Before ENGI 210, I’d already completed a few projects with a sewing machine like making a dress so I’m confident to use the sewing machine to make an apron and decided that I should give myself the challenge of making something more interesting. 

1. Design & Measurements

Most occasions when people are using an apron are in a maker space or in a kitchen, and a normal apron is missing a function that I would like to have: protecting the hair. The hair might get oily for cooking and might get damaged in a workshop. Therefore, I wish my apron had a hood that can cover the hair. Meanwhile, I decided that my apron should have two side pockets with zippers to keep my stuff in when working.

After clarifying the needs, the next step is to make sketches and designs. I made rough measurements of myself and the cloth and did a sketch of the design. I also broke down the design into pieces of cloth to make further sketches.

Then I applied the design and arranged the cloth part needed to the fabric I was given and made sure that I had enough fabric.

The next thing is to determine all the materials needed for the design besides the fabric. I will need 2 zippers that fit the size of my hand or the pocket piece, three pieces of straps with the correct length, extra fabrics to make the box stitches, and the wires in the sewing machine.

After the design, it is time to head to the oedk and actually make the apron.

2. Cutting out pieces

The first step in OEDK is cutting out the pieces. For the starter, I cut the fabric using the paper trimmer, as it can produce a straight cut with raw edges. I used this to separate the fabric into several rectangles. For curve cuts, it is better to use a roller cutter as it is possible to manually adjust the direction of the cut.

   

3. The hood

I choose to start with the hood since I need the strap to connect to the hood and it will be easier to make further measurements with the hood completed. The hood is made out of three pieces and the first thing to do is to combine them together. I decided to sew when the fabric is back to back so that when reversed, there will be no sewing signs for the outlook. 

After combining the pieces, I folded the edges twice to create a nicer looking for the hood.

Then I connected the bottom of the hood to the strap and folded it up twice before sewing them together. It creates a nice-looking pattern as well as being firm.

Then I connected the bottom of the hood to the strap and folded it up twice before sewing them together. It creates a nice-looking pattern as well as being firm.

4. Apron & Pockets

The next thing is to make pockets for the apron. For the zipper, I chose two black zippers and cut them to the size of the pocket. Then I placed the fabric according to the video.

The next thing to do is to sew the rectangle. This step can be hard as I have to adjust the angle (since it’s a side pocket) and make sure the fabric is still in place with each other. I tried using double-sided tape to make sure the fabric was in place at first but it was too thick and sticky for the pin of the sewing machine to get through. Eventually, I have to apply force to the fabric with my hand to use friction to keep them not moving.

After sewing a rectangle and cutting the slit, I pulled out the fabric from the back.

Then I sewed the zipper from the back of the fabric to the apron.

This is when I realized a problem: Since I cut the zipper, the stopper on the zipper is now missing so that the sliding piece and go out. I used a lot of time to place it back and realized I need to fix this problem. I decided to add an extra piece of fabric to the end of the zipper to keep the sliding piece from moving out as well as covering the uneven pattern caused by flipping the fabrics.

The final step is to sew the pocket pieces together and cut out the extra fabrics.

After repeating the same step for the other side, the pocket part is finished.

5. Straps

Besides the strap that is connected to the hood, there is an extra strap that is used to tie at the waist. To install the strap, I decided to cut a hole to hold the strap.

Then I folded the fabric and sew the strap using a box stitch as well as sewing the whole line to prevent any raw edges.

After doing this for both sides, the straps are now installed.

6. Assemble & finish

Then it’s time to assemble the hood and the apron. I did the same thing as I installed the straps: cut out a hole, inserted the strap, folded the fabric, and made a box stitch on both sides.

 

After this, I cut out the extra strap and secure the folded piece with some sewing.

 

For finishing, I cut out all the extra wires that were created in the start or end of each sew. I then use heat shrinking tube to create an ending for the straps

And this is me with the apron on!

After the apron is wrapped up, it is ready to be served to the ENGI 210 table.

7. Success & Failure

• Success
  • The material is utilized well and I almost used all the pieces of fabric. I was surprised that I could complete the hood without looking for extra fabrics.
  • I managed to complete two side pockets and a hood. The pocket was a challenging part for me and I’m glad that the they are functional.
• Failure
  • The symmetry of the pocket isn’t as well conducted as I expected. One of the pockets is actually leaner than the other. 
  • The zipper isn’t having a proper ending. The zipper should have a stopper or there should be a shorter zipper for the pocket.
  • The color of the string used for sewing isn’t uniform as I used whatever color is left in the machine. The color should be changed to be more uniform throughout the sew.

8. Cost Estimate

The cost will be break into 3 parts

• Tools (Sum:$0)
  • sewing machine in oedk for free
  • handtools like roller cutter in oedk for free
• Materials (Sum: around $10)
  • Fabric: the material is about 2 yard and the average cost for the farbic is around $3 per yard so that the overall cost is $6.
  • Straps: the straps used is around 1 yard and the cost per yard is $1.6.
  • Zippers: 2 zippers used and cost for a zipper is $0.6 so that the zipper cost is $1.2.
  • Strings for sewing: hard to estimate string used, but less that $1.
• Labor (Sum: $70)
  • I worked on the apron for around 6 hours and average labor cost is $12. The sum should be $72 but since I like making the apron I’ll give it a discount and only cost $70.

Therefore, the total cost for the apron is around $80 but can be lowered for the next aprons made.