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, 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.


Author Unknown

Comments

Beccy said…
Thanks Pamela, you've conjured up so many images for me.
Heather said…
Now that's multi-tasking.
Jill said…
my mom wears hers all the time. i dont know if i've seen it outside lately, except maybe for a smoke. it's awfully warm one with quilting. she really needs a summer apron. cheers!
Masago said…
A lovely piece. Thank you. I grew up in the city so my Mom's apron was mostly used when company-was-coming and she had on some fancy duds. From your description I can imagine grandmas apron needed a real regular washing. :-)
Anonymous said…
That is a great history. Thanks for sharing it.
Anonymous said…
Wow. That brings back some memories.
Anonymous said…
So true. Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed reading it!
Anonymous said…
I've been wearing my apron - really. I even went out and picked beans with it - but I didn't use the apron to carry them. I didn't think of that. I just put them in my big blue bowl.
Anonymous said…
Take me back to Mayberry!

(I'm just now beginning to "Fun Monday" in earnest, lol...can you tell? :) ).

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