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Handmade holiday presents 2014: Hot Cider apron panel


"Hot Cider" apron panel by Nancy Mink for Wilmington Fabrics

 I bought the "Hot Cider" apron panel by Nancy Mink for Wilmington Fabrics at the American Quilter's Society expo in Grand Rapids this summer. I thought it was pretty so I bought a coordinating stripe and a "Hot Cider" panel in the same line. When I pulled all my Christmas panels and fabric out of my stash in preparation for making some handmade holiday gifts, I thought the apron would make a great Thanksgiving gift to send to my faraway friends Virginia and Janet and Cindy to use during their holiday preparations. I ordered more apron panels and some other coordinating fabrics from Hancocks of Paducah  and got busy when they arrived in mid-November. 

 Instead of using the ties that came on the apron panel, I used a 28-inch length of cotton belting for the neck ties and cut 3-1/2 inch wide by 32 inch long strips from coordinating fabric for the waist ties. To line and make the apron reversable, I picked fabric from my stash for the reverse side of the apron, and used the apron cut from the panel as a pattern for the reverse. 

 I made patch pockets for either/or the front or lining of the aprons. One apron had a pocket made from squares printed on the apron panel, another had a pocket on the reverse side that matched the lining fabric (directly below), another had a piece from a panel that matched the reverse/lining fabric (next picture down).
"Sounds of the Season" coordinate from Bonnie Sullivan for Maywood Studio

 The reverse, or lining, for one apron was made of a pink and green holly print from Bonnie Sullivan's "Sounds of the Season" collection for Maywood Studio. 
"Winter Wonderland" coordinate by Bunny Hill Fabrics for Moda

 The second apron featured a redwork design of snowmen in pickup trucks from the "Winter Wonderland" collection by Bunny Hill Fabrics for Moda on the reverse.
Decorative topstitching along apron edge

 The third apron featured a candy-cane stripe from the "Nancy's Holiday Favorites" collection by Nancy Halvorsen for Benartexon the reverse side. (not pictured)

To make an apron panel reversible:
  • Make apron ties by cutting 3.5-inch by 32 inch pieces of coordinating fabric, press in half lengthwise with right sides together. Stitch along raw edges making a point at one end and leaving the other end open. Turn using a bodkin. Press and topstitch. Use 28 inches of cotton belting for the neck loop or make another tie 28 inches long, leaving both ends open. Wide, grosgrain ribbon is another option for ties, sometimes with two pieces of grosgrain topstitched together with wrong sides facing each other.
  • Baste or pin neck strap/or ties and waist ties in place on apron front with raw edges of ties matching raw edge of panel and ties (or loop) pointing toward the inside of the panel.
  • With right sides together and ties sandwiched between apron panel and lining, hand-baste the lining to the front of the apron, all around the edges of the apron.
  • Machine stitch over basting with 3/8-inch seam allowance, leaving a six-inch gap in the stitching along the bottom edge of the apron.
  • Turn right-side-out through the gap in the stitching.
  • Press.
  • Topstitch the edge with a decorative stitch, using a topstitching needle and a quilting foot that feeds the top as well as the bottom fabric.
Hot Cider Recipes
I transcribed the hot cider recipes featured on the "Hot Cider" panels and included a copy with each apron gift, suggesting spirits may be added to the ciders as desired.

 Cranberry Spiced Apple Cider
2 quarts apple cider
6 cups cranberry juice
¼ cup brown sugar
Nine cinnamon sticks
One teashpoon cloves
One lemon sliced thin
Combine cider, juice, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves and lemon slices. Bring ot a boil . Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove clove, cinnamon and lemon and serve hot.

 Caramel Hot Cider
2 quarts apple cider
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1 cup whipped cream
Combine cider, sugar, and caramel in pan and heat. Serve with whipped cream.

 Wassail
2 quarts apple cider
2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
12 whole cloves
6 cinnamon sticks
Pinch ground ginger
Pinch ground nutmeg
Combine and simmer six hours. Serve hot.

 Spiced Orange Cider
2 quarts apple cider
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 sticks cinnamon
5 whole cloves 
8 slices orange
Combine all ingredients. Simmer 20 minutes. Strain. Garnish with orange slices. Serve warm.

 Hot Gingerbread Apple Cider
6 cups apple cider
2 heaping tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon thinly sliced ginger
7 cinnamon sticks
9 cloves
Combine, simmer. Serve warm.

 Warm Vanilla Apple Cider
6 cups apple cider
2 heaping tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 whole nutmeg
Vanilla bean, split and scraped
Whipped cream
Combine, simmer for 15 minutes. Strain and serve hot. Garnish with whipped cream.

 Note! Are you looking for a quick and easy holiday gifts? Check out the complete directions for a purse-sized, facial-tissue cover and a set of folded patchwork coasters in the Appleton Dance archives.
Resources:
Nancy Mink, http://nancyminkart.com/
Wilmington Fabrics, http://wilmingtonprints. com
AQS, http://www.americanquilter.com/
Hot Cider apron panel, http://www.hancocks-paducah.com/SHOP-BY-BRAND/Hot-Cider-by-Nancy-Mink/Wilmington-Hot-Cider-by-Nancy-Mink-Apron-Panel-24-x-44
Hot Cider panel, http://www.hancocks-paducah.com/SHOP-BY-BRAND/Hot-Cider-by-Nancy-Mink/Wilmington-Hot-Cider-by-Nancy-Mink-Large-Panel-24-x-44
Maywood Studio, http://www.maywoodstudio.com/
Moda, http://blog.modafabrics.com/
Benartex, http://www.benartex.com
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