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. 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. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

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.

People would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron. But you know what? I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron.

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

Do you have a grandmother, mother, aunt or sister who would appreciate the nostalgic gift of an apron?

Why not take a look at the aprons we offer in over 1,400 fabrics and surprise someone with a gift sure to bring back sweet memories along with an appreciative smile!

Click here to see our fabulous array of fabrics.

Posted by Jody Earle

Marketing & IT Manger for Sassy Scrubs