The first week of class, we were given an introduction to how to sew using a sewing machine! I was quite excited but also oddly nervous to learn this, probably because I have had absolutely no sewing experience in the past – the closest I’ve gotten has been randomly making some (extremely simple) crochet animals over the summer. Plus, I’m not generally the “artsiest” person in the world – I guess that’s why I’m an engineering major! Luckily learning to use the sewing machines was relatively straightforward – the biggest issue was troubleshooting them when they would continuously decide to stop working.

In the week following class (after a slight delay due to unfortunately catching COVID for the third time), I began working on making my own apron using a fabric I picked out. First, I created a paper template using my own measurements so that the apron would fit me properly. After I had created the template, I used it to cut out the fabric in the same shape so that I could begin sewing.

Next, it was time to add the neck and waist straps. I cut them out, did a few practice rounds of the box stitch I would use to hold them on, and was ready to go! Unfortunately, the machines didn’t seem to feel as ready as I did – two times (once earlier in the day and once later in the day), the minute I was ready to start working on my actual apron, the machines decided to stop working! Many hours of troubleshooting (and extreme frustration) later, I finally was able to attach the straps, giving me a functional apron.

Later, when I was looking at my apron again, as well as my classmates’ aprons, I felt dissatisfied with my work, and that’s when I realized – I should have sewed seams to make the edges look nicer! Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough fabric or time to make a new apron, so I decided to try to add seams to the one I had. So, back to the OEDK I went. I ended up successfully sewing all of the edges of my apron, although they were a bit rough and uneven in a few spots due to my already having sewed on the straps.

Finally, I had a finished apron I was satisfied with! Overall, I very much enjoyed the sewing aspects of the project – when the machines were working, at least.

I also performed some cost calculations for my apron:

Blue checkered fabric: $11.39/yd for 1 yd = $11.39

Neck/waist straps: $0.93/ft for 8 ft = $7.44

Thread: $.01/yd for 4 yd = $.04

Prototyping/Design Labor: $38/hr for 1 hr = $38

Sewing Labor: $15/hr (based on Sewing Machine Operator salary) for 5 hours = $75

Total Cost = $131.87