With eyelet embellishment and a gift-wrapped pocket, this apron makes the perfect handmade holiday gift.

Tools and Materials
Sewing machine and thread
Fabric
Scissors
21-by-45-inch piece of eyelet
Ruffle foot
2 1/2-yard piece of 2-inch-wide grosgrain ribbon
Pins
Pocket-curve template tool
Iron

Apron How-To
1. Begin by sewing hems to your 21-by-45-inch piece of eyelet: sew 1/4 inch hems along the 21-inch sides of the eyelet; sew a 1 1/4-inch hem along the 45-inch bottom. Leave the top 45-inch side unhemmed.

2. Use a ruffle foot tool on your sewing machine to make a nice ruffle on top by running the raw top edge through the ruffle foot. If you don't have a ruffle foot, you can make a running stitch along the raw edge, then pull the ends to create a ruffle; stitch along edge to lock ruffle in place.

3. Fold a 2 1/2-yard piece of 2-inch grosgrain ribbon in half and press with an iron to make a crease. Align the center of the folded ribbon with the center of the top ruffled edge. Fold the ribbon around the ruffled raw edge and pin in place. Attach ribbon to apron by topstitching along the bottom edge of the ribbon.

4. Choose a colored or patterned fabric for the decorative pocket. To make the pocket, begin by cutting a 6-by-6-inch square of your chosen fabric. Insert fabric into bottom piece of the pocket curve template tool, and round one bottom corner using the top piece of the template. Press with an iron to set. Repeat for the other bottom corner. Sew a 1/4 inch hem along the top of the pocket square. Sew ribbons on pocket to resemble a gift bow, or embroider a letter to personalize the apron for its recipient.

5. Select location on apron for your decorative pocket, and pin in place. Attach the pocket to the apron by topstitching the sides and bottom of the fabric square to the apron.

6. Finish by completing the ends of the apron ties with a fishtail stitch.

Resources
Martha used a Husqvarna Viking Designer SE Limited Edition sewing machine. A pocket template can be purchased at clover-use.com. Special thanks to JoAnn Fabric Stores for giving fabric and ribbon to our studio audience.