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Shirt Upcycle

By Denise Russell

A couple of years ago I made this apron using one of my husband’s old denin shirt. I got the idea from the book Kitchen Stitches which has awesome projects, compiled by Karen M. Burns from Martingale (see original post here). I really liked all the projects in the book but this apron caught my attention. I raided Chuck’s closet and found the perfect candidate for a makeover!

I added a cool trim as well as multi-colored ric-rac I had purchased in Brazil.  I love the worn look and colorful details. At the time I put it away because I did not know who I was going to give it to. Until this summer, when my mom came to visit. Since she had not been here in over three years, I had a lot of projects to show her.

As soon as she saw the apron she fell in love with it, so I gave it to her. This morning I was checking Facebook and this is what I found:

She had company over this weeekend and sported her new apron. I am so happy she liked it, and even happier I got to review that book, which Martingale is selling in eVersion format only – very convenient as we just print the patterns we want to work on. I save them all in a binder inside plastic protectors. Here is what the original Shirt Tails apron featured in the book looks like:

(Photograph by Brent Kane for Martingale, used by permission).

So, take a look inside your husband’s closet and choose the shirts you know he has not worn in a long time. Then, following the easy instructions and adding some interesting trim, transform them into practical and lovely gifts. Customize them for the male chefs in your family, too.

After all, Christmas is coming and the goal is to stay ahead of the game.

Happy Monday,

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Comments

  1. Needled Mom says

    at

    Those are fabulous. I think I need one or two here. 😉

  2. Gloria Cotten says

    at

    What a great idea! My husband has recently lost weight and has a lot of too-big shirts in his closet. Hmmm…

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Denise Russell

Hello, I’m Denise and I love to design and make quilts. You can also find me knitting, crocheting, and making other crafts. Join me!
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The links above and some of the links in my posts are affiliate links: if you click on the link and decide to purchase something, I may receive a commission. I often receive books from publishers so I can review them on my blog and, at times, I may receive products to use and write about my experience with them. Read my privacy policy.

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