Grandma’s Apron

A couple of years ago, a poem about aprons caught fire on the Internet. Here’s a newer version (well, new to me). I thought (or rather, I knew) you’d enjoy reading it along with a collection of our apron photos.

Remember making an apron in Home Ec? Remember Home Ec?

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 autumn, 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.

Grandma set her hot baked apple pies on the windowsill to cool. Her granddaughters sit theirs on the windowsill to thaw.

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

The CDC would go crazy these days trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.

I don’t think I ever caught anything from an apron but love.

  1. Many decades ago, when I was in jr. high school, I took a class in sewing. Our first project was to make an apron and it looked very much like a couple of these. I also took a class in home economics. These were required classes for girls…not electives. Do they even teach these things in schools today?

  2. Siobhan McBride says:

    Those aprons are so beautiful!! Thank you for sharing the nostalgia!!

  3. Barbara Sanders says:

    Love these aprons! Have to celebrate the one my cousin made for me for Christmas. I asked for an old fashioned one, similar to these. Wonderful, frilly & floral. We trade skills: I take help care of her computer issues, she sews for me when I can’t. (flunked sewing in Hume ec, too busy playin with computers!)

  4. CJ says:

    Well, you know me . . the “apronista” from southwest Colorado. Make ’em, lots of them! Sell them at Farmers Market, on my blogspot and give them as gifts! I believe you might have a couple that came from my “apron shop”.
    THANKS for singing the praises of aprons!
    CJ

  5. Rick Hill says:

    These aprons are great.

    May they never be used to prepare GM foods.

  6. Char Clark says:

    Did I read you sell some of these? They are gorgeous! I have scoured second-hand stores looking for ‘grandmas’ aprons’. I love love love your photos and the aprons. Please email me with prices. Very interested in an apron to do most of the things listed in the poem. (We don’t have chickens, yet.) Do have apples, pears, plums, apricots, walnuts, strawberries, rhubarb, grapes, and 15 or so flower beds. I have two granddaughters, two daughters, and a daughter-in-law. Wouldn’t it be grand to have similar aprons – matching yet different. I’m so excited. I can’t wait to hear from you.

  7. Sandra Flammia says:

    Hi my name is Sandra I love aprons I sew aprons myself all kinds I sell my aprons at craft fairs and such I am very proud of my aprons I make my own patterans . I love what you have done.

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