For those of you who don’t know what I am up to these days, I am here to give you a full update AND a favorite new product review.

I am currently studying Industrial Design in Milwaukee Wisconsin. That means my life is a never ending cycle of sketching, refining, prototyping, cutting, sanding, painting, finishing and presenting. Here is a selection of my projects from the semester:

As you can see, this program is making-intensive. I spend more time in the 3D lab than I do in my bed… and that’s not an exaggeration. Speaking of my bed, it’s really important that I don’t bring these toxic materials home with me into my living space. We often work with toxic wood fillers and high density foam. We can protect our lungs with respirators, but it’s important to control the amount of dust and material that gets on our clothes. High density urethane dust in the ID world is comparable to glitter in the art world– it sticks to everything and never fully disappears.

So a few weeks into the semester I decided to find an apron… but not just any apron.

Peter Wadey is the owner and operator of Action Wares, a specialty canvas apron operation. Peter sent me two canvas aprons, a customized “The Craftsman” apron and a slightly shorter adapted style apron. My Craftsman apron is black canvas with brown stitching, and the second apron is a denim blue canvas with red stitching.

I have gotten a tremendous amount of use out of Peter Wadey’s apron. Not only has it protected my clothes from the perils of lab processes, it has also increased my efficiency. There are three main chest pockets– perfect for pencils, safety glasses, spare bits of acrylic and any other random thing that might come in handy in the lab. There are two main hip pockets that house larger items– my tape measurer, a level, a notebook, etc.

My favorite feature of these aprons is the crossed back straps. These are more comfortable than the typical around-the-neck apron straps. The two straps cross in the back and are then threaded through loops at the hips. This systems allows for easy adjustment of how high the apron sits.

This apron doesn’t get in my way, it moves with me. Take a look at the timelapse below that features me hard at work in my Action Wares Craftsmen apron. If you notice, the lab-tech, Delia, who shows up periodically in the timelapse is also sporting an apron by Peter Wadey.

One of the best things about Peter Wadey is that he will work with you in order to create the perfect apron for you. I already have ideas for my next one– although I am guessing it will take years to wear this one down. I have trouble keeping my pens and pencils from falling out of my pockets, so a pocket-flap or pocket-synch would fix this problem. Delia’s apron is now 1 year old and her right pocket has worn down from constant clipping and unclipping of her measuring tape. For future reference doubling up on the canvas for this pocket would delay the inevitable wear and tear of everyday use.

Overall, this apron has been a fantastic find. Make sure to check out Peter Wadey’s aprons for your next woodworking, crafting, gardening, or cooking apron needs!