To start making my apron, I took measurements for how tall and wide I wanted the apron to be at various places. I added two inches to the overall height and overall width measurements, so I could have an extra inch on each side for sewing.
This is the cut out template on top of the vinyl piece I used.
I then drew my shape with the correct measurements on a template and cut it out using the method where I drew half of the apron then folded it over to have symmetrical sides. I then cut out a piece of vinyl that allowed my apron to have white going down the middle with blue on the sides. The vinyl was dirty, so I wiped it down with a wet paper towel which seemed to work. I also tried to flatten some of the bent, crumpled parts, but I was only unable to. After, I pinned the template to my piece of vinyl to make cutting the vinyl in the correct shape easier. I used 25 pins and only stabbed my fingers 3 times.
The template is pinned on top of the vinyl that was just cut into the shape.
Before I started sewing my apron, I practiced with a piece of extra vinyl. This allowed me to figure out how to work with the material and machine. I also was able to practice threading the needle without it affecting my project. Throughout the whole process I used the Singer heavy duty sewing machine along with having the thread length on 4 and the straight stitch. This helped with the thicker vinyl.
This is the vinyl after cutting the apron shape out.
Before I sewed the sides of the apron, I would fold them in 1/2 inch and flatten the end with a ruler. This helped make the sewing more even. When calculating the size of the apron template, I added two inches in both directions, but I ended up only taking away 1 inch in each direction. This was worked out fine because the apron is now able to cover more area.
This is what the sides looked like after folding and flattening the edges.
I first sewed the bottom and top of the apron. When I did this I used the hand spinner on the side the whole time because I was not comfortable with the foot pedal and controlling its speed. I like to help guide the fabric through the sewing machine because I didn’t trust it to stay straight on its own for the size and weight of the piece. I was not able to keep it completely straight the whole time. It was especially hard when I had to use the reverse button as well as spinning the side.
I decided I would try to use the pedal for the rest of my apron, so I practiced more on a different piece. I eventually got to a place where I was better at controlling the speed. I used the foot pedal for the last four sides of my apron, except at the beginning and end of each stitch. I still found this to be easier with the hand turning. There were a few times I tried the reverse when using the foot pedal and it did not go back along the same line.
After finishing the sides of the apron, I started on the loop up top. I tried to do the first box stitch with my apron and the strap fabric. It was not going well, so I stopped and took all of the stitching out. I tried again and was able to get it the second time. I then determined how long I thought the fabric for the loop should be and cut it out. I box stitched this end to the other side of the apron. The loop ended up slightly big, which I prefer over it being too small and not going over my head.
I then created the straps to tie the apron on. I used a box stitch to attach each of them. I measured them so they would tie easily, but there would not be a large amount of excess. On the ends not connected to the apron, I folded the strap onto itself slightly and made a stitch across then reversed it to prevent fraying on the ends. It is similar to how the straps on a backpack are sewn on the bottom. Because this material was not as strong and it was a shorter distance, I used a length of 2 for the loose ends. I thought this might make the stitching tighter and less likely to come out.
I found the box stitching to be a little difficult. It was hard to make sure the lines went on top of each other and correctly met at the corners. After more practice it became easier.
This is the front of the apron after sewing the straps on.
This is the back of the apron after I finished sewing it and the straps on.
Final apron with two pockets.
I decided to add a pocket to my apron, so I could carry objects more easily. To create the pocket I cut out a long rectangular piece of vinyl and sewed all the ends over. I then sewed the pocket onto the apron. I thought the pocket was lined up well, but it turned out crooked. I should have paid more attention to making it straight. It would have been useful to lay the apron out and pin the pocket into place. I turned the pocket into two pockets by adding an extra vertical stitch. This allows me to have a pocket for my phone and a different pocket for tools and supplies. I ran out of thread on the bobbin when making the pocket, so I learned how to replace that piece.
If I were to do this project again I would find someone to help take measurements because those were difficult by myself. I would also make sure to add the right amount to the template. I would still take my time on the template to make sure I had accurate dimensions and straight lines because this helped me later on. Pinning things is really useful, so I would be sure to take advantage of that. I would practice the box stitch more and continue practicing with the materials before starting. I would make sure to line everything up correctly before sewing.
If I were buying all the necessary materials including the sewing machine and paying myself the total price would be around $249.
Singer Heavy Duty Sewing Machine=~$150
About 6 hours of work=~$90
If I already had the sewing machine and was doing this for myself I would only need to buy the thread and vinyl which would lead to a cost of less than $10.
