Wednesday, May 14, 2008

National Wear An Apron Day

In America this unusual holiday falls each year on the first Wednesday after Mother's Day. While I was growing up my mother and grandmother wore aprons all the time.

My mother wore housedresses, and didn't have Spray'n Wash or Spot Shot, so I suppose protecting her clothing was necessary.

I keep several aprons in a drawer in our antique sideboard. One was my grandmother's and one was my mother's. One isn't good for anything except looking pretty. I tend to like the practical ones with the big pockets.




Click here to learn how to make an apron from an old skirt.


Here's a link to a great article on aprons.


And click here to read Linda Broday's great blog on the history of aprons.


*lizzie starr sent me this link to a store in Lincoln, NE that sells an assortment patterns for beautiful aprons. There's an online store.


*lizzie gave me this link to The Paisley Pincushion, another source for wonderful apron patterns.


Do you have any aprons? Do you ever wear an apron? Do you have memories of your mom or grandma wearing one?

8 comments:

  1. LOL on the apron wearing.

    I do have several aprons and do wear them when I am doing messy cleaning jobs.

    I have never seen the point of frilly half aprons, I can remember my mother wearing them sometimes and my maternal grandmother. My paternal grandmother never cooked if she could help it.

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  2. I've got my apron on, right now, as we speak...a pretty blue, with big pockets and appliques of a cow, pig and chicken.

    But you can't see the animals until lunchtime--I wear it backwards for the cooking part of the day, then turn it around for serving.

    I'm hoping to get some new aprons made over the summer so come fall the lunch lady will be decked out in more fun stuff--like flamingos.

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  3. I love my aprons. I have 3 that I wear when cooking on a regular basis. I wear dresses/skirts more than jeans or shorts because I find them more comfortable so my aprons protect them.

    My favorite is my Pampered Chef apron because it washes so well. Stains don't seem to "stick" to the fabric for some reason. However, it has the Pampered Chef logo on it so it's not very good when we have company so I have more traditional aprons for those times. All of them are full coverage, no half aprons. I'm too messy for those!

    My Mom never wore an apron but my grandma was never without one.

    Great post and happy apron day!

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  4. My grandmother wore a utilitarian apron every day and my mother mostly wore half aprons. My daughter has to put on the apron I won from Ile de France (blue denim full front with pockets) every time we cook. I actually have a lot of aprons my mother made for us and a few I inherited from my grandmother. One or two are just frilly for over good clothes at a party.

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  5. I have a few. I wear my 'good' aprons when I'm cooking for a party or holiday dinner.

    My husband will sometimes call from work and say, "I'm coming home. Comb your hair and put on fresh apron."

    Luckily, he has a lot of OTHER enduring qualities.

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  6. Hi Cheryl,

    I went to Linda's blog on aprons,
    "lifted" my response to her blog
    from that day, and I'm going to
    incorporate it into this response!
    LOL! My grandmother and Honey's
    grandmother always wore aprons
    when in the kitchen. In fact,
    most women of their day wouldn't
    be found sans apron! My mother-
    in-law wore one, my mother rarely did! One thing I always thought
    was amusing: the "dress" or
    "company" aprons! They always
    changed aprons when company came
    over!! I've worn an apron when
    dealing with something that was
    messy or would likely stain!!

    Pat Cochran

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  7. My grandmother wore an apron all of the time...she had a 'good one' for Sunday. I have some children's aprons that were hand made and worn by my mother-in-law over 80 years ago. They are wonderful. I myself have aprons that truly protect this cook from her messes.

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  8. I would love to know how to make some of my frilly aprons into skirts. Does anyone have any ideas?

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