How to make a cafe apron

1. Materials & tools

Materials (one apron, standard size)

• Main fabric (linen, canvas or Oxford cloth) — about 110 cm wide × 70 cm (43 × 28 in)
• Sewing thread

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Adult clothes” → “Cafe apron” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter the width, length, pocket width, pocket depth and tie length. Presets cover short, standard, long and wide.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Trace the pattern
   Every piece is a rectangle. You can rule the lines straight onto the fabric.
2. Cut the pieces
   One body, one pocket, two ties.
3. Transfer the notches
   Mark the center of the pocket, where the dividing line goes.

4. Sewing

4-1. Finish the body edges

1. Turn each side under twice, 1 cm each time, and stitch.
2. Hem the bottom the same way.
3. Leave the top edge — the ties go in there.

4-2. Add the pocket

1. Turn the pocket's top edge under twice and stitch.
2. Press the other three allowances to the wrong side.
3. Position it and stitch round three sides, with triangles of backstitching at the top corners.
4. A line of stitching at the center notch divides it in two.

4-3. Attach the ties

1. Fold each tie in four and topstitch.
2. Turn the top edge of the body under by 1 cm, then 2 cm.
3. Catch a tie at each end as you fold.

4-4. Stitch the top edge

1. Stitch along the fold from end to end, catching the ties.
2. Backstitch two or three times where each tie enters — that joint is pulled every time it is knotted.

✏️ Reinforce where the ties join. That is almost always the first thing to fail on an apron. Caught in the hem fold and then secured with a stitched square and its diagonals, it will not pull out.

5. Tips & variations

• A generous pocket: big enough for a cloth, a notebook and a phone.
• Canvas lasts: a medium canvas stands up to workshop use.
• Length sets the mood: short reads as cafe, long as workwear.