INTRO

One of the things I wanted for my apron for sure was a pouch to hold things. I often misplace items when I’m working and focused so having a place to put those things would be functional but also maybe look nice. That being said, I thought it would also be nice to be able to remove this storage compartment when I’m sitting down at a desk.

Something like this

Strategy

One of the ideas I had originally was to use buttons or Velcro to allow me to attach the pouch to the apron in a way that would make it removeable. However, I was worried that too much weight in the removeable pouch would cause it to sway around too much and maybe accidentally detach. I also thought about the use case of actually needing to detach the pouch and it seemed less practical then I had originally thought. I decided it would be faster and more secure if I were to just sew the pouch to the apron.

I was worried the given fabric may tear when holding heavy weights or sharp objects so I used some leftover canvas type fabric for the actual pouch. I tried to look for sewing patterns for a zippered pouch but most of them were paid so I opted for an envelope clutch type design. I tweaked the sewing pattern slightly to use as much of the leftover material as possible.

Envelope clutch sewing pattern

Making

For the actual apron, I traced out the apron I use when cooking as I quite like the length and width of it. I then added an 1/4″ inch seam allowance to the edge so I could roll over the edges of the fabric. For the stiches, I thought a contrasting thread would look nice but I now realize that every little mistake is very apparent due to this contest. My second top stitch line was purely decorative but I thought I did a better job that time around.  I also changed the bib type strap design of the template apron to a cross back design as it does not require tying a knot to put the apron on.

reflection

Overall, I had fun using the sewing machines and designing an apron I knew I would be using going forward. I think there are quirks to the machines and fabric I still have to get used to. For example, when going over the folded corners, the machine would sometimes fail to feed the fabric and I would have to life the presser foot slightly to alleviate the pressure on the stuck corner. Also due to the slippery nature of the canvas fabric, it would slide a little while sewing, leading to shifted patterns. I think these are all things that experience will help, so I’m excited to keep sewing and getting better 🙂

Cost breakdown, total = $102.5