Process

I spent 3 days on this project, approximately 7 hours in total.

First day: I planned out the dimension of the apron that suits me, prepared the fabric by trimming out the general shape, leaving about 0.5 seam allowance on each side, and cut out the pattern paper into the hexagonal shape of an apron.

 

 

 

 

 

Second day: I started by pinning the hems down, then sewed around the apron. At this point, the apron was already coming into life, and I became quite proficient at using the sewing machine. Next, I planned out the pocket by constructing the pattern and cutting out the general shape, leaving allowances for the flare and the edges.

Third day: I assembled the completed pocket onto the center of the apron and then added waist and neck straps onto the apron as well. The apron is completed!

Product

• The overall apron is composed of 3 parts: the main apron, a pocket, and waist and neck straps. The full dimension is shown in the picture below.

• Throughout the entire apron, a straight stitch is employed to create a cleaner look, although I did add a rectangle stitch at the end of the waist strap for aesthetic purposes. I also reinforced the stitches of the straps by going forward and backward twice.
• Although the pocket was not exactly rectangular, I can fit both of my hands in without any problem, and potentially a lot more tools!

Failure

• As shown in the pictures, the apron edges did not exactly line up with the fabric pattern, which was caused by the property of the fabric. A lesson I learned from this is that I should definitely iron the fabric and line the edges up before I cut the fabric.
• Although not noticeable from the front, my seam around the fabric weren’t exactly uniform as I was juggling with the machine, trying out different stitching speed, and getting used to it. As I had more practice however, the stitches became significantly cleaner and more uniform.

Cost estimate

• I used approximately a yard of fabric, which estimates to around $15. The straps totals to 2 yards, which costs no more than $5.
• As for labor cost, since hourly rate for seamstress is approximately $12/hour, and I spent 7 hours on this apron, the labor cost totals to $84.
• In total, this specific apron costs $104 to make, which is quite a lot!