For this assignment, I made my apron using a sewing machine. I used a sewing machine to create a simple tote bag a few years ago, with a teacher by my side. Thus, this was the first time I made an item myself. I’m glad I could make a nice-looking apron by myself, and luckily, I finished it before the machine broke down.

I made it according to the following steps:

1. The smaller size provided in the assignment is only size S, but because of my body shape, I reduced the size S by 2 inches to make it fit my size XS. I then left a half-inch for the fold that would be folded back when sewing.
2. I used a measuring tape, a ruler, and a whiteboard marker to draw the shape of the apron on my fabric, as shown below.
   
3. Use scissors to cut out the fabric I want along the drawn lines. Because I also wanted to make a big pocket, I cut another rectangular piece of floral fabric to use as a pocket. The picture below shows what the apron looks like after I cut the fabric.
   
4. After I picked up the fabric and compared it to my body, I found that the chest width might be too long, so I reduced it by 1 inch on each side.
   
   
5. To start sewing, I started sewing around the apron. I first used pins to help fix the fabric. I folded it inward twice so the edge of the fabric would not be exposed, and I wouldn’t have to worry about the fabric unraveling after prolonged use. The picture below shows how I fixed the fabric:
   
6. Before I started sewing, I encountered one difficulty: I’m not very good at assembling the bobbins. I accidentally took all the parts apart and then put them back together again. Fortunately, I finally managed to get the sewing machine running smoothly.
7. During the sewing process, I found that if I sewed too fast or the fabric was too thick, the thread would easily break or the sewing would fail, so I used my hands to control the sewing machine in these places.
8. I thought the fringe on the original edge of the fabric was cute, so I deliberately used the original edge of the fabric as the bottom of my apron. I did not fold it inward to sew, retaining this design. The picture below shows what it looks like after I sewed the outer edge:
   
9. I tried to make the pocket the way I learned from a YouTube video. First, I folded the fabric above the pocket inward and sewed it, then folded it a second time and sewed it again. This process makes the top of the pocket more rigid. The picture below shows the pocket fabric folded in two:
   
10. I folded the unsewn outer edges inward and secured the pocket to the apron. As shown in the picture below:
    
11. I sewed the pocket to the apron. I also sewed another line in the middle of the pocket to make the pocket into two compartments to be used more functionally. I sewed the middle line back and forth three times to ensure it was sturdy.
    
12. Finally, I put the apron on my body to measure how long the ribbon I needed to use as a neckline and a belt, and then sewed the ribbons onto the apron using the method taught in class.

Post-processing

1. Use scissors to cut off any excess thread.
2. I found a Totoro wappen sticker at home, so I applied it to the top left of my apron as decoration and ironed the entire apron to ensure it was flat.
   

Final product:

Cost analysis:

Cost Type	Cost	Price	Source	Quantity	Total
Materials	Fabric	$11.49/yard	Amazon.com	23*32 inch	$4.29
	Flower fabric	$8.99/yard	Amazon.com	23*10 inch	$1.02
	Thread	$0.01/foot	Amazon.com	15 feet	$0.15
Labor	Prototyping Engineer (Me)	$17 / hour	ZipRecruiter.com	3 hr	$ 51
Overhead	Sewing machine	$15/ hour	soul-collections.com	2 hour	$30
	Scissors	$8.99/6 counts	Amazon.com	1 count	$1.5
	tape measure	$3.49/2 packs	Amazon.com	1 pack	$1.75
	Iron	$14.19	Amazon.com	1	$14.19
	Wappen sticker	$7.95	Amazon.com	1	$7.95
Misc.	Waste and Scrap	$0.66/Gal= $0.17/L	Houstontx.gov	0.025L	$0.0042

 

Sum: $111.8542

Clean workplace: