This week, I will be designing and creating a shop apron for use during the rest of the semester.

Research and Design

Features I would like to incorporate –

• Pen/Ruler chest pocket
• Large side pockets (maybe zippered?)
• Tie straps
• Double thickness for extra protection
• Round arm-cutaways

I really like this design. It’s simple and has the chest pocket for pens and things.

I also like the strap setup on this design. It allows you to adjust the height the apron is worn at, as well as the waist tension. I just need to figure out how to mount the eyelets. I would love to emulate the curved arm-reliefs as well, but I’m not sure if the fabric will stretch enough to allow me to hem a concave curve like that.

Here is my tentative blueprint. If my testing indicates that curved arm reliefs are feasible, I may alter the design to incorporate those. I also made the design 1″ larger than I want the actual apron to allow for a 1/2″ hem on all sides. However, with the constraint of only one yard of cloth, doubling the thickness of the apron is infeasible.

Preliminary Testing

A test piece indicates that the concave curves are possible, so I’ll use them in the design.

I’ll also use these eyelets to allow the straps to slide. They are obnoxious to get working, but after a couple trial and error sessions, I found the correct die to crimp them correctly.

 

Constructing the Apron

I measured and cut out the pattern, and it looks like it’ll fit!

I also cut out the pockets and hemmed them and the main body with black thread as an accent.

 

Next, I installed the eyelets, sewing a circle around the hole to help keep them from tearing out.

Final step is to sew the pockets on (this time with red thread so it doesn’t show), as well as the straps on. It looks pretty snazzy and fits well!

Cost analysis:

Costs associated with the production of a similar apron include the cloth, eyelets, thread, straps, and labor. The same pattern can be reused, so the paper will be omitted from the calculation.

A yard of cotton fabric can cost anywhere from $5-$20 or more, depending on thickness, thread count, and pattern. Cotton broadcloth is a thick strong weave that is often used in upholstery and similar applications and would make an excellent apron in a production setting. It is listed on Amazon for $7.14 a yard.

Eyelets are available for $7.19/100 ct, so ~$0.15 per design.

Cotton Straps are $9.99/10 yds, and I used 2 yards on this design, so $2.00 per design.

Extra thick black thread is $6.15 for 150 yards. I used, at maximum, 10 yards of thread, so ~$0.41 for thread.

I worked for 2.5 hours on this project, so assuming my time is worth $15 an hour, that “cost” a total of $37.50.

The total cost for the apron is $7.14 + 0.15 + 2.00 + 0.41 = $9.70 for materials, and $37.50 for labor, for a total of $47.20. This is highly unrealistic, however, and costs could be drastically reduced in a production setting both by buying materials in bulk and by employing more efficient employees. With a little practice, I could probably make one in less than an hour, and that doesn’t even touch what an expert seamstress or tailor could do.