esk" and quite warm to wear over clothing given its canvas material! Can't wait to experiment with this ❤

I just wanted to pop on here and THANK YOU for the Amazon link to buy those scissors you use! I just got mine the other day and I'm SHOOK at how nice they are!!

My mum learned me to finds fabrics in sale from shops and they are usually around meter long Sometimes you find two matching or same fabric, so can make 4 (8, 12) part skirt, princess cut dress or cullotes But my mum learned me a trick for "lazy sewest" You hammed one end of fabric, Now you have bottom hem, than do a little tunel (haha, you all know what i mean), add elastic to tunnel, connect both sides and tada, you have easy, little flattering skirt Im waiting for your other projects!

I LOVE your large cutting table!!! I need one of these!

My weirdest scrap project was recovering my hot pads with fabric remnants. The pot holders were frayed, stained and worn. I used 100% cotton scraps to make covers for them like pillow cases sewn closed. Wool and linen would work too. Avoid any polyester because it melts. I love aprons and use them all the time. Yours is so cute.

The dinglehopper pleat tool is a stroke of genius!!!

That's perfect timing for ya... I was just shopping for aprons this week and couldn't find anything I liked. I may have to dust off my sewing machine, maybe remember how to use it 😂, and make this thing. It's soo cute!

This apron is so cute! For the scraps, I like to make different little bags (can never have enough makeup bags), pin cushions, or little animals so I can always feel like I'm in nature.

What a coincidence, I've been thinking just earlier today that my machine was due for maintenance after researching all week how to restore an antique machine I recently found...and realizing I don't remember when my own machine was last cleaned! So sorry you had to do it the hard way! Clearly, something is not so subtly telling me I should clean my machine as well. 😂

Very, very cute! I am so glad you take the time to show the other important parts of sewing, especially ironing, machine maintenance, and writing a list of all the steps in order and then correcting it several times. 😆

The apron is so cute! Love that it's a zero waste design! As far as small amounts of fabric go some ideas could be using them to inset pockets into garments you're making or already have and making book covers. I haven't tried the latter one but I have a little bit of fabric leftover and a very 19th century dictionary I'm using for my research, so I want to make a book cover using the fabric and some kraft paper. I think that should work

Aaaah it's so cute! Honestly, the pin tucked panel really makes it. I like using orphan fabric to make small accessories (like HATS,) but I'll also use it to trim other projects, since trim is soooo expensive.

I have NEEDED THIS!!!! I wish I wasn't going through an awful divorce or I'd totally be supporting your channel financially. For now I will just be a cheerleader and appreciate all you do!

Talk about dieing happy, #fabricavalanche! Heaven!

You are a genius! I’m just about to start a pleated skirt project and have been contemplating the best way to do it. After watching this, I’m definitely using the dinglehopper method!

So cute. Love the texture of the linen and the buttons and pleated front area added the final Country Cottage look. I am 83, no longer sewing, but I live vicariously through your wonderful videos. Lol.

That is a really cute apron; I thought you were going to put frills on the pockets, but you surprised me. Awesome video, as always. Take care, be well

Small yardage project, 18th century inspired pockets, also bonnets, can also use long narrow scraps for braiding a rug

EXTREMELY obsessed with this apron! I’ve been on an apron kick too. I had this massive men’s work shirt that just wasn’t working out for me so I took it apart and had the actually genius idea to sew the flattened sleeves together to make an apron with a scalloped lower half. I then added sort of side seam pockets to the place where the shirt sleeves split before the cuffs. It looks like I’ll be able to get a second apron out of the back panel which I haven’t even touched yet 😂

Your apron looks wonderful on you. I would love to make myself something like it. However, I'm not very good at using a computer; and, we are having trouble with the internet in our part of the country right now. My land line phone and internet cable were out for about 24 hours. They got both back in service by noon yesterday; but, the internet is still not working correctly (it has been off several times during this video). I was born in 1948. All women wore dresses and aprons back then. The only time they did not wear an apron was to go to Church, and go to town. Many times when we were working in the garden, Mom would use the skirt of her apron (still tied around her) to carry all the extra vegetables we had gathered in. Aprons protected dresses, skirts, and tops (sweaters, blouses, shirts). Aprons were used to catch dropping small items (it was much easier to sort through buttons or beans with an apron covering your lap under the table). I still remember Mom using her apron to stop my little brother's head and many other wounds from bleeding (after he fell out of our car onto a gravel road while the car was moving at 35 m.p.r.). There were no seat belts in autos back then. It took many stitches to close all his wounds; but, he did live and is a father and grandfather now. However, that apron was a goner.

The pin tucks and buttons are the perfect finish to the apron, which is just “cute as a button” 😂😂! Seriously, it’s a lovely apron and an amazing us for a small amount of fabric. Thank you for sharing it.

A recommendation for smaller bits of fabric - maybe project bags? Would be cute!!!

So cute!! FYI the Ko-fi link in the description currently links to the page for the apron itself, rather than the pattern; I was confused why it was $40, til I turned my reading comprehension on 😂

I love that the apron turned out so close to your inspiration photos.

Wow that's turned out so wonderfully! It really looks great and picks up many elements from your inspiration pictures. I'm trying to figure out a reason as to why I would be in the neighbourhood of your favourite fabric store. I doubt I can convince the family it would be a fun road trip! Hope you're doing ok with all the smoke and world fires. We've had some problems with smoke in southern Ontario but nothing to bad. Not like Ottawa and I'm guessing all of Quebec. Stay safe

I love this so much!! I can't wait to see those holiday fabric bundles. Off the top of my head, here are some projects I turn to for remnants: belts and hair ribbons, bags or detachable pockets, and of course patchwork. I've also seen zero-waste pirate shirts, so maybe that's and idea too!

Depending on the amount of fabric left, I like to make historical doll clothes out of it. The alternative is often another turn of the century vest for myself. But I would love a video of 1yard historical project ideas with a variety of handy little accessories and frill. I have an old blouse I'm trying to repurpose but can't find the right project yet.

I recently bought a square linen table cloth which I turned into a minimal efort apron with pockets and a small drawstring bag. As I kept the side and bottom hems and cut a strip for the waist band and ties and pleated in from the central flat area. stitched by hand with robust linnen thread which i had . Total cost £1 plus the percentage of the electricity used for the washing machine as the cloth was grubby on the folds where it had sat on a shelf for years.

As always a great job!

So freaking cute! Thanks for sharing!

That's so cute!

So cute!

I thin I might use a pretty embroidered panel from an old unused tablecloth or dressing table cloth in the front bib. As well as pintucks.

Very nice!

I love it!!!

Sooooo cute! I love this so much

I love this project!

That’s just adorable

Very cool! I love this kind of approach to historical fashion.

This is cute and a great idea.

When I was in high school I worked as a server in a cafe and made aprons from 36” gingham. I designed a zero waste apron and made matching bows for my hair. It was long, long ago and my aprons each cost $.36. This video brought back such fun memories.

super cute design!

Great apron! Love it!!!

Thank you for including all the thought processes! It helps me learn and I really appreciate it 🙂

That is a really cute apron! I confess that i do not really 'get' zero waste clothing, there is no such thing as an unusable piece of fabric? I mean there is a host of things to do with them, small projects like scrunchies and perfume sachets. Colour blocking, appliques and the entire quilting craft. And if nothing else, scrap cabbage means never having to buy stuffing. Tip for small or oddly shaped yardages, changing up the pattern to include a sidepiece in the bodice. It makes the pattern pieces more square-ish and thus easier to fit on the fabric.

Love your zero/low waste and recycled sewing projects. You do it with style.

This is just so adorable! Love your special pleating device! 😊

Its adorable! I love the ruffles!

So cute and charming

Lovely stuff Shannon!

Beautiful apron! The details really make it, love the pintucks, buttons, and ruffles.

Beautiful! I'm inspired to make my own

OMG IT'S SO CUTEEEEE

This is so cute! I probably need the larger size and hopefully ill get a chance to try it out sooner than later 😊

The pin tucks are everything 🤗🌟 This is SO pretty Shannon 💗TFS

This is so cute!! I’m definitely inspired to make one. I would love more zero waste sewing videos ❤

Above and beyond the apron, I love the llama print blouse you're wearing!

This is seriously super cute 😃 I can see me wearing this instead of my regular apron 👍

OMG, it's so very cute! I loooove it! I want to make all of the aprons and design some zw garments and accessories for myself now! Thank you for another awesome video!

This turned out very adorable. I just found your channel and scribed.

So cute. Did I miss sewing the details onto the front? - nevermind, just saw the bonus content.

I spent part of my morning cleaning my Singer Futura II. I feel for you! The apron is a gorgeous idea for a one-yard zero-waste project.

I am not usually a frilly apron person but this looks gorgeous, a lovely design and the linen is lovely too xx

This brings me back to one of my first projects ever -- an apron from an IKEA remnant (the origin story of my Giant Sweet Potato Pocket Pattern)! And now I'm reminded that I wanted to fix the closure on that one haha 😅

I don't quite get zero waste on my stuff but close, mostly because of neckholes and fabric being cut off-grain...I usually end up drawing it out on grid paper and doing it the dumb way instead of figuring out how to do it on my computer :D I can make a full length long sleeved dress with 2m of fabric, but sometimes I'll trade off hem length for sleeve length or whatever, I just know the minimum width I need across the bust and gores and gussets fix everything else!! Generally the neck hole is the only waste on mine. Last time I busted out the grid paper on a linen tablecloth I'd carefully removed the crocheted trim from, I had a dress all planned out, then realized, I don't WANT a dress, I want a vest and a tunic. So I hit the eraser, sketched out my tunic pattern, verified that my vest idea would work with what's left (including pocketses), and did the thing, the shirt's still not made and the vest needs boning so I'm going to get a little creative with that cause I don't actually have a thread colour match for it, the off-white thread I used for the eyelets will probably look fine as a topstitch though if I can't fake it with prick-stitching... My favourite thing to do with small pieces of fabric is either as accent pieces on something or vests! Or if it's a really wide one, I can get a very short sleeved tunic out of it.

So excited about the holiday bundles. Will you ship to Australia? As someone who is plus size, the following seem useful ways for small pieces of yardage for me. Ideas: shorts made with colour or pattern blocked sections; tiered dress, skirt or top made with colour co-ordinated patterns; or a kimono-style pieced robe. Thanks for the doggie antics clip at the end. 😊

This is a lovely make! I also like that you used the same music as for your Bilbo house coat reveal, as this also feels very Shire appropriate.

Hey I saw you in a facebook group, and I apparently was already subscribed to you here without knowing. Anyways, what a great channel and video. Keep it up :D

if the fabric is silky, pillow case. if not button down. if too small, pockets! still too small? patches and quilt fabrics! is that fabric minuscule? stuffing!!! great for pillows, heavier puff blankets and for my one day dream handmade bean bag chair

I WANT ONE! 😍

I'm tempted to buy the apron you made, but since I already have linen on hand I'll probably buy the pdf instead! It turned out super cute!

I'd really like to see more ideas on how to use small cuts of fabric (like a yard, meter, whatever) because my grandma gave me so much of them and I don't know what to make. To be honest I'm also kinda scared to touch this fabric because some of it is even 70 years old, but she told me to use it because that is its purpose 😅

This is the best zero waste project that I have seen. And the pin tuck addition? Brilliant. I actually love how narrow the tucks are because it reminds me of the first dress I ever made. It had pin tucks across the bodice. (Maybe not the most beginner friendly choice for a 12 year old.)