Remember making an apron in Home Ec? Remember Home Ec? If we have to explain "Home Ec" you may delete this. I just don't have the energy anymore. Read below.

The History of 'APRONS'

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 and because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons required 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 folk 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.
Send this to those who would know (and love) the story about Grandma's aprons.


REMEMBER: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 - but love..

Still true

Gotta love aprons:)

I do remember both my grandmother's aprons!

Oh I can see my Grandma now just like she was still here. Thanks for the memories

I'm fortunate enough to have a couple of my Grandma's aprons. She had a bunch of them because she put a clean one on every day and sometimes would change them throughout the day. Her's were the full aprons with the bibs. Mom preferred the half aprons. Women also used to use their aprons as a belly cover when they were pregnant. Unless you were really wealthy or someone in your family died you didn't have maternity clothes because you didn't go out into the public during the last several months of pregnancy. Women would wear button front dresses, unbutton them around their expanding bellies and put an apron on to cover the gap. Usually they'd wear two, one to do all the above mentioned things and one to keep their belly covered.

Isn't it funny now how every thing says "weight limit xxx lbs"? Back then if you could carry it, an apron would hold it. From wild flowers and apples to newborn lambs and baby piglets.

i bought an old one just like my grandmother always had on have it hanging in my sewing room

Thanks for sharing it is lovely and true.

LOL Todays grandmas are wearing spandex and heading for the gym, getting tats and riding motocycles, dancing till dawn and going on cruises. Good luck on finding one that will wear an apron.

Well, okay, some of us are quilting.

thanks for sharing!

This is beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

I still wear the one that my son made in Home Ec!!

I made full aprons to sell at the church bazaar. They are a hit in the specialty shops in the city. My granddaughter requested a 'retro apron' for Christmas. I'm not sure Grandma wore one in black and white with three tiers of bound ruffles for the skirt, but it's as cute as can be. I have another to do for my youngest daughter's daycare provider. She wears a full apron often. Hers will a bit more tradional, but cover all the way around with a pocket - you forgot the pocket for a handkerchief - not a tissue.

I printed your post to include with the aprons. May I have your permisson to do so? . My friend who is the daycare provider is old enough to appreciate it.

Raptureready, you can do all those things and stiil wear an apron. My grandmother had her first motocycle ride at 85 and loved it. I have no tattoos, and prefer a canoe to a cruiseship, but I've done the rest since I became a grandmother.

most kids today don't even know what a kitchen is, let alone an apron. it's sad.

I'm glad that aprons are becoming popular again! :)

I remember my grandmother's wearing aprons and have one from each of them. I am a grandmother now and have never worn an apron :( I am not nearly as good of a cook as them either. But I did get my love of sewing and quilting from them.

Thanks for the warm memories. As I read this, I had a mental picture of my own dear grandmother doing everyone of those things.

I have made an apron for one of my daughters for Christmas. I am printing this to put in the gift box. I hope you don't mind. Thank you.

Thanks for bringing back great memories. I remember making an apron in 4-H. It was a small print of pastels. My mother helped me and I was so proud. I made an apron. I made an apron myself. (I recall repeating & repeating) Those days are gone but the memories are so live. Thanks for putting a smile on my face today! :)

Thanks for the trip down memory lane this morning! Reading this brought back memories of both of my grandmothers, working around the house, fixing dinner, wearing those aprons. My maternal grandmother died Nov. 2008 at the young age of 97 1/2. I was fortunate to receive one of her aprons, some of her vintage tablecloths, and one of her handsewn table toppers. She was known for her beautiful handwork.

Janet,

Thanks so much for sharing this. I have a few aprons that I would like to make. I wish I had a picture of my grandma wearing an apron to go with this.


Thanks for some great memories.

Thank you for this wonderful post! One day my Mom and I scrounged all over looking for her old aprons and didn't find any :( I was so sad!! She was puzzled lol
She used to wear them all the time until I went to college. Then my sister talked her into wearing pants, which she never did the whole time I was growing up. She sure looked more feminine that I did when my kids were growing up!!
I have one of my aunt's aprons and I treasure it :D

I remember my great aunt always having her apron on.It was a bib apron and she had a special one for Sunday after church. She and my grandma were from a big (13 kids) farm family in Fredricksburg , Tx. They raised all their own food and going into town on Sat. was a real treat. Tante Meta never married but loved kids to death. She made quilts to die for and everything else they needed . She was the greatest cook and before she died she gave me all her little recipes written on everything you can imagine. Some have been refolded so many times that they are torn on the folds. DD is an archivist and is working to preserve them for the family.

This sooooo brings back memories of my Grandma. She did all of these things with her apron. Thanks for the memories.

I love full aprons that cover the body. I always wear one when cooking AND eating. It serves as a bib too. I made 18 aprons for Christmas presents this year for all the grandchildren, boys and girls as well as the fathers (sons and sons-in-law). The daughters and daughter-in-law got bow tuck purses as I know they each have aprons already. I think I will include the apron saying you posted. Thanks.

Aprons do seem to be making a comeback! My granddaughter has requested one and she's only 13.

while i was hunting my serger instruction book last night i found the pattern i used to make an apron while i was in 8th grade home ec!!! i've been out of high school for 56 years!!! plus - i still have that apron. i also have a sack full of my aunt's aprons. some of them are handing in my sewing room. i love em. i've been thinking of making a quilt out of them.

Thanks for sharing this, I remember making aprons and I also remember g-ma and mom having everyday aprons and one "good" apron for company or holidays.
I used to work in a nursing home and remember all the ladies still that were not "dressed" till they put on their apron, didn't matter if they wouldn't be doing any thing it was just part of their outfit.

me too.

Yes, aprons do bring back a lot of wonderful memories growing up. Watching grandma and my mom cook the best meals. Lots of love doing the things they loved to do. Making tamales, especially during the Christmas holidays. What great memories I have about grandma and my mom!!!
I love to wear aprons. I make them and give them out as gifts. The ones I make are reverseable. My daughter also makes them and wears them and gives out for gifts also.
Merry Christmas to all and blessings too.

A lot of memories there...thanks for sharing it! :-D

I love aprons. Only have one that I wear when I am cooking Thanksgiving dinner for 24. My SIL made it for me in the 70s and it is a "full" apron and buttons (top button) in the back. It has pockets sewn along the bottom edge, which hits at mid thigh. I love wearing it.

Amen!!!!

Thank you for sharing. When I gave aprons for christmas one year, my nieces were wanting what the other chose. I told them, wear them with lots of love, so you can pass them on, and the ones wearing the apron can feel the love that comes with the apron. It feels so good to give and know others appreciate the gifts.
Blessings to all.
Let's pray for our soldiers everywhere, especially those in danger.
Psalms 91 is the soldiers prayer.

Thanks again,
violets 4me123 (Cecilia)

I love this too. Someone emailed it to me a couple of years ago and then I lost it. I had also thought about making aprons to sell and attaching this story to them. Maybe next year! Lots of cute apron patterns out there now!

I wear an apron! Mine is the onepiece type that criscrosses in the back and has no ties. I know my #2 daughter wears aprons so I asked her if she would like me to make her some. She said she didn't like the ones I wear. She wants some of the old kind, I guess so she can look like Susie Homemaker! But she will get them!

My Mother always wore a towel around her waist to wipe her hands and use as a pot holder her mother always used the bib type and so did my dads mom when she milked her cow or churning butter . My husband grandmother always wore a apron with a little pocket she kept a small little larger than a thimble size can with her snuff in it my husband sister got the apron and snuff can when she passed away

Awww...doesn't that make you wanna go put on an apron???