Golden and Noble Works


“A wife too should regard her duties in the same light, as she suckles the child, rocks and bathes it, and cares for it in other ways; and as she busies herself with other duties and renders help and obedience to her husband. These are truly golden and noble works."
Martin Luther

Monday, April 11, 2011

The History of Aprons




From Kristi L.

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.


Send this to those who would know, and love, the story about Grandma's aprons. Or it can be a good history lesson for those that have no idea how the apron played a part in our lives.

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 !!


That was a poem that was shared at the luncheon I attended on Saturday. The speaker gave a humorous presentation regarding her grandmother’s apron drawer. There are so many different aprons out there, both from the past and present.

I own my grandmother’s apron. It’s made of red cotton with blue-and white colored flowers on it. Very much the old patterns of fabric. There’s blue rickrack sewn all over the place to “dress it up.” It has two shoulder straps that button in the middle of the back and a tie around the back as well. And, of course, two pockets. I like to wear it because it reminds me of my grandma. I use it mainly when I’m canning and working with garden produce in the summer. Other than that, I don’t really wear it too much. I probably should, for as much flour as my shirt ends up wearing when I’m baking. I really do like aprons and should wear them more often, simply to keep me clean. Plus, it gives our members something to chuckle over when they see me wearing it. I do have a new apron, but have I used it? No. Don’t ask me why. It’s just sitting there, begging to get dirty.

Joanna has an apron, too. It’s one of my grandma’s smaller ones. She used to wrap it all the way around her back and tie it at the front. Alas, she has grown, so now she ties it at the back. She knows that canning requires an apron, and she runs to the drawer to get hers and mine. That’s a memory in the making.

How about you? Do you wear an apron?

10 comments:

  1. I own an apron...and so does Hannah...do I wear it? Ha!...maybe once in a blue moon...and I don't think that happens very often...but I love the "head pictures" your poem brought forth...certainly a different time than what we live now...one that was slower, simplier and more family oriented than most these days. thanks for sharing Kristi!!

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  2. I wear a white apron (or shall I say a stained gray color and probably picked it up at Ace Hardware) every day while I work in the kitchen with meal prep. and clean-up. It has become such a habit for me that I feel unprotected without it. I was given a dressy one from my grandma, which wraps around my waist. I guess I want to keep it nice because I end up covered in flour, food, water, and whatever else I'm working with. There are times I forget I have it on. One day one of our members stopped by and saw me wearing it and said, “So, you been butchering today?” Ugh! That’s exactly what my apron looks like!

    Thanks for sharing this poem, Kristi! I heard it years ago and really enjoyed it then and again now. In fact, I’m going to try the quick dusting idea with it one of these days. :)

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  3. I bought a new one recently. Heavy, blue fabric with a colorful ruffle on the bottom and long ties that can be wrapped around the back and tied in the front. Two deep pockets. On the bottom corner is printed, "I have come that they may have life and have it to the full." I bought the apron because I liked it. The colors, the bold patterns, its style! I did not buy it because it had a verse on it. In a day when vocations are getting lost in the shuffle it makes sense to me to go back to what Grandma used to do. Wearing the apron because it's a tool to help get the job done. It did not mark her as one stuck at home or in the kitchen. It marked her as one who worked hard to provide for her family in her God given ways. Hear's to all the beautiful aprons we use as tools to help us out in our full, God given lives.

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  4. Wow! Yay! What great posts and great comments!

    I own one apron, one a lady at our vicarage church gave me. She has since gone on to glory, and every time I wear it, I think of her. She was a terrific cook and baker. I need to wear it more often -- who cares if it gets messy! I like the idea of thinking of an apron as a badge/garment of honor -- any seamstresses out there who can whip up some "golden and noble works" aprons? :D

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  5. there ya go Kristi...put the quilting down...start sewing us all aprons...afterall...you started the thread...:D

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  6. Actually, I did do a very brief search on apron patterns. There are LOADS of free patterns online. You can even make one using just one yard of material. Hmmmmm.... Now you've got me thinking.

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  7. I've seen that presentation. That woman and that drawer were at one of our ladies' aid meetings last year. At least, I presume it to be the same woman and drawer. I suppose there might be a troop of these people.

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  8. What an awesome way to share the history of aprons. I make lots of aprons to give away and
    receive so much pleasure from sharing. I remember my grandmother wearing aprons - what a
    special time that was. My lastest aprons are for a little girl and one for her dolly. I want all
    our girls to know how special aprons are !

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  9. What a great story. I have my Grandmothers apron pattern (an old apron that she took apart) and I have several of my own, I do wear them.

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  10. I collect aprons! I am a messy cook/baker and use them all! I don’t have any handed down from my grandma, she died when I was just a little girl but I do have my momma’s. She was not messy like me though lol. I have made aprons for my daughter and my grandson and they both love them! I’ll need to make some for my baby granddaughter soon. I ♥️ Aprons!

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