Introduction

Overall, this project was time consuming and taught me many things along the way. This was my first time sewing and required patience as many small things went wrong throughout the process. First life lesson was when in doubt, just pull out the bobbin. That fixed about 90% of my problems. Even though the non-sewing parts of the process took up the most time, they allowed me to sew much quicker. A real application of measure twice cut once.

process

Before even touching the fabric, I cutout the shape of my apron from two thick pieces of paper to adjust to my desired width. The dimensions selected were chosen for a medium size from the suggested table.

For flexibility with the seam, I added two inches to each of the dimensions. After cutting the paper, I finally had a template to place over fabric to cut.

Once the cutout was done, I placed it over the fabric I selected and cut the fabric based on the outline using fabric scissors.

I then selected the appropriate length for my neck strap and waist strap. Once all materials were collected, I headed for the sewing machine and started setting up.

Threading up the needle was not nearly as difficult as having to remove the bobbin multiple times to get the first stitch. After fighting a bit with the machine, I was finally able to start sewing.

I decided to sew a half-inch seam. After following the indents near the needle, I sewed all the edges of the red fabric first. To ensure the seam stayed straight, I pinned the fabric to the appropriate length and took out two pins at a time as I ran it through the sewing machine.

Afterwards, I pursued the box stitch, one that I did not get a chance to explore during class. Instead, I relied on Youtube videos to teach me the method and it worked well! They did need some work at first but ended up looking decent.

areas of growth

When I first experienced seam making, I trusted the needle plate. We were friends. However, I forgot to account for the fact that the needle wasn’t entirely centered. Which led to this.

In the future, I will take into account the position of the needle and be more careful.

I also struggled in planning forward, which led to my box stitches overlapping my seam stitches in a not aesthetic way from the front.

Overall, my last box stitch was okay. However, that was because it was the one I took the most time on. I need to learn to be more patient and more delicate when it comes making a box stitch.

reflection

This process was frustrating but enriching. I can see the abundance of opportunity for sewing and how much I can do with it. I am excited to take this skill further in the future.

costs

1 yard of red fabric = $2.99 (Hobby Lobby)

Thread: 3 Yards ~ $0.03 (Walmart)

Straps: 42 Inches ~ $2.1 (Amazon)

Time: 7 Hours @ $13/hour = $91

TOTAL: $96.12