Our first assignment was to create an apron for use in the shop for the rest of the semester. This was all fun and games until I realized my measurements forced me to use nearly the entire length of the fabric I was given.

To start this project, I cut out an outline on paper, adding one inch to the dimensions to allow for a half inch seam on each side. My seam would simply be the edges of the fabric folded over once with a simple hem around the perimeter of the apron. In hindsight, I could have added 2 inches to the dimensions (opting for a shorter length, naturally) so that I could fold the fabric inside twice, hiding any frayed edges from view. I opted for the large apron size from the template (36″ length, 26″ width, and custom 12″ inch by the neck-line )

I simply traced the outline of the paper with chalk, overlapping the materials to create a sharp contrast underneath to cut out with scissors.

To prepare my apron for sewing, I realized I needed to secure the fold in a way that it would stay straight; I chose to use an iron to help maintain my 1/2 inch seam.  Below is a bottom corner of my apron before I sewed the hem.

I began the sewing process itself by threading my bobbin on the Singer Heavy Duty machine. I opted for a light green top thread, with a darker shade in the bobbin to distinguish the two. I initially wasted a lot of time (over an hour…) with the Singer Heavy Duty machine because I could not get the top and bottom threads to loop over each other. I am unsure of the specific cause for this, although I speculate it could have been due to the size of bobbin I was using. My understanding is that Singer sells a specific bobbin for this machine, and I could not find it the night I was working on this project.

I switched to the more “basic” Singer machine, and was able to get the initial sewing loop created. After establishing my machine worked, I practiced sewing straight lines on some scrap fabric. Once I was confident in my ability, I opted to sew in a continuous line around the entirety of the apron for the hem. I made sure to maintain the needle in the fabric, lift the footer, and rotate the fabric appropriately at each turn to maintain this. I was very pleased with the outcome of my hem, the lines are straight and the corners are tight.

Things started to get a little more complicated with the straps. The side straps themselves I already  measured and cut from ribbon to the specified length (26′). I tried to use chalk to outline where the strap was under my apron, but I still struggled to visualize and feel the strap, leading to a much smaller box stitch than was possible. I did a little better on the other strap, but that left the opposing corners feeling a little lopsided.

I started to get the hang of the sizing with the neck straps, which was the final piece to complete the apron!

The not-sogreat box stitch on the side straps.

Markedly better on the neck line

I snipped the loose threads and cleared them away. Above is my completed apron on my cleaned off workspace.

Cost Estimate:

3’x3′ Black Fabric | $5/yard : $1.67

2 spools of thread | $5/spool: $10

70″ ribbon | $0.39/foot: $2.28

5.5 hours time | $30/hr: $165

One time sewing machine purchase: $160

TOTAL: $338.95

As I improve my skills, the time to sew will go down dramatically. Additionally, for future projects, the overhead cost would not be there/averaged down.