Our sewing project was an extremely rewarding experience that emphasized patience and methodicalness. First, we cut out an apron frame from fabric available at the OEDK, using our friend Raksha’s apron as a template for the outline. We drew an outline in chalk, mildly adjusting for length, and cut it out.
Using our friend Raksha’s apron as a template for ours (adjusting for length as needed)
We drew the outline of the apron in chalk.
Cutting out the apron
After some troubleshooting and reviewing with one of the (at the time) functional sewing machines, we were able to start by creating a double fold along the edges of the apron to create more straight borders. This was initially a bit difficult due to difficulties in adjusting the machine settings, but after finding a good stitch length (around 2 mm) we got it going.
We then measured fabric straps that would be used for the neck loop and tying the apron. The neck loop was 24 inches in length and the back straps were 19 inches in length each.
Measuring the straps. The left strap is for the neck, the right two are for the back.
For the back straps, we stitched the edges to make them look neater, using some extra fabric to help support the stitching (since it was difficult to move the relatively small strap area through the sewing machine.
Stitching the edges of the strap.
We then started doing box stitches to attach the straps to the apron, but the machine started malfunctioning around this time. We replaced the thread in the bobbin at the bottom part of the machine and rethreaded the machine multiple times, but due to some issue we were unable to identify, the thread kept getting tangled and the machine would stop running.
Shreyas hand-stitches the edge of the apron (it was folded over too thick for the sewing machine).
We tried a different machine, and were able to successfully create the four box stitches. Finally, we saw that one of our corners had come undone from the initial folding of the apron edges, and decided to hand stitch it (thank you Nico for teaching us how to do this!).
This project was notably challenging. Though we faced transient issues with the machines, debugging them was half the fun. I had previous appreciation for the sewing machine design since Shreyas and I took it apart for our first project, but actually working with the machine for an extended period of time offered us even deeper appreciation for it. Additionally, there’s a sizable learning curve from getting a basic stitch “close enough” to “perfect”. I will continue to practice and hope to make progress in my sewing journey.
The final product, modeled by yours truly.
| Cost Type | Cost | Price | Source | Quantity | Total |
| Materials | Cotton Fabric (34” x 24”) | $11.99 | Threadart | 1 | $11.99 |
| Straps (62”) | $5.29 | Michael’s | 0.16 | $8.46 | |
| Scissors | $6.48 | Amazon | 1 | $6.48 | |
| Black thread | $1.99 | Michael’s | 1 spool | $1.99 | |
| Singer Tradition Sewing Machine | $124.99 | Amazon | 1 | $124.99 | |
| Labor | Prototyping engineer | $17/hr | ZipRecruiter | 3 hr | $51 |
| Total | $204.91 |
