This was my first time getting to work with a sewing machine and although it proved challenging at times I really enjoyed the learning curve. For the purpose of this class, Engi 210, I worked on an apron for approximately 6 hours, which I will be able to utilize for the rest of this class.

Process

I first began by determining my body size to appropriately determine the apron size. Given that I am a medium size, I followed the size outline recommendations in the assignment outline with a full apron length of 34″ and a 1/2 waistband size of 24″. The deviation I made was at the top of the apron by making it 1/2 waistband size – 5″ to make the indent very clear. Next, I cutout these dimensions on butcher paper to confirm that it would fit me. After making sure the paper was sized correctly, I attached it to the apron fabric to start the process of cutting down on the fabric to the appropriate size.

I used tape to be able to hold the paper to the fabric but that still caused it to fold a bit so I had to place objects to hold it down. I then used fabric scissors to be able to cut down the fabric down to the appropriate size. At this point, I also started sizing the neck straps and the side straps for the apron. I did this a bit differently because I decided to double the straps so as to increase their width as the available strap material was thin.

Let’s get Sewing

After sizing everything and cutting all the material, I started the process of actually sowing the apron. The sewing machine was already set up in the OEDK makerspace so I first started by folding the fabric all along the edge and securing it with pins. I then sewed in straight lines along the edges removing the pins as I went. The main problem that arose was trying to make sure I kept straight lines especially in the corners. I also really struggled a lot with rethreading the bobbin when the lower string cut out. I used Youtube videos to be able to figure it out but it took me the better part of an hour to do so. Nevertheless,  my patience proved to be fruitful. The results of the plain apron can be seen below.

 

Next up was trying to attach the straps to the plain apron, again because the strap was thin, I doubled them by sewing two straps together side by side to make them thick. This was challenging because I had to make it really straight because of how narrow the connection between the two straps were. Next, I sewed the straps to the aprons using straight sewing lines.

To try and make the apron look a bit more lively, I sewed a green cloth pocket to the center of this apron. I tried to make a box pattern stitch at the ends of the straps but the fabric was too loose and kept getting stuck in the needle so I wasn’t able to be able to actually get it done. That being said I was proud of the work I did and the finished product can be seen below.

Estimating Costs

Labor: Since I spent a total of 6 hours working on the apron and given the minimum wage in Texas as $7.25 an hour, the total cost would be $43.5.

Materials: I used around 1yd of striped fabric at a cost of around $6, 4 yards of strap at around $4.

Machines: The cost of renting a sewing machine is around $10 an hour and I used mine for 6 hours, for a total cost of $60.

Total costs: $113.5

In conclusion, sewing requires a lot of patience but overall its a fun experience and having a fire spotify playlist really helps keep you going.