Children's Fox Apron

MATERIALS AND TOOLS:
1 fat quarter orange cotton fabric
1 fat quarter white cotton fabric
1/8 yard (11.4cm) black cotton fabric
1/8 yard (11.4cm) pink cotton fabric
Approximately 1/2 yard (45.7cm) Heat n Bond double-sided fusible web
Child’s size apron
Two black buttons for eyes (optional)
Fabric-grip (or standard-grip) cutting mat
Brayer tool (optional)
Small ironing board or mat
Iron
1–2 oz. batting
Embroidery thread in black, white, and orange
Water-soluble stabilizer (I used Solvy®)
Lightweight tear-away stabilizer
Fox apron design files (Fox Face.svg and Fox Tail.svg)

Prepare the Materials:
 
1. Using your cutting machine’s software, upload the provided fox apron design files. Size your file to the appropriate size for your apron.
 
2. Iron your apron and decide how big you want the fox face to be on the front; it’s up to you! In the example, the fox takes up a majority of the front above the pockets and has stuffed ears.
 
3. Iron your material so there are no wrinkles or creases. If your orange and white fabrics exceed 12" (30.5cm) square, cut them down to that size. Your pink and black sections will be much smaller, so cut those fabrics to a size just slightly larger than your design so that you’ll use a less adhesive backing.
 
4. Attach double-sided fusible webbing, according to the manufacturer’s instructions for temperature settings, to the back of each fabric that you need to cut. Using an iron, press the fabric to the adhesive backing for fifteen to thirty seconds. The adhesive backing should not peel from the fabric, so press again if necessary.
 
5. Once you’ve bonded the fabric, load the cutting mat with the fabric, adhesive side down. Cut the fabric using the bonded-fabric setting.

Appliqué on the Apron:
 
Peel the paper from the adhesive web on the back of the white inner earpiece. Center the white earpiece flush with the bottom edge of the orange earpiece and adhere with an iron. Repeat with the white piece for the second ear.

Remove the paper from the adhesive web of the black earpiece and layer it on top of one of the earpieces with the edges flush. Press to adhere with an iron. Repeat with the black earpiece for the second ear.

Take one of the layered ears to the machine, set for a satin stitch (length: 0.8, width: 3.0). Place the ear on a piece of stabilizer. Using black thread, appliqué around the inner ear. Repeat for the second ear.

Match the appliquéd ear front with the orange ear back. Appliqué around the outer edge, joining the layers. Repeat for the second ear.

Stuff each ear with a little bit of batting, pushing the batting up into the point. Stitch across the bottom to secure.

Audition the fox face on top of the apron to determine where you want to position the ears. Pin the ears in place and take the apron to the machine. Remove the pins and stitch the ears in place on the apron front. Set aside.

Remove the paper backing from the fox face details, except for the nose piece, and apply to the head. Use the finished face photo as a placement guide.

Back the layered headpiece with a lightweight tear-away stabilizer and satin stitch around all the elements. Use a narrow zigzag (width: 2.0) around the eyes and cheeks, and a wider zigzag (width: 3.0) around the orange “fur.”

Position and apply the tail to the apron, pressing with an iron. Use the finished apron photo for placement.

Remove the backing from the appliquéd headpiece, position it on the apron front, and press with an iron. Press securely with the tip of the iron around the ear area.

Back your stitching area with a tear-away stabilizer, then appliqué around the face to secure it to the apron.

Remove the backing from the black nose piece, position and adhere it with an iron, then secure it with a satin stitch (width 3.0).

Mark where to start and stop zigzag stitching the tail so that it will continue partially under the white tip, then appliqué around the tail. Apply the white tail-tip piece and appliqué around it to complete the tail.

TIP:
When appliquéing dark thread on the edges of a project, a clear stabilizer like Solvy is a better choice than a white tear-away stabilizer, which can leave little crumbs of white paper behind.

Excerpted with permission from Crafting with Digital Cutting Machines.