Sewing an Apron
Hello! For this first homework assignment, we were all tasked with designing and creating a work apron for our future projects in this lab. I have little to no sewing experience so I would consider the following apron as a Beginner-Level project.
I wanted to freestyle my design but I still took 4 measurements to ensure my apron would fit. I considered my length between shoulders, waist circumference, the length from my sternum to my waist, and then from waist to mid-thigh. I marked the fabric, folded it in half vertically, and freehanded the curve from the top of the apron to where the straps would attach (see below).
After marking my apron, I cut along the dashed lines as seen in Figure 1. Once unfolded, I had a symmetrical pattern that resembled an apron. Then, it was onto the sewing machine to hem the cut and uneven parts perimeter of the apron. I marked about 1/4″ distance and folded the fabric inwards to hide the jagged fabric. However, I did so hastily and did not care that the jagged portion would be sticking out on the inside of the apron. I could not submit an apron that suffered such a hasty mistake, so to fix this, I folded the bottom inwards one more time to hem over and used a seam ripper to redo the top half of the apron. For the curved portion that I freehanded earlier, I ran into some problems folding the fabric 1/4″ to hem it the same way I did the rest of the apron. Instead, on this curved portion, I did a zigzag hem (controlled by a fancy sewing machine) with only a 1/8″ fold. Since this fold was smaller, it was more difficult to keep my sewing lines tidy. To fix this, I used an iron to create a crease that would allow me to save my fingers and sew within the lines.
From there, I ransacked my Mom’s DIY stash for any spare fabric I could use. I found a lacy shirt with flowers and a polka-dot strap. I planned to attach the flowers to the bottom of the apron and as a decoration on the pocket since the rest of the apron is black. The polka-dot strap was long enough to split into 4 straps, 2 for the neck and 2 for the waist. I also needed a pocket. For this, I measured a 6″ x 5.5″ rectangle from the scraps of my initial apron cutout. I then folded the perimeter in about 1/2″ and used the iron again to hold the creases. For the top of the pocket, I folded the fabric twice for a neat opening and hemmed only this side, similarly to the other borders.
To attach the pocket, I centered it and sewed the bottom 1/2″ creased flap (sounds terrible, I know) to the apron using pins to keep the pocket in place. I snipped and tucked the bottom corners in for aesthetics and then sewed the sides to the apron, making sure to go back and forth using the reverse stitch function of about 4 stitches to secure the pocket at the top and bottom.
At this point, my apron looked tidy but bland. I used the seam ripper again to detach the lacy parts from the shirt I scavenged and cut away individual flowers for decoration. I also decided to cut extra flowers to reinforce the end of the curve so that the area near the straps would be stronger and look less awkward as a transition. I ended up using 7 flowers, all of which I had to add by hand because they were too intricate for me to follow with the sewing machine. I attached the bottom lace last. This piece of fabric was already predetermined by the shirt I took it from and was longer than the bottom of my apron. To work with this, I hand-stitched the ends of the fabric as it aligned with the bottom of the apron and then added hand stitches in intervals to make the folds as symmetrical as possible. This was time-consuming! However, once I made the hand stitches, I used the sewing machine to connect the majority of the lace to the apron. Some parts did not get caught in the seam so I had to go back and hand-stitch reinforcements.
Lastly, I attached the polka-dot straps using the box stitch technique. I pinned the straps about 1-1/4″ in from the inside of the apron. I sewed in a box, keeping the needle in the fabric while I rotated the rest of the apron, and added the diagonal lines. This technique allowed me to create a sturdy point of attachment that holds the majority of the strap in place.
Fortunately, this apron cost me nothing but time and a few finger pricks. I was able to get all of materials from the OEDK and from home. However, if I were to get all of the materials from scratch, including sewing machine rental and estimated hourly costs to hire a sewing operator, I would estimate a maximum of $180. Skill level varies, so some sewing operators and designers may complete the job faster/slower than the times I have approximated, so prices may vary greatly. Custom designs may also increase/decrease times and expenditures depending on their complexity, feasibility, and required materials. Below is my cost analysis for this project.
Table 1. Cost Analysis and Estimates.
Cost Type | Cost | Price | Source | Quantity | Total |
Materials | Fabric | $6.45 | Walmart | 3 yds | $6.45 |
Thread | $2.48/(300 yd) | Walmart.com | 10 yds | $2.48 | |
Floral Lace
Synthetic silk polka-dot (straps) Plastic Purple Bead |
$17.99/yd
$11.49 $0.35/(470 beads) |
Zelouf Fabrics | 1 yd
1.91 yd $0.35 |
$17.99
$11.49 $0.35 |
|
Labor | Sewing Operator | $20/hr | Reddit r/sewing | 5 hrs | $100 |
Prototyping Engineer (You!) | – | Custom Design | 1 hr | – | |
Overhead | Facility Cost (Machine Time) | $20/day | FatLlama | 1 day | $20 |
Quality Control | – | self | 1 hr | – | |
Design | Engineering and Development | Custom request | self | 1-2 hours | 0 |
Iterations | 3-4
1-2 |
Self
Sewing Operator |
2 hours
2 hours |
–
$20 |
|
Misc. | Waste and Scrap | – | Remaining Fabric | <1 yd | – |
Final Product:
It was fun and challenging but I think it came together well. I feel that I am better prepared for future sewing endeavors and feel more comfortable after practicing on the sewing machine for hours at a time. This project was done over multiple days and took me approximately 7 hours altogether. Thanks for reading!