I have been meaning to make one of these for ages, ever since my friend at work said she had one.  I always end up wearing a hole in the lawn when I’m pegging the washing out – even though my peg basket hangs on the line it is always just in the wrong place.   This way I have all the pegs near at hand all the time.  Little things!

I used up some scraps of furnishing fabric to make mine (including my Ikea fave Fredrika!) but any woven fabric would do I should think.  If you choose a very lightweight fabric you could reinforce it with some interfacing.

You will need:

• Fabric for front of pinny:  18” x 12”
• Fabric for back of pinny: 18” x 12”
• Fabric for the pocket: 18” x 8”
• At least 54” of wide ribbon or tape for the ties, enough to fit around your waist and tie securely
• Thread in a contrasting or matching colour

Method:

• Cut out your fabric out as above.
• On your pocket piece, decide which of the long sides will be the top, then fold over ½” then ½” again, press and pin.

• Sew the folded edge down.
• Lay your pocket piece over the front piece, right sides facing up on both pieces.  Align the bottom of the pocket piece with the bottom of the front piece, then pin around the 3 edges where the fabrics meet.
• Find the centre of the pocket piece and mark a line from top to bottom with a pencil or disappearing marker.

• Carefully sew along the line you have marked, backstitching a little at the start and end.
• Place the back fabric on top of the front & pocket pieces, right sides together.
• Pin the fabrics together, removing the pins that hold the pocket to the front piece as you go.
• Sew all the fabrics together starting at the top of one short side, across the bottom, and back up to the top of the other short side. Backstitch at start and finish.  You will now have a kind of pouch.

• 10.Clip the corners, turn the pouch right sides out, and press.

• 11.This step is optional, but it adds a nice bit of extra detail and will also help your pinny keep its shape:  Pin along the sides you sewed in step 9, then topstitch them.

• Fold the raw edges at the top of your fabric in on themselves by about ½”, press and pin.

•  Lay your ribbon or tape across the top where you have just pinned and pressed.  Make sure the centre of the ribbon or tape is in the centre of your fabric.  I folded mine & made a crease, but you could mark it on with a fade-out pen or washable marker.

• Pin your tie to your fabric, making sure the turned down top does not come untucked!  Then, sew the tie to the fabric, as near to the edge of the ribbon or tape as you dare, turning just before you get to the end of the fabric.  You will end up with a long narrow rectangle of stitches holding your tie to your fabric, and hopefully a nice neatly finished top to your fabric as well.

• Trim the ends of the ribbon or tape with pinking shears or fold it over twice and sew.  This will stop the ends fraying too much.

• Don your finished pinny and peg out your washing!  Or bring it in again, depending on which end of the day it is…

Here’s to many more drying days to come!