Welcome!
1911 song sheet cover
I have good memories of my Grandma McDowell cooking in our kitchen, always wearing an apron.
When I was older she gave me one of her aprons to wear. I always put it on when I was baking something.
Later, when I had a kitchen of my own, I kept that apron in my cupboard, ready to pull out whenever I needed it.
Somehow it kept my Grandma, mixing and baking, next to me.
She taught me how to measure flour in a straight edge cup, carefully scraping the excess off with the flat end of the spoon.
I was to always be careful to return any unused flour to the bag.
There was no waste in her kitchen.
Liquids went into the glass measuring cup. To measure properly I had to bend down to eye level with the countertop, checking the liquid level.
I was to never use a dry ingredients cup to measure liquid.
Good cooks just didn’t do that.
My mother made a couple of half aprons for me as Christmas presents. My favorite was a yellow gingham apron decorated with chicken scratch embroidery.I kept it hanging on the kitchen wall for years. Not to be used that much though.
Half aprons are not for messy cooks!
‘Chicken scratch’ embroidery, Pinterest
Chicken Scratch gingham embroidery
J Orr, Pinterest
No, for real cooking you need the full coverage apron! At least I did.
Those fancy half aprons were for looks only, not for doughy hands.
A popular newspaper/magazine paper doll, showing off her fancy ‘company’ aprons:
Katy Keene, drawn by Bill Woggan; Found on Pinterest My favorite apron is called a cobbler apron. It provides full front coverage and over the shoulder, and usually has a pocket also.
1920’s ad for apron patterns
This harkens back to when aprons were part of tradesmen uniforms. So a cobbler’s apron would have been typical for a shoemaker to wear. You need that front pocket to hold tools while you worked.
Aprons I have sewn Board, Pinterest
Tradesmen were called ‘apron men’!
Aprons were used to protect the clothing underneath, and to readily identify what trade the person worked.
An antique advertisement for a trades apron
Aprons have been depicted since Medieval paintings from the 1300’s.
A laundress, illuminated manuscript c.1432
There started out with 4 basic types of aprons:
Pinafore- features a waist apron with a bib pinned to shoulders, later straps were added
Bungalow- woman’s at home style, evolved into a ‘lounger’ or ‘patio dress’ and worn alone
Clerical- a short cassock above the knee, worn by religious leaders
Half- from the waist down only
An example of a ‘bungalow’ type apron.
In the 1500’s women did take over the apron and started adding lace and embroidery to use as a fashion statement.
Antique paper doll with aprons
In the 1800’s aprons came to identify the position you held in a household, in a strictly layered society.
Please note all rights belong to Marna Jean Davis. You may purchase this apron pattern from her shop on Etsy.
Plain white, but still modish, aprons were worn by housemaids.
Antique apron pattern
A housewife would wear aprons made from silk and satin with beautiful embroidered motifs, lace and ribbons.
Fancy Apron examples, with paper dolls
Over time an apron became the symbol of motherhood.
Songs were written about ‘dear, old mom’ and her apron strings:
1891 song sheet cover
Later, greeting cards for Mothers became popular featuring aprons:
The bungalow and clerical style aprons are not really in use anymore.
Vintage paper doll with 2 half aprons
In the 1940-1950’s waist aprons became popular (also called half-aprons) as fashion accessories.
Wearing an apron was a symbol of domesticity - a professional housewife.
1946 pattern
Vintage half apron, Etsy
In the 1960’s the feminist movement caused aprons to fall out of favor in North America, although they remained popular elsewhere.
Carolyn Stich, Pinterest
In the mid 2000’s there was a surge of popularity for retro arts such as needlework, small farming, sewing and culinary arts.
The apron is back!
Aprons I have Sewn, Pinterest
Only now it has a modern twist.
Aprons are now worn by both men and women. (Thank you Food Channel).
The butcher apron is the most popular unisex style:
MagicLinen
An apron, no matter what basic style you choose, is a perfect canvas for creative embellishments.
Retro embroidery designs are so sweet!
Oregon Patchworks Inc.
KyleLynn Preston
Vintage embroidery patterns
Vintage embroidery pattern
Karen Simons, Pinterest
ANPTmag, Pinterest
I think Grandma McDowell would approve. Aprons had always been an essential part of her kitchen, being used as a towel, a pot holder or an egg basket. I think she would enjoy teaching the modern-day girl the ‘right’ way to cook..
…and of course that would include an apron.
Stitchthrutime, Pinterest
‘Til next time,
inkspired
