This week, our assignment was to use sewing machines to make a work apron for use on our future projects. I have never made anything using a sewing machine, so I chose to go for the beginner difficulty level for this project.
Procedure:
I started off by determining the measurements of my apron, as shown below.
The dimensions were 1 inch greater on each side to be able to fold over the edge twice (each fold is ½ inch) and to prevent the cut edge of the fabric from being visible. Once I cut out the paper templates, I pinned them onto my fabric to trace with a piece of chalk and then cut the fabric out.
I made three of the straps (one for the neck strap and two for the side tie straps) of equal size to determine which length would be best when sewing the apron.
I also found another scrap of the red fabric and decided that I would try out adding a ruffle border to the bottom of my apron. I set out my precut material to see what it would look like.
When I started, I was planning on using red thread, but kept running into trouble with the bobbin. I decided to start off with another sewing machine that had black thread that also matched my design, and it was a lot smoother for me. I was even able to successfully re-load the bobbin halfway through 🙂
To sew the base of my apron, I went edge by edge, pinning the double folded edge, and removing the pins as the material moved through the machine.
To make the straps, I folded the strips in half and sewed two of the three exposed edges. I then used a long wooden rod to turn the pieces inside out, and then I used a box stitch pattern to attach them. For the neck strap, I adjusted the length until it was at the desired height, and then attached it the same way.
I made the pocket by also sewing three of the exposed edges (leaving a small opening on one side to be able to flip it inside out). Then, I added the stitch across the top of the pocket piece, and then pinned/sewed it onto the apron. I also added two lines of stitching to split the pocket into two.
Lastly, I attempted making the ruffle border. After I stitched the four borders, I planned on attaching a long thread (longer than the entire length of the material) to only one end of the material. Then, using the zig zag pattern of the sewing machine, I would sew the pattern over the loose thread without touching it. When this was complete, I then pulled the loose string, scrunching the material together. Finally, I sewed the ruffle onto the base of the apron. I did have a bit of trouble attaching this piece because of the thickness of the material and it was difficult to sew in a straight line since I could not see where the ruffle was in reference to the edge of the base (black and white portion).
With this, my apron was complete, and I was ready to turn it in!
Cost Analysis:
Raw material cost
|
Material |
Ticket Price | Spent |
| $6.99/yard | $6.99 (1 yard) | |
| $7.99/yard | $5.99 (3/4 yard) | |
| Black thread | $2.99/unit |
$2.99 (overestimate because uncertain of the amount) |
| Total |
$15.97 |
|
Labor cost
Assuming minimum wage in Texas of $7.25
|
Task |
Time |
Spent |
| Training and inspiration videos |
1 hour |
$7.25 |
| Material preparation |
2 hours |
$14.50 |
| Sewing | 4.5 hours |
$32.63 |
|
Total |
$54.38 |
|
Machine time/machine hour cost
Machine hour cost can be calculated by dividing the cost of the machine by the total hours it should function, and multiplying that result by the time that the machine was in use.
A Singer Industrial Machine (used in assignment instructions) costs about $210, and is expected to last for no less than five years. For the extreme case of only five years of use, and since I used the sewing machine for 4.5 hours, the total machine time cost was $0.02.
$210/(43830 hours) = ($0.0048/hour)×4.5hours = $0.022
Project total: $70.37
Overall, I really enjoyed this project and hope to sew more things in the future with my new skills!
