So it Begins… the Intermediate Iteration

During the last week, I’ve been spending time at the OEDK Maker Bar drafting and sewing my first workshop apron! Going into this project, I know I wanted an apron that focused more on utilitarian need rather than a more creative, artsy project. With this in mind, I started my drafting…

Perpetulant Planning & Drafting 

My first step in creating the apron was to outline the general necessities I wanted to put on my apron. As shown, there were three main components that I settled on within my design. Firstly, I wanted my name visible within the apron as this would let others know who I was. Secondly, I decided that some form of pockets on both sides would be ideal so that I could store items as I moved across the OEDK. Finally, I wanted a general tool holder (Most commonly found on utility belts) so that I could hang/store tools and other items as I worked.

With this idea in mind, I set out to create the physical dimensions of this piece! In following this basic design I drafted the apron from scratch to more cosmetically fit my body/needs. To do so, I sectioned off the piece into a torso and under-torso section and began work on the measurements within these areas based off my own body’s measurements. For the torso section, I originally had the idea of a pencil/pen holder for the area opposite of the name. However, I decided against this as I didn’t see myself practically using it with the amount of work I do that doesn’t require hand writing tools. Nevertheless, the name was placed so that it would sit square on my chest as would a nameplate would and the underarm angle was changed so it would sit more flush against the chest naturally. For the under-torso section, I measured where my hands naturally laid down in that this measurement would fit where the pockets would end. Using this. the tool holder was placed adjacent as my hand would naturally lay there and I could more easily grab/utilize said tool without it pulling the material.

Critical Creation & Fabrication

Following the drafting, I set out to create both the pattern and cut the general shape. Following the previous section’s design criteria, I created the pattern on wax paper and cut out the pattern using a rotary cutter with the material of my choosing as shown.

From this point, the raw edges were folded over on a 1/2″ seam allowance (Measured using a ruler and tailor’s chalk) and sewn around using a pinning method. This ensured a nicer, clean appearance to the outside and prevented further praying from the fabric itself. While most seam lines were straight and within 1/2″ of the edge, one area along the seams caught on itself and thus had to be redone (Which can be caught next time by ensuring all pieces are flush with the sewing machine’s surface). This section has two seamlines, but the seam allowance is not ruined nor is the overall appearance.

With the edges finished, I moved towards the creation and addition of the reinforced pockets. I chose a pleather material for the outer side as it would act as a form of stiff interfacing so that the pocket could be heavier and be capable of holding a greater weight (Holding motors, pumps, etc.). For the inner edge (Or wrong side), I sewed more of the base material so that when used no material catches on the pleather backing and that a sleeker, less abrasive material would come into contact with their hand. After sewing these two materials together twice (As per a drafted pattern), I set out to finish the pockets. Folding a 1/4″ inch of the wrong side over and then a 3/4″ seam allowance over, the bottom of the pockets were sewn down. From here, they were cut and folded inside out to create the bottom of the pocket. Finally, after being pinned with a 1/2″ seam allowance, the pockets were sewn directly on the apron. I reused the ruler-tailor’s chalk method to ensure they were placed correctly, as shown, according to my original design. While these pockets are not exactly the same size due to the bottom-pocket process, they are only off by ~5mm and the width is consistent as my hands can still fit within them. Thus, despite the failure in sizing these pockets are still highly similar and functional.

Following the pocket completion, the next item to add was the tool holder. I sewed together two 4″ pieces of the pleather material and placed them so that either backing faced one another. This was so done so that the more resistant, tougher pleather would face externally. As these pieces were sewn together, I once again used tailor’s chalk and a ruler to add this piece to the apron. This time, the pieces weren’t sewn directly on, but rather given a parabolic curve so that it could have some give when larger pieces are held there. Creating this piece was originally challenging as the tension had to be set “perfectly” in order to stitch these together, but after two failed & scrapped attempts, I was able to create one.

Finally, the name was the last component to be added. I utilized hand-stitching for this piece as I could be more precise in how I wanted the cursive to look on the apron. Following the measurement and guidelines of the piece, I stitched my name onto the apron in cursive using a mixture of back & whip stitch as shown. While some letters, such as the “n”, do not follow the guideline aesthetically, they are still discernible/readable and thus do not count as a total failure to myself.

Finally Finishing Notably

With all apron components added, it was time to finish the entire piece off by adding the back and neck straps to the piece so that the apron could be properly worn. For the neck strap, I measured the half circumference of my neck and added length from there to have the apron drape where I wanted it to. To sew them onto the apron, they were pinned at the edge of the top-side and sewn with a box stitch. For the back straps, a similar process was repeated wherein half my waist was measured with length added to ensure both straps would have room to tie together in the back. A box stitch was utilized again, however, breaking away from apron norms I sewed mine significantly lower than most aprons. Personally when working, I found high/mid back aprons prevent my movement and make lower pockets susceptible to flipping/spilling their contents. To counteract this, the straps were sewn 9″ from the bottom as shown to ensure that, when in use, this does not occur. Additionally, the smaller bands that were available made the box stitches harder to sew due to their size and tendency to have their webbing unravel when sewn at any tension. Thus, while my box stitches are passable and can withstand weight, they are not as neat/perfect as I would prefer them to be.

With the culmination of the previous sections, I present the finished process!

Rambunctious Reflection

Room for improvement on the next sewing project I work on:

• Ensuring my seamlines are continuous and not having separate lines along the hem
• Practicing more with strap box stitches to ensure they’ll be cosmetically pleasing
• Utilizing more pins so that I don’t have issues with seam allowances losing shape
• Better time management when it comes to planning/action
  • I do believe with more of this I would’ve had a higher quality project, but this learned lesson can be reapplied to the next project we do in class!
• Hand-stitching with different materials such as yarn to experiment with aesthetic linework

With all that in mind, I did enjoy the experience making the apron and will enjoy pursuing this skill into the future with more projects surrounding making and uplifting clothes!

Certifiable Costs & Their Prices

• Materials:
  • 1 Yard of plain Olive Green Fabric: $14.99
  • 1/5 Yards of Rust Pleather: $6.02
  • 5 Yards Green & Black Thread: $0.05
• Time:
  • 8hrs at National Median Tailor Wage ($15.11/hr): $120.88
• Overhead:
  • Estimate: $15

Total Cost of Apron Process: $156.94

For next time, I’m going to work diligently to ensure I can keep a rigorous time management schedule to ensure my final product is up to par with my designs and standards!