It’s National Craft Month!
March is the month to reclaim time for doing the things you love—like quilting, sewing, and crafting to your heart’s content.
We Martingale staffers love to quilt, but we love other crafts, too. And of course, sewing tops many of our lists. That’s why we’re kicking off National Craft Month with a fun freebie: The Shirt Tales Apron!
Shirt Tales Apron by Linda Griepentrog. Sign in or register at ShopMartingale.com to download the free pattern.
It couldn’t be easier to make an apron from a man’s dress shirt—by keeping some of the shirt details intact, it’s a snap to sew. The collar, buttonholes, and placket are already done! All you need is one large or extra-large men’s button-down shirt, one yard of medium rickrack, and 1⁄3 yard of 1/2″-wide fusible-web tape. You might already have everything you need in your sewing supplies (plus one thing from your guy’s closet).
This free apron pattern comes from the eBook Kitchen Stitches, which will have you making special items for your kitchen all month long. Just look at all the pretty, practical items you can sew:
From Kitchen Stitches
Looking to celebrate National Craft Month by broadening your crafty horizons even more? Browse any of these books to try a new technique or stretch your sewing skills!
You’ll also find many more ways to celebrate National Craft Month with our entire fleet of freebies—all yours to download for free when you register or sign in at ShopMartingale.
If you make the Shirt Tales Apron, be sure to snap a pic of your project and hashtag it with #madewithmartingale—we’d love to see and share!
We know you 💕💕💕 quilting—but what other crafts do you enjoy? Sewing, knitting, crochet, embroidery? Tell us in the comments!
Real quilters love projects like the apron shirt! We are all about cutting up perfectly good whole cloth or clothing, all to sew it back together again! Not quite as foolish as chasing a little white ball around a golf course chancing losing it 36 times in lakes, sand pits and snake infested woods…… quilters hopefully have something to show for their foolishness. Better get at all my UFO’s…..
—Marianne on March 1, 2017Me gusta coser, bordar, hacer punto y estoy aprendiendo a hacer ganchillo. Me encantan todas las manualidades, incluida pintar. Saludos.
Translation: I like to sew, embroider, knit and I am learning how to crochet. I love all crafts, including painting. Greetings.
—Margarita on March 1, 2017I love all kinds of needlework: quilting, of course, sewing, knitting, crocheting, counted cross stitch, needlepoint, and crewelwork. I have tried other crafts as well, like wood burning, macrame, papercraft, beading, and candle making. About the only things I haven’t tried are tatting and working with glass!
—Linda Towers on March 1, 2017I too, have tried many other crafts and quilting is the one that gives me the greatest satisfaction. I think everyone who quilts has at one time or another tried other crafts, but all our hearts will always return to quilting. Quilters are a different strain of folks, the best kind.
—Holly on March 1, 2017I absolutely love quilting, however, life intervenes with a need for gift giving and I love to sew something or embroider an item. I love to give items I have made.
—Cheri Bergeron on March 3, 2017I love working with fibers. I learned to sew clothing at a young age and then learned there is so much more to sew! My mother taught me to embroider. Picked up knitting and crocheting along the way. Then added spinning and weaving later on. Now I just need to learn to conjure up more time!
—Pearl on March 3, 2017I made curtains today. Hope to make some fabric containers. Faster to buy.
—Linda Christianson on March 3, 2017I enjoy wool applique, a little knitting and cross stitching. I have tried other crafts along the way; but these are my favorites.
—Nancy on March 3, 2017Counted cross stitch, crochet, embroidering, I do a little knitting too. I’ve made dolls and stuffed animals as well. Haven’t sewn my own clothes in years, hoping for a grand daughter and I will sew again! (and I agree with Marianne-we have something to show for our hobby!)
—Sharon Schipper on March 13, 2017Thanks for asking!
sharon in Colorado