I finally finished a sewing project I started well before winter break – a new apron to wear when I am facilitating the creative mess in my classrooms. I am pretty excited with the finished product – the denim came from the remnants section at the fabric store and the pockets from an old pair of Eric’s pants.
The pattern is traced from a beloved apron that I have had more than ten years now. I got it on clearance at the Whitney Museum in New York City and it has seen many a project in its day. It is not worn out beyond wearing yet, but it has been repaired and reinforced dozens of times. I love three things about this apron – the roomy pockets, the durable canvas (you can start to see the worn spots at the bottom of the pockets), and the fact that the ties are adjustable. Simply pull on the two ties and the entire apron raises up to the perfect fit. Now that I am teaching in two different schools, I wanted a second apron to prevent the clay dust and paint flakes filling my bag anymore than they already do, so I had to make a second apron.
I simply laid the existing apron on the denim and traced a pattern. I left plenty of room for seams and sewed it up, making sure that i had several heavy-duty denim needles ready for my machine. This is one area where it pays not to be stingy – fresh needles make all the different in the world of sewing.
For the pockets, I dismantled a pair of much-loved canvas pants of Eric’s. He wore them to ride to and from work frequently, and they have some wear and tear resulting from thousands of miles on a bicycle. I got to taking apart the back pockets, which took quite a bit of seam ripping – a testament to the durability of the REI brand pants. Oops, looks like Eric washed something in the pocket.
For the tie, I simply used strips of the canvas pants sewn in half. I left the edges raw, which means they will fray over time. I figure if I hate them, no big deal, I will make a new tie with finished edges or use a length of store-bought cord. I am lazy sometimes when it comes to sewing projects, and I will sometimes use contrasting thread simply because I do not want to make a new bobbin if I do not have one waiting and ready to go. I opted for orange thread this time mostly because it was already set up with orange. However, it is my favorite color and a nice contrast on the blue denim with the brown canvas.
My next project – using the leftover denim and canvas to make Eric an apron for when he is working on bikes. Maybe it will help preserve his clothing from bike grease.
Bluebird Hill Art 