Sewing in a Small Space: How to Make a Custom Smock Apron
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- Опубликовано: 23 июл 2024
- Finding space to sew when your entire home is less than 300 square feet can be challenging, but certainly not impossible! I’ll show you how I self-drafted and sewed this smock apron in our RV, using a popular (and pricey) ready-to-wear design as a reference. This would make a fantastic quick and budget-friendly holiday gift for some who loves to cook and look good while doing it.
We live full time in a 1992 Fleetwood Bounder motorhome, boondocking around the country and doing our best to amuse our cat.
You can also find us here:
mycatatemyroadmap.com
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Here’s a link to the free Purl Soho pattern mentioned in the video: purlsoho.com/create/2015/11/2...
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
01:16 Cutting
04:04 Straps
06:49 Armscyes
12:56 Side hems
14:57 Adjusting strap length
16:13 Top facing
22:15 Bottom hem & adjusting apron length
24:14 Pockets
32:10 Towel loop
34:57 Completed apron
I lost my home in the 2017 Tubbs fire in California and have been living and sewing in my RV ever since. I make handbags, wallets, back packs, totes from cork fabric. Storage is an issue and my space is getting tighter and tighter each day. Since I was an uninsured renter at the time of the fire, and the rents have gone sky high in my area, it looks like I'll be RV'ing for the rest of my life. Sewing saved my sanity, making beautiful things makes me happy. My logo is "Sew It All Away"......
I'm so sorry for your loss -- I was living in Northern California at the time and I remember how terrible that fire was. Sewing has been a lifeline for me during difficult times, as well, and I'm glad that you've found ways to make it work in your RV!
Whoa, you have faced some real adversity but you’re a great model of resilience. Do you sell your creations on Etsy or anywhere?
Sorry for your loss. 😢 Have you ever thought about selling anything of your items that you've made? God bless you
The apron looks fabulous and your home and cat are SEW sweet!!
Thank you so much! :)
We used to live on a narrowboat in the uk. 6’x45’. It was lovely and cosy but not without its challenges. I used to cut out my sewing patterns on the floor in the narrow walk way and sew using my vintage hand cranked machine standing at the kitchen counter, no power you see. Oh those were the days!
Wow, that is so cool! We've often wondered how living in a motorhome compares with living in a houseboat. We've also found full-time RVing simultaneously worthwhile and challenging, but I'm sure that living on the water must add unique complexities to the equation. Traditional narrowboats are gorgeous, what an amazing way to explore the UK! To make sewing work in that space (and without power!) is really impressive.
@@mycatatemyroadmap See also the youtuber Sew Projects. She makes lingerie onboard and I think she uses an electric machine so I think she must have a good generator. Although it was an amazing fresh air life, it was both a relief and a novelty to eventually live in a house where I could turn light switches on and run the washing machine at the same time 😃
@@suzannemortimer9752 I'll definitely look her up, thank you for the recommendation! Re: simultaneous lights & washing machine, I know exactly what you mean! Little luxuries I'm certain I won't take for granted in the future. :)
Just found you. You turned a tragedy into an adventure. Kitty and sewing are 2 essentials
I sewed and quilted in our 5th wheel for 5 summers. We would be on the road for 4+ months each year and I couldn't go that long without my fabric and thread fix! Hurricane Ian destroyed our 5th wheel and we really miss it. Planning on purchasing a Class A next. Keep RVing and sewing! Maybe we'll meet on the road.
It's so fun getting to e-meet other RVing sewers and quilters! I'm sorry to hear about your 5th wheel -- having experienced how scary even 30 mph winds can feel, I can only imagine the damage potential of a hurricane. I hope you can get back to sewing on the road soon! I'll keep an eye out for the Class A with a sewing machine in the window. :)
One Christmas I made my family - the one's who cook that is... my daughter-in-laws don't like to cook - each an apron. Each one was specific to the person. My grandson's apron had a Star Wars theme and my granddaughter's apron had a fairy theme. Each of my grown sons also received aprons with their interests in mind. They were a big hit!!
@@cecileroy557 That's a great idea! I may need to steal it for next Christmas... Even if you already enjoy cooking, having an apron you love makes it a little more fun, doubly so if it's made by mom/grandma. :)
This must be a Bounder motor home, or it's twin. We had one like it once upon a time that we really enjoyed camping in. Your upholstery, the lamps, the layout are exactly like ours was. Thanks for your teaching!
You're exactly right, our motorhome is a 1992 Bounder! We really enjoy it, it feels like a cozy cabin on wheels. Was your Bounder from a similar year? Thank you for sharing, it's so fun to hear from other Bounder owners!
Ours was a 1990. In 2000, we went on a 2 1/2 month road trip in it, from Virginia, north to Maine, west to North Dakota, south to Missouri, and back home to Virginia. I wasn't quilting yet in those days, but had a great time cross stitching or embroidering in the co-pilot chair while we traveled. Wishing you happy trails!
@@elizabethharris4570 What a wonderful trip! Cross-stitch and embroidery sound perfect for a long driving day. We thought Virginia was exceptionally beautiful when we briefly visited this past fall, looking forward to going back. Best wishes to you, as well!
Excellent job, from drafting the pattern to Stitching on the towel loop! Great ingenuity & perseverance!!! It was a pleasure to watch your learning progress. I have been a sewist x 60 years.
Thank you so much! The learning process was very rewarding, I'm excited to try my hand at drafting more complex patterns in the future. 60 years of sewing knowledge is amazing, I hope I can build up to that sort of expertise!
Make your own ironing pad. I could not afford one so I made one old towel folded in half covered in pretty cotton material. Your video is great.
Thank you! Your ironing pad idea is a really great one, I'll definitely try making one!
Mine is covered with the silvery stuff ironing ycovers are made of. It hangs on skirt hanger in tiny closet of our RVan🚐.
You just popped up and the thumbnail looked interesting. I like the fact that you're in an RV on BLM land since I watch a lot of those kinds of videos. Good camera, instructions and cute cat. I have a few. I hope your sub number increases. It will be with me and I look forward to more videos. Happy adventures!
Thank you! We spend most of our time boondocking on BLM land -- such an amazing resource we have in this country. With all the birds and other wildlife to watch, our cat loves camping even more than we do. :)
I’ve been sewing since I was 10 (now 65). My mom taught my sisters and I. It has been so fun through the years. Now I mostly quilt. I loved watching you put this together! I hope you’re going to post many more sewing vlogs 😊. Happy travels!
Thank you so much! I'll definitely be posting more sewing vlogs -- I'm working on a quilt project right now, my first one in our RV! Before we started traveling, I mostly quilted, as well, but somehow it's felt a little more daunting to do in the motorhome. What a wonderful gift your mom gave you and your sisters, warm memories and years of sewing fun! I wish I had learned to sew when I was younger, trying to make up for it now. :)
This video was so perfect to watch. It was fun and informative and relaxing. How cool to live in an RV. DH and I were just talking about this. It reminds me of when we lived in a hotel for 5 months after a house fire. What was a negative (obviously) became one of the best things to happen to us, honestly. Love your cat, and your pattern drawing. That fabric is great for what you’re making. New subscriber!
Thank you, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Our cat loves to be the star of the show. :) The longer we've been full-time RVing, the more we've come to appreciate how the challenges are actually a part of what makes the experience so rewarding. None of our trials have been nearly as difficult as a house fire, though -- it's amazing that you and your husband turned a life-altering moment into such a positive experience!
Cute apron. I think your RV is very nice.
Thank you very much! We really enjoy our RV, too -- the original owners took excellent care of it and we try to do the same.
Very well done! We live in a 740 square foot mobile home and so I have more room than you do to sew, but I appreciate seeing how you manage in your home. I certainly don't have a sewing room like I did in our former house. It was quite a challenge to downsize this much, but I make it work, just like you! We've been here for 9 years and it's taken this long to really figure out how to manage. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you! We've found a lot of positives in downsizing, but it's also a true organizational challenge! I love hearing about how others make sewing in small spaces work. I'll admit that once we get back to more stationary living, I do hope I'll have enough space for a dedicated sewing nook, if not a full room. :)
Turned out really cute. I love aprons. Really saves on laundry. Lol
Thank you! Yes, the less laundry the better!
Wow..love that apron!!😊😂
Thank you so much!
I love sewing my camper!
It's so fun! Nothing like a change in scenery to inspire new projects. :)
My husband and I have been living in our RV for ten years and quilting is not an easy process due to lack of space, but you make it work one way or another just like you ironing on your couch.
Wow, after 10 years of RV living, you must have all the small space quilting tips and tricks! I'm working on my first quilt project in our RV right now and I'm find that maneuvering such a large amount of fabric in here is not easy. But as you said, I'm making it work, and hopefully gaining some experience for next time!
FYI, a flannel backed picnic table cloth makes a great place to place your quilt blocks. You can roll it up until you need to work on it again, just makes a good impromptu design "wall". @@mycatatemyroadmap
@@marijkeschellenbach2680 That is such an excellent idea, thank you! Keeping piecing organized is such a challenge (and I very much miss my pre-RV design wall), so I will definitely pick up one of those table cloths!
Your apron turned out beautifully and I’ll bet would cost more than $100. Marimekko is expensive! My sister-in-law made curtains out of it years ago and it became immediately recognizable to me ever since. I love it. Your kitchen is very impressive. Not much to miss in an rv. Even a full sized Janome and an adorable kitty cat.
Thank you so much! I was lucky to receive the Marimekko fabric as a gift, so I have to admit I didn't quite realize the price until now! Their signature patterns are so bold and unique, I love them as well. Curtains would be stunning and quite an investment!
Very nice!
Thank you!
Hi there! Your video popped up in my feed and I'm so glad I clicked to watch. Nice job on the apron, how cute is this!!! Take care! ~Angela
Thank you, that's so kind of you to say! Thank you for watching! :)
I live in my converted Skoolie. 26’ including the garage. I have 3 machines. A treadle, serger & picking up a featherweight Friday & donating my Necchi. I’m a total seamstress & love it! I’ve never been happier 😊. Small spaces are the best. Now I’ll watch the video 🎉
How cool! It really is a fun puzzle to make space for sewing while living in an RV. You must be more organized than me, our Bounder is 34' and I still couldn't quite find the space for my serger, haha!
THank you for the clear explanations and using good camera work so we could see what you were talking about and doing. That you reconsidered how big the pockets should be was actually a nice touch, sort of reminding us we have the freedom to customize as we go along to make sure things really cuit us. And the idea of a loop for a towel is great. The only thing in the project I might have changed is either trying to match up the print for the pockets (which could well be more work than it's worth) or maybe being a solid color, but that might be a little OCD coming through on my part. It looks great.
Thank you so much! I appreciate your kind words -- filming in our small space was a little bit of a game of Twister, so I'm very glad to hear that the shots captured the process clearly! I definitely hear you on the pockets -- I was hoping to match up the pattern, but (as is so often the case for me), I didn't have quite enough fabric to make it work. One day I'll learn! Thank you for watching.
Fabby Magna sews aprons and charges $30 for hers incase anyone is looking for unique ones with Mothers Day coming up…..she supports her family and farm with her sewed items.
I buy from small businesses when I can ……
Mark and I loved the video. Keep up the excellent work! Pet Romeo for Mark, please.
Thank you!! Hope you guys are doing well! Romeo is very asleep right now, but I will pet him when he wakes from his slumber :).
It turned out beautifully!! Thank you for this great video!!
Thank you so much!
It looks like you are in a camper. loved the video. Thanks.
I am indeed -- we've been living in our 1992 Fleetwood Bounder for about a year and a half now, and we love it! So glad you enjoyed the video, thank you!
I moved into my camper and I love to machine quilt as well as hand quilt so I was worried that I would not be able to do either because it's small in here. But you're an encouragement. My machine is smaller than yours so I'm about to give it a go.
Thank you! I'm really enjoying connecting here with other RVers sewing/quilting on the road -- we're each solving a unique puzzle based on our particular setup, in addition to the usual puzzles that sewing presents. :) I hope that your foray into machine quilting in your van goes well! I started a mixed machine & hand quilting project recently, and I've found the machine aspect to be more of a challenge, though hopefully I'll get the hang of it with a little more experience.
You are an excellent teacher! That you produced and sewed this in an RV is astonishing.
Thank you so much!
You inspire me to sew in my very tight sewing room 😀
I think sewing in a small space adds to the feeling of accomplishment once you've finished your project! :)
You did a great job & it's easy to see you know what you're doing!!
Thank you very much! :)
Congratulations on making your cute apron. I found similar patterns searching you tube for Japanese linen aprons.
Thank you! I love Japanese-style aprons, they have such a beautifully minimalist design. I tried to create an apron somewhere in between a Japanese apron and the smock aprons traditionally worn in Mexico!
Awesome great apron, nice and colourful!
Thank you!
Thanks for this excellent tutorial. It will be interesting to see what you will share in future videos. Looking forward to your adventures in camping, cooking, sewing (quilting?) and how your cat "helps"!
Thank you, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I'm looking forward to sharing more sewing/quilting in the RV, and RV living generally! And wherever there's a little something to steal or knock off the table, my cat Romeo will be excited to help out, so I'm sure you'll see more of him. :)
Great job!
Thank you!
You did such a good job! I’m very impressed and love the results. Thank you for sharing with us…Shelley
That's so kind of you, thank you!
Great job!!👏
Thank you!
Love it, beautiful
Thank you!
Great job!!!
Thank you!
Great job. Inspiring!
Thank you so much!
Very cute! Good job!
Thank you!
Super cute and looks very functional! I like your changes to the noted pattern. Saving this video to go back and make notes. Many Blessings to you!
Thank you so much! I'll be uploading a written pattern to the video description in the near future, so hopefully that will be helpful, as well!
I love this apron❤
Thank you!
Great job.
Thank you!
Very nice and pretty!!
Thank you!
Beautiful, nice fabric
Thank you!
Loved your apron . Looking forward to your future videos.❤❤
Thank you!!
I love the cat!
He loves being a RUclips star! ;)
I love that apron!
Thank you!!
very nice!
Thank you!
Hello I am so glad to find someone else that is sewing 🧵 in their RV as well. I also have sewed several projects myself. Full time RV’ers.
That's awesome! We're full-timers, as well. It's not easy to make space for sewing in an RV, but it's a lot of fun!
We should all Boondock in a Joann Fabric parking lot. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Turned out beautiful! Great job
Haha, I love this idea! If only!@@IvyRosethebus
I love the style, especially the crossover straps and the towel loops. Great design!
Thank you very much! I'm so used to sewing from patterns, so it was certainly a fun challenge to design it to my own specifications.
Wow . I get frustrated trying to sew in my tiny space. Good for you making it work. Lovely apron and I may try making one.
Thank you! I've definitely had my shares of frustrations sewing in such a small space, I just tell the cameraman to stop filming, haha :)
Beautiful apron! Great instructions and camera angles. I love your cat❤
Thank you so much! Romeo (our cat) loves to be the star of the show. :)
Love this apron😃
Thank you! :)
Fantastic video and I love how your apron turned out, so cute!
Thank you so much!!
Great Job, your apron came out beautifully! I've been wanting to try to make one, you've inspired me to try. Thank you!
Thank you! I hope you enjoy making one, it's such a fun project! I find it makes cooking even more fun when done in style. :)
This turned out so nice. I hv been wanting to make an apron similar to this for quite awhile now. I like the cross straps and the fact it doesn’t need to be tied. Just pop it over your head. It really covers well, too, so you don’t hv to worry abt your clothes underneath. Great job! First time to your channel. 🌷
Thank you so much! I agree, I prefer not having to bother with tying straps. And maybe this is just me, but having a strap around the back of my neck drives me nuts. Coverage is definitely paramount!
I'm inspired to draft my own pattern now also as I've been wanting to make myself an apron for a while. I love your RV! Id love a van I'm in the UK. Thank you, happy travels! ❤
Thank you so much! I found that an apron was the perfect project to try out drafting my own pattern, I hope you do give it a go! We've thought about traveling the UK in a van one day in the future -- always fun to dream about more adventures. :) We'd have to get comfortable with the notion of driving on the other side of the road, of course!
@@mycatatemyroadmap I'll certainly give it a go...if you're thinking of coming to the UK, try Wales first, the roads are quieter than the UK, and less stressful for you to get used to driving in the left....plus it's very beautiful! England is too, but I've lived in Wales for several months and it'd be perfect for you to start off with. If you go to Scotland, try it early in the year, or take midge repellant spray. Don't forget Yorkshire, Bedfordshire and Suffolk, plus the Lake District, all very beautiful places to see... Also, hop over to the Isle of Wight if you can, a slower pace too and lots to see ☺️
@@sallyal5266 Wow, thank you for all this information! I'll write all these places down with an eye toward the future. Great tip regarding the more manageable roads in Wales -- when I visited family in England a couple years back, the combination of busy and narrow roads did intimidate me a little bit. Absolutely worth it to get out of my comfort zone to see some of the beautiful places you recommended! :)
@@mycatatemyroadmap I'm so glad it was of help to you, happy travels my friend, hide your roadmap from your cat 🤣 🛺🤞🏼
@@sallyal5266 Thank you, same to you! It was fun chatting! :)
Hi. Just found your channel and looking forward to following your journey. I enjoy sewing and quilting and hope that is in your creati e plans. Good luck.
Thank you! I love sewing and quilting, as well, so I'll definitely be doing more of that as we continue our travels. I'm especially looking forward to finishing a full quilt in the RV and will do my best to document the process here!
My calico cat Belle use to pull the straight pins out of my piecing and nd spit them on the floor when I was’t in the room. L’il stinker. and then sit behind the machine and try and catch the needle when it was going up and down. Sure miss the little lady
Adorable! Pulling pins out of piecing is a new one for me, that's actually quite impressive, haha! She couldn't let sewing distract you from her, of course. :) Cats definitely add a little extra excitement to sewing.
You did an outstanding job on the apron, particularly since it was self drafted! I really enjoyed seeing how you manage in a small sewing space. The only thing I would have done differently is a slight change on the pockets to match the pattern - I hate unmatched patterns, it totally kicks off my OCD.
BUT if the pockets are not matched, they show up more as a design feature, rather than blending into the print!
Thank you!! I hear you about the pockets -- I hoped I'd be able to match the pockets to the pattern, but since the pattern repeat is so large, it would have required more yardage than what I had, unfortunately. All part of the learning experience, I suppose. :)
❤
I love it! Turned out beautiful now are you sharing the pattern?
Thank you! I'm working on a written pattern and will add a link to the video description once it's ready!
Great sew! Love your sewing box, is it vintage?
Thank you! Yes, my sewing box is vintage from the 1960s -- it's so perfect for a small sewing space!
How do you like your Janome? My Singer just gave me me her last stitch so I got a Janome! Been playing with it all afternoon.
I've been using my two Janome machines (the one in this video and a heavy duty machine) for about 5 years now and I love them! I prefer sewing machines that are relatively simple, so I can't speak to computerized machines, but my Janomes feel well-made and robust, and they're still going strong, with very minimal maintenance. How are you liking yours so far? In my experience, switching machine brands sometimes feels like learning how to sew all over again! :)
Really cute! Is the mini oliso iron worth its money?
Thank you! Here's my honest review of the mini Oliso: It works very well and it's nice to have a compact iron for our small space, but I think it's probably only worth the money if you travel for quilting classes frequently and need to bring your own iron. If I was going to splurge on an iron again, I would probably save up a little more and invest in a high-quality full-sized iron, and then get one of those super tiny wand irons for pressing small seams. Just my two cents!
If you are on BLM land how do have power for iron? Solar would power the sewing machine, but anything that generated heat draws down the battery. Plus its nice and quiet, so not running generator. Curious
Before we moved into our RV we outfitted it with a solar setup (panels, battery bank, inverter, etc.), which generates enough power for pretty much all our daily needs! (The only exception is running the A/C -- we have to turn on our diesel generator to use that.) My iron is definitely power-hungry, but it's not a problem as long as I turn it off when not in use. We can even use the microwave with our solar setup! If we get a few very cloudy days in a row, we can run the diesel generator to charge up our batteries, but we mostly choose to camp in sunny places.
There are 524 likes…subscriptions are free….please get her up to more subscribers so she can make money!
That is very thoughtful of you, thank you! :)
I agree! Hopefully, she’ll Pin your post to the top so it is seen!
You ever in ohio?
We visited Ohio last summer and had a great time! We camped in Central Ohio farm country, which was so beautiful. And then we stayed at a state park on the shores of Lake Erie, which was amazing! Ohio has so many great camping options, we can't wait to visit again.
Ironing on top of a rough surface doesn’t get the job done.
I agree! I'll definitely work on a different solution for future ironing.
@@mycatatemyroadmap I’ve been a flight attendant for 32 years 🤣😉
Your tutorial is cute and I enjoy it but I would enjoy it more if you didn’t smack your lips please!
You left a lot out when you sewed your straps to the apron
I appreciate your feedback!
Quick tip: iron out the bias tape and seam allowance, ironing away from the neckline; then understitch the bias tape to the seam allowance…about 1/8” (or less if you can) from neck seam. This will keep the bias tape from rolling.
This is a great tip, thank you!