The History of ‘Aprons’

REMEMBER making an apron in Home-Ec?

I don't think our kids know what an apron is. The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, because she only had a few, it was easier to wash aprons than dresses 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 hiding places for shy kids.

And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped 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 in 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 in 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 to dinner.

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

Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool.

Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.

They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.

I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron.

Author Unknown

For a great blog about the history of aprons, click below!

A few other places you might enjoy:

http://theopenpantry.blogspot.com/

http://www.theapronshoppe.com/index,fun-apron-stuff,history-of-aprons.php

 

http://anapronstory.com/

http://www.carolynskitchenonline.com

http://apronmemories.blogspot.com/

Frilly, lacy, sweet, and sexy--aprons defined a generation of happy housewives and hostesses. Today these filmy, finely home-crafted garments are sentimental favorites, evoking memories of Mom, Grandmom, or some other Doris Day-like image of domesticity, and they are highly sought-after by designers and collectors of household linens. Over 200 aprons are featured in this beautiful book, accompanied by detail shots that highlight design elements, stitching, and embellishments. Separate sections are devoted to gingham, floral designs, rickrack, handkerchief aprons, plaids and stripes, and polka dots. Aprons with embroidery, crochet, tatting, lace, and cross-stitching are examined in detail, and a collection of vintage apron patterns is included.