Intro

This project was the first time I’ve ever used a sewing machine. Though my mother and grandmother both sew, I’ve watched them work but never learned myself. This post documents my progress – my successes and struggles – on my first sewing project.

Making the Pattern and Cutting Fabric

Before cutting any fabric, I used pattern paper to outline the apron in the desired dimensions. For a “Large” apron, I measured 36″ in length and 26″ in width. Since the pattern paper wasn’t wide enough, I needed to tape 2 sheets together. Additionally, I measured 6″ inward from both edges of the width, and 1′ down the length from the top to create the diagonal edges on the top of the apron.

After making the pattern, I traced it on my fabric and cut out the main fabric for the apron. One difficulty I faced was that the iron in the OEDK wasn’t working properly, so my fabric was wrinkled, altering the precision of my measurements. Overall, this didn’t have a major effect on the final product.

Sewing the Hem

To create a more finished look to the apron, and to prevent the edges from fraying, I folded 0.5″ on each side of the apron into itself. I held each edge down with pins before stitching these folds using the sewing machine. I chose black thread to use on the maroon fabric.

I started in one corner and stitched around the perimeter, trying to maintain a relatively consistent distance from the edge. I found that in certain parts of the hem, the fabric bunched up a little and caused the edges to be slightly curved. On the inside of the apron, the edges are also exposed and fraying. In the future, I should account for extra fabric to also fold the inside edge in on itself before sewing the hem.

One issue I had throughout the project with stitching was cutting the extra string. Though I backstitched my first and final stitches, I found that a few stitches would come undone at the end when I cut the extra thread off. I tied a few ends together, but I fear others may come undone through use and time, despite the backstitches.

Box Stitches and Attaching Straps

After finishing the hem, the next step was to attach the neck and tying straps. I measured roughly 2′ for the neck strap and 3′ for the tying straps. Following a YouTube tutorial, I practiced many box stitches before even considering attempting to attach the straps to my apron.

I found trouble in sewing the box stitches as I would either add extra stitches on one side of the box or fail to connect the diagonals to the corners, resulting in a very crooked shape. I found that the machine often went faster than I was expecting, so I would lose control or go too far. To avoid this problem and improve the quality of these stitches, I utilized the hand wheel for the more precise stitches. To provide a more finished look to the box stitches, I stitched each side twice. On the tying straps, I also box stitched the free ends to avoid unraveling through use and provide a finished look.

Pockets

To add function and more aesthetic to my apron, I decided to attempt to sew two pockets. I found scrap black fabric to match the black thread I used for the stitching. Confined by the width of the scrap, my pocket dimensions were roughly 6″ wide by 9″ long. After measuring 0.5″ over from both sides of the top edge to create diagonal edges, I added 1.5″ for the top seam, and 0.5″ extra on each side. These extra measurements would allow for the edges to be folded over and sewn to the apron.

The 1.5″ extra on the top seam creates the top of the pocket. On my first attempt, I sewed the top straight down, instead of parallel to the diagonal edges. This caused the pocket to flare out abruptly at the top seam instead of creating a more square finish. It was also difficult to measure the 0.5″ extra folds on the sides without having an iron to press these sides into place.

On my second attempt at the pockets, a new iron was purchased, so pressing the edges helped ensure squareness. Also learning from my mistake, I stitched the top seam parallel to the sides, which overall created a more square pocket.

Now, the last step was to measure the pockets’ position on the apron and sew them into place. I added them roughly 4″ from either side of the apron, and the bottom edge of the pocket about 9″ from the bottom. The top corners of the pockets were also brought in 0.5″ to create an opening for the pocket, which was what the extra fabric was measured for in the pattern.

Once the pockets were sewn onto the apron, I also added a triangular stitch to the top corners to strengthen the pockets and prevent ripping the seams through use.

Conclusions

At a basic level, I found the YouTube videos in the sewing module on Canvas extremely instructive for setting up the machine and threading the needle and bobbin. From there, I practiced a lot of stitching and box stitches on scrap fabric before attempting my actual apron. Given the amount of time I spent in the OEDK, about half was spent practicing on scrap material and half on measuring, cutting, and preparing the fabric. Only a minimal amount of time was spent actually sewing the fabric.

The biggest issue I had starting the machine was that the needle didn’t catch the bobbin’s thread and would tangle around the bobbin. Following the videos again, I realized that the bobbin wasn’t fully locked into place with it’s clasp. Aside from this setup issue, there weren’t other troubleshooting needs I encountered.

Overall, I learned a great deal of patience with this project and gained a new skill – sewing! The time I put into practicing my stitching before working on my final apron allowed me to avoid major mistakes and having to redo parts of my project. While not perfect, I am certainly proud of the apron I created, especially for being my first sewing project. In the future, I understand the importance of precise measuring and pinning before sewing. I would also attempt to try different width and tension settings to see how they affect the finished product.

Cost Analysis

Total Cost Estimate: ~$92.40

• Labor (7 hours @ $10/hr) = $70
• Machine ($15 rental/day) = $15
• Fabric (1 yd. @ $3/yd) = $3
• Straps (8 ft. @ $0.30/ft) = $2.40
• Thread ($2/spool) = $2

The above cost estimate is quite rough for this project. The machine, materials, and other tools (like scissors, rulers, and chalk) were all provided to us by the OEDK. The labor estimate is also rough as this was my first time sewing. As I become more proficient, the amount of time to create another apron will significantly decrease, and labor costs might increase with proficiency.

Cleaned Workstation