Making an apron was a very involved and enjoyable process. As a beginner to sewing, the project was initially slightly intimidating, however watching tutorials and practicing on fabric definitely helped combat that feeling.

Process (Beginner Level)

I began the process of creating my apron by measuring out a square of pattern paper that fit the sizing chart provided to us in our workbook. I went with the large size, therefore I cut out a piece of pattern paper that was 37” x 27”. I did this because I was planning on folding in about a half-inch of fabric on each side which would give me an apron that was 36” by 26”.  After pinning the pattern paper to the fabric I made my cut. Additionally, I cut two 7” pieces of fabric to use as the waist tie to fasten the apron to my body. Lastly, I measured out a neck strap by holding the fabric to my chest at the point that I saw most fitting and holding the strap material around my neck. I found that I needed 13” of material for my desired length including an inch on each side that would be dedicated as the material to connect the strap fabric to the apron.

After seeing that I did not like the length of my apron I folded in the material a few inches more than originally planned from the top and bottomed and then pinned it. I then created my “bottom” and “top” seams with the sewing machine which already had thread ready to use. I attempted to use the techniques we learned in class to the best of my ability, but I did have a few issues starting my stitch off of the fabric and back sewing once I made my initial pass over the fabric. Nevertheless, I was able to make all of my seams.  I practiced on a piece of material before sewing my apron, and I was pleased with the stitch length and width, however I am not sure what these settings were.

Next, to align to the shape of my body and not look awkward around my arm area, I folded in the sides of my apron in order to make the top width of my apron smaller than the width at the bottom. I did so by measuring about 7 inches from each end and pinning it. I then made my two “side” seams.

Next, I attached the straps that I had previously cut out. I once again put the apron on my body and marked on the apron where I thought the straps would work the best. I then pinned the straps to the apron, allowing for about an inch of the materials to overlap. I then used a box shaped stitch pattern to make my strap attachments strong.

 

After completing the beginner level assignment, I wanted to practice more and make my apron slightly more complex, so I made a pocket. I cut out about a 10” by 8” piece of another style of fabric. I folded in the fabric on three sides and sewed it to the front of my apron, finally giving me my completed apron.

What I Could Have Done Better

Although I was pleased with my completed apron, there were definitely a lot of things I could have done a lot better. One of them being that I should have measured the apron to my proportions rather than use the recommend cloth size. This would have prevented me from going back in to trim the extra fabric that was folded in. Additionally, I attempted to make the box shaped stitch patterns to the best of my abilities but with more practice I could have made them significantly better. I also made a few mistakes with how I started and ended my stitches which resulted in some not very strong stitches on parts of the apron. A lot of thread was left over on the ends, and I am afraid that some of the stitches may be prone to coming out because of that.

                                         

(Example of  a weak box shaped stitch and of a mistake where I did not come all the way off the material with the machine, leaving a weak stitch that could come apart)

Cost (prices based off of internet research)

Time invested= 3 hours

Renting a sewing machine, assuming it includes needles (about $10/hr on the low end) = 10* (3 hrs) = $30

Thread ($4.88 for 400 yards at Walmart)= $4.88* (one unit)= $4.88

Fabric ($2.97 a yard at Walmart)= $2.97* (one yard)= $2.97

Strap Material ($10.49 a yard at Walmart)= $10.49 *(one yard)= $10.49

Scissors ($4.97 at Walmart) = $2.97

Ruler ($1.07 at Walmart)= $1.07

Pattern Paper (optional, not neccesary)= $0

Hourly Labor ($29/hr based on previous wages)= $29 * (3 hours of labor)= $87

Total Cost= $139.38