Nathan’s Pocket Apron

Nathan is helping Grandma make paper flowers for the school fair. Every time he needs a crayon or a glue stick, it is at the other end of the table. “I need somewhere to keep my tools,” he says.

Grandma finds a blue apron with a small pocket. Nathan puts a chunky crayon inside and tries it on. The top of the crayon sticks out. “Now I can take it with me,” he says, reaching for some paper.

When Nathan bends to pick up a fallen flower, the crayon slips out onto the mat. He stands up and checks the pocket. It is shallow, and most of the crayon was above the opening. Grandma listens to his explanation.

They lay the apron flat. Nathan places the crayon beside the pocket and shows how much room it needs. Grandma finds a larger piece of cloth. “We can make a deeper pocket,” Nathan suggests, tracing the space with his finger.

Grandma sews the new pocket onto the apron while Nathan watches from beside her. She puts it where he can reach comfortably. When she has put the needle away, he tries the apron on and slides the crayon inside.

Nathan walks to the table, bends down slowly and stands up again. The crayon stays in place. He reaches into the pocket without looking and finds it easily. “Deep enough to stay in, low enough to reach,” he says.

They try the glue stick too, with its lid firmly on. Both tools fit without making the apron heavy. Nathan carries them to the flower table and gives Grandma the colour she needs. The pocket is already saving him trips.

At the fair, Nathan shows his cousin the paper flowers. A crayon is waiting in his apron pocket when he needs to add a leaf. “Grandma did the sewing,” he says. “I helped decide what the pocket needed to do.”