Cloaks of Creativity

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Intricately crafted aprons mark the entry of Mode Brut, inviting visitors to pause and symbolically wake up the creative sides of themselves. This practice is employed by Creativity Explored (CE) artists when they don their aprons at the start of each studio session.

Throughout our collaboration with CE, MCD has strived to bring this mindset to artists throughout San Francisco and empower designers with the tools to take on this creative ritual. Hundreds of Bret Harte elementary students designed aprons to prepare themselves to craft at school. 

This project prompts you to participate in the same invocation of daily creativity!

INSTRUCTIONS

• Measure the width of the fabric and place marks at the center and quarter points.
• Fold corners of fabric down and towards the center of the fabric at or before each quarter mark. 
  • Ensure that folded fabric is positioned at right angles.
• Secure sewing pins to keep the fabric in place.
• Sew or use hot glue to permanently position fabric folds. Glue or sew along the downward facing edges of the folded, triangular piece of fabric. 
• Add straps and pockets using fabric scraps. 
  • Straps:
    • Create straps by cutting long strips of fabric (approx 2 feet).
      • Create more detailed straps by tying or braiding the long strips of fabric together.
    • Sew, glue, or tie straps to the apron edges to serve as waistbands and neckpieces. 
  • Pockets:
    • • Make the pocket fabric patch by cutting a single piece of fabric or by creating a patchwork design composed of smaller fabric pieces.
      • Sew or glue the pocket to your apron by adhering to the bottom and two sides of the fabric patch.

Creative prompts for more:

• Check out past MCD@Home projects to further develop your design!
  • Explore Closet Repurposing to revive an old outfit and play with novel ways of integrating found fabric. 
  • Learn from Creativity Explored artists as you add embroidered flowers, tie-dyed patches, and textile creations to the apron! 
• Make your design even more functional! Can you create specific pockets for gardening tools? A place to rest a paintbrush? Somewhere to tuck a recipe?

RELATED RESOURCES

From braiding to tying to gluing to sewing, this project asks crafters to creatively attach distinct fabric pieces together. As part of their artist-in-residence at Recology, Mode Brut design partner Bonanza designed a fashion show using materials sourced from the SF dump.

Check out the garments of the Young and Restless and explore how textiles are attached!

Aprons exist in many shapes and sizes, reflective of both their function and historical context. Explore some of the aprons featured in Apron Strings:Ties to the Past as curated by Joyce Cheney for additional design inspiration!

CONNECT SOCIALLY AND LEARN MORE

Share your project! Post and tag #MCDatHome