I know how to sew on buttons and I have sewed a few other items in my lifetime. I often chat with the ladies in the kitchen here and yesterday they said jokingly that I should do the dishes for them. I joked back that I would but I didn't have an apron and didn't want to get my clothes dirty. One of them mentioned that I should buy one and it gave me an idea.
I talked with Selina, one the women in the office who oversees training clients to sew. I asked her if she could teach me how to make an apron and she told me to come in first thing the next morning. I showed up at 8:oo and we went to work.
I wanted a very "African-looking" fabric and chose one that has several masks on it. I cut some fabric for the front pocket so that there is a mask with crazy hair right in the center. I cut out the pattern, the pockets, and then the edge material. All in all, it took less than 2 yards of fabric.
Selina showed me how to run an iron over the fabric to make a good crease to make the sewing easier. I never knew just how many stitches went into a simple apron. I sewed and sewed and then sewed even more. The other women in the office came by just to see me using the sewing machine. They all thought it was funny that a man (and on top of that, a legkoa) knew how to sew).
The finished product is fantastic and I am pleasantly surprised at my sewing skills. The downside now is that I really don't have an excuse to not help with the dishes. Maybe I will "forget" it at home. I talked with Selina and I think my next project will be making a traditional Tswana shirt.
I know how to sew on buttons and I have sewed a few other items in my lifetime. I often chat with the ladies in the kitchen here and yesterday they said jokingly that I should do the dishes for them. I joked back that I would but I didn't have an apron and didn't want to get my clothes dirty. One of them mentioned that I should buy one and it gave me an idea.
I talked with Selina, one the women in the office who oversees training clients to sew. I asked her if she could teach me how to make an apron and she told me to come in first thing the next morning. I showed up at 8:oo and we went to work.
I wanted a very "African-looking" fabric and chose one that has several masks on it. I cut some fabric for the front pocket so that there is a mask with crazy hair right in the center. I cut out the pattern, the pockets, and then the edge material. All in all, it took less than 2 yards of fabric.
Selina showed me how to run an iron over the fabric to make a good crease to make the sewing easier. I never knew just how many stitches went into a simple apron. I sewed and sewed and then sewed even more. The other women in the office came by just to see me using the sewing machine. They all thought it was funny that a man (and on top of that, a legkoa) knew how to sew).
The finished product is fantastic and I am pleasantly surprised at my sewing skills. The downside now is that I really don't have an excuse to not help with the dishes. Maybe I will "forget" it at home. I talked with Selina and I think my next project will be making a traditional Tswana shirt.
