An Apron Kind Of Life

The holidays were over, and I did not seem to have any upcoming events to sew for. I was back to pulling patterns out of my pattern drawer in order.

The next pattern to make was this 1940’s reissue pattern of different aprons. I had made a simple apron at Christmas for my co-worker, but this pattern featured aprons that had more pieces, and a more historic look, which I loved!

I wasn’t sure who would like an apron, so I sent out a text to my people.

This was the response I got…

Who knew 1940’s aprons would be so popular? I had to assure everyone that I had plenty of apron patterns to go around, but I had to choose the person to receive this one. How would I choose? I went with the person who wanted View B, the one I really wanted to make! That just happened to by my sister in law, Summer. She was also pretty easy going when it came to a fabric choice, she said, “whatever you choose I’ll be happy with”.

I picked this fabric that I’ve had in my stash for a long time. It is a reproduction 1940’s flour sack design, so I thought it was a perfect fabric for a 1940’s apron.

This apron has darts in the front and back, so it has a more fitted look to it. I loved the pattern because of the big pockets!

Pinning the pocket to the front.

I had aprons on my mind while sewing this one. An apron seems to be something that people do want, obviously from the response I got when I offered this pattern up, but that I don’t see people using. I have aprons that I have made, but I only use them if I’m canning something.

Now this doesn’t mean that I never get things on my clothes while I’m in the kitchen, but it doesn’t happen often.

But not too long ago women, at least the ones in my family tree, had limited changes of clothing. Back in the 1940’s, there was a war going on. Resources like fabric for clothing was scarce. An apron could save someones dress from getting stained or worn out while doing things around the house. I can see how aprons were the “must have” item for day to day life in the 1940’s.

Women would make aprons out of flour sack material. The flour companies actually printed pretty designs onto their flour sacks to make their product more desirable for the consumer. You could save up flour (or feed sacks) and make a dress or apron. You could also use the scraps to make quilts, another hobby of mine.

For fun, and since this blog is called “Sewing With Grandma”, here’s a picture of one of my Grandma’s aprons. This apron belonged to my Great-Grandma Sophrona. My Aunt Tamy inherited it. I loved the look of it so much, the hand stitched applique, and the tedious way she attached the rick rack border, I had to take a picture so I could look at it and be inspired. All of the attention to detail that she put into this apron amazes me. The post it note on it was from Grandma Doris, explaining who it belonged to. All of the special things had notes by her, or by Sophrona herself.

(Leave notes on special things, trust me, finding them was so much fun, and we wouldn’t have known what somethings were if there wasn’t a note on them.)

This apron shows that you can have very little of something, like the small amount of black fabric that was used in this apron, and turn it into something useful and beautiful.

But back to the apron at hand. Hemming it up..

For the apron ties I had to sew them with the right sides together, and then turn it right side out. To get the nice point at the end of the tie, I used this knitting needle that I had handy. Worked great!

Having just arrived back into the state from visiting Mia in Georgia, we had decided to lay low at home for a while, and make sure we didn’t have Covid. Summer would have to wait, for now, for her apron to be delivered. I needed a model and decided that Guinevere was perfect for the job!

Here she is modeling the apron in my kitchen.

My kitchen sink is also a family treasure. Time for a quick side story. I was up at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, and was down by Grandpa’s shop. Grandpa’s shop is a treasure trove of awesome things. I noticed this sink sitting outside the shop, under a pine tree, and half buried. I asked what they were going to do with the sink. Grandpa had plans once upon a time for it, but didn’t really anymore. I asked if I could have it. “What for?” was Grandma’s response, HA! I told her I would rip out my kitchen sink, and put that one in it’s place. They said I could have it, and the rest is sink history!

If I ever move, I’m taking the kitchen sink!

*Don’t mind the little chip in the front, it adds character.

I love the pockets on this apron so much! I think I might make myself one to wear while sewing. I could put my scissors in the pocket instead of spinning in circles all the time to see where I set them down at.

This apron would also be great to wear in the summer when my peach tree needs to be picked. I’ll have to be making this pattern again, and soon.

I adore this apron so much! I can’t wait to give it to Summer so she can enjoy it!

This project made me think about Great- Grandma Sophrona, and the amount of work she put into something so simple, an apron, just so she could have something pretty, and not plain. I imagine she appreciated every little scrap of fabric that went into making her appliqued apron, and didn’t take any of it for granted.

I also thought about how readily available things are to us today. Do we appreciate it? Having multiple articles of clothing, so who needs aprons? Having pretty things delivered to our door if we so choose, instead of saving scraps of fabric, to cut into flowers, to hand sew on an apron.

I choose the saving scraps kind of life.

I choose appreciating what I have and making the most of it.

I choose the apron kind of life.

As for me, onto the next!