Monday, February 6, 2012

Apron Love





Moms my age wear aprons because we want to, and because we think they're cute. We have a heritage, though, of the apron being the workhorse to help mom along in her day and in her life.


I have a small collection of sweet vintage aprons, like this one I'm wearing, above. Gathered from here and there, I like to imagine who wore them, and how they used them--and most of them are all handmade and totally adorable. Most of them cost me less than a dollar, and are gingham, or like this one, calico, adorned with rick-rack.


A friend shared this apron essay with me, and I'm sharing it with you, just because it's too dear not to.


Thank you, Mary C. for forwarding this along to me. I enjoyed it; and I know my readers here will, too.  


***


The principle use of grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, because she only had a few.  It was easier to wash the apron than to wash the dress, and they used less material, but along with that it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion,was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.  From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes, half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal for hiding places for shy kids.  And when the weather was cold, grandma could wrap it around her arms. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen by that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.  After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.  In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.  When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust ion a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields for dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that "old-time apron" that served so many purposes.  

--Author unknown

Do you have apron memories, too?










My apron category on PINTEREST.



9 comments:

Carissa said...

Like the writer said grandma's apron was used to wipe quite a few of my tears as a child. I also loved grandma's aprons so much that she even sewed me a few so i could be like her.

Carissa

Farmgirl Cyn said...

I love this! Many of my aprons got lost in the shuffle of the move....now I have to hunt some down when the garage sales start in the spring:(

Shari said...

I do, actually, and it makes me smile. I'm glad you asked, because I'd totally forgotten. :-)

My mama had an apron that was on some type of spring-y plastic hoop thing, that opened to go around your waist, kinda like a slap band almost. It had a pink gingham apron with pockets. I would put it on around my head and pretend that it was a veil LOL.

Ah, the memories!

Mary Jane Plemons said...

I absolutely cannot cook without my apron on! It has to have a bib, or I can't use it. It keeps me clean!

I made an apron for our almost-four-year-old grandaughter for Christmas, because she "needed" one, she said. It was so much fun. I had one my grandmother made when I was a child, and I wore it for years.

lil red hen said...

Really enjoyed this! Anything apron grabs my attention. I make a few now and then, some for gifts, and others just to be making them. Actually, I don't wear an apron, but I like what they represent.

Echoes From the Hill said...

My grandma always had an apron on when she was at home. She and my great aunts made many aprons. They were always gingham check, in many colors, and they had rick rack on them and also cross stitch. I inherited many of them, and have some hanging on pegs in my kitchen. They bring back wonderful memories.
They made them for gifts, for church bazaars, and for each other.
I have one that belonged to my grandmother, with embroidered signatures of family and friends. They are all gone now, but the memories are with me.

Great post!
nancyr

Becka said...

I am am Apron lover too. I have sewn lots of Aprons for craft fairs, Farmer's Market's and gifts. Recently while up in my attic I retrieved a box of old fabrics I had used for sewing my girls dresses when they were little girls. It's in perfect condition too! I would guess from the late 70's to early 80's. WOw- a whole huge box of "vintage" fabrics. Lots of Calico prints from the "old days". I was a huge fan of "Little House on the Praire" style. I can hardly wait to get to making some Aprons out of it all.
HUGS- Becka (The Girasole Lady)

aimee said...

LOVE this post! I have several aprons--some old from my mom. Last night (before I ever read your post) I got my DH to hang a hook so I will be able to hang my apron on it---am SO excited about having a place to hang aprons so one will always be available!
Blessings,
Aimee

Linda said...

I love the old vintage aprons, they are so cool. My daughter loves and wears aprons a lot. I made aprons for my daughter, son-in-law (man apron) and for the 2 grandsons (boy aprons)to bake at Christmas time together.