I really enjoyed that.

My Grammy Britt always wore an apron. When we'd take her someplace, she would say, "Wait. I have to go put on a clean apron!"

My dad talked to me a lot about his great-grandmother. Were he alive he would be nearly 100 now so that tells you how long ago it was when he was a child. His great-grandmother was a little bitty German woman and she smoked a clay pipe that she made herself. When she needed both her hands free, she would drop her pipe into the pocket of her apron. Dad said nearly all her aprons had holes in the pockets where the pipe had burned through. It was from this great-grandmother that my mother learned everything she knew about cooking. --Ilene

I remember my great aunt wearing an apron. She was like a grandmother to me.

If I am cleaning up after a holiday meal, I'll put on an apron since I am usually dressed nicely.

I have an apron that I just love. It is beautifully hand made by Terri_PacNW.

Thanks for starting the topic and all the neat memories everyone has shared.

I love 'em and still wear bib or smock aprons. It's like having an extra hand or two; not to mention the huge pockets that get filled with all kinds of things needing to be transported from one place in the house to another. Keeps your clothes clean when you are cleaning, cooking, baking and gardening (yes, I have gardening aprons).

I got my first apron from my grandmother when I was 2 years old (1954). Made my first apron in 8th grade Home Economics Class. I still have a terrycloth apron I got at my kitchen shower when I got married. Never got into wearing the pretty "tea aprons" made of organza, but I remember my mom haveing those for "CLUB" meeting at our house when she served the goodies.

To this day, when my adult daughter comes for a visit, she dons an apron and mentions how we must be the last people on earth who wear them. Granddaughter has also gotten into the act ;-)

-Grainlady

Great post Alexa! I wish I knew what happened to my grandma's aprons! I could use a few more. I have a lot of stuff from both their kitchens, the folks didn't want it, it was "old." I always forget to wear my aprons, and I really need to wear them!

Made me really miss my grandma and bubbe. I think they are my inspiration for becoming a foodie, because they made all the "from scratch" stuff. I used to hide behind their aprons, and find shell peas in the pockets of my grandma's apron, and get rocked on the porch in the summer afternoon by my bubbe in hers, with all kinds of homey food and garden smells on it. She would sing me yiddish lullabies--that's a world that is hard to replace.

I also remember wearing an apron.....yesterday!! It's hanging over the kitchen chair with tomato slop down the front!
I don't wear an apron every day, but when doing something really messy like blanching and peeling large quantities of tomato sauce for freezing, I try to remember to wear one...after about the 3rd time I have changed my shirt!

As a little girl I had lots of aprons, I wore them when painting or coloring with chalk or helping in the kitchen. Sometimes I even needed an apron to set the table!
My grandmother always made me aprons....they were bib, with a sash, calico with contrasting binding all around the edge. I don't have even one left.

I remember when my mother was expecting my brother, a neighbor came for coffee and my mother told her there would be another baby in the house. And the neighbor said "I thought so because you were wearing a Hoover apron".
A Hoover apron was sort of a wrap around coverall sort of thing....and I suppose you could adjust it to hide an expanding waist line.
My grandmother ALWAYS wore an apron...but for church. When she came for Christmas dinner, she had her apron on under her coat. Sometimes she would put her chewing gum in the pocket at lunch time.....and sometimes she would forget to take it out.
She often had her "work" in another pocket of her apron, a ball of "knit-cro-sheen" and a hook and a length of crocheted lace....she would work a few stitches while a pot boiled.

When I was first married, my grandmother made me pop over aprons. They had a front and back and tied at the sides....often I would just tie one side and leave the other untied so I could pop it off and on.
That led me to the habit of wiping my hands on the back part of the apron, and still to this day I sometimes find flourey hand prints on my rear because I have forgotten I wasn't wearing a front and back apron.
My favorite apron is one I bought at an auction... made of unbleached muslin, with a bib and a unique arrangement of the straps so you just slip it on and never have to tie anything. Very simple, very plain, but for the very elaborately embroidered flower on the pocket and the bib. I wish I were smart enough to make a pattern from that apron and have someone make me another.
I love aprons...I have a drawer full!
Linda C

I began wearing aprons to cook a few years ago, when I finally realized that all those little spots that always seemed to appear on my shirts out of thin air actually came from spattering pans & simmering pots splashing me.

At first I was wearing some old, black waitress aprons I had, but now I've started making my aprons. I have a ton of fabric I've acquired over the years, so I just went out and got a couple of nice apron patterns. They're simple to make, and fun...and they keep my clothes clean!

Wow... Nobody in my family ever wore and apron. I have a cheap purple one, but I barely wear it. I actually wanted to find a nice frilly one with lace all around for when I want to feel old fashioned... I bought material to make one on my sewing machine, but never found a pattern and ended up making something else instead. The power of the simple things is pretty amazing, isn't it?

My second "date" with DW was an invitation to dinner in the apartment where she lived with her mother and grandmother. All three ladies were involved with making dinner and a large number of pies for some fund raising event that weekend, and they all wore aprons. I've learned to never say never, but I think it may be true that I have never seen DW cooking or baking without an apron in the 45 years since then. She has a whole kitchen drawer full of them.

(I cook in the same clothes I wear for working on my motorcycles. Getting them dirty is not an issue.)

My mom always wore homemade aprons, but now that you have me thinking about them I cannot recall if she still uses them or why she made them waist-down only. Hmmm.

VF - I am glad you made something else with that fabric. LOL!

As for me, I am happy with my chef's jacket. If only I would wear it more, I would ruin less shirts.

From the amount of food slop that collects on my aprons, I'd be an idiot not to wear one! In fact, I can't cook without one. My kids even give them to me as gifts! It really frosts me when a splash misses the apron and hits a sleeve.

When they were in jr high, my dtrs each made aprons in FACE class. I don't know why I saved them, but now my little granddaughters love wearing Auntie Ann's and Aunt Margaret's aprons when they "help" me; they wear them at the table as bibs, too.

My grandmother always wore an apron. Iwish there were still some of them to be had. Her's crossed in the back, so they didn't pull on the neck, and tied in back at the waist. Of course, they had to have pockets for her hankie. And, yes, it carried lots of things from the garden and orchard. I wear one when I remember, because I wear whatever I cook or eat!

Tami

I should wear them also as I am a slob
My Mom always wore the bib ones out of pretty floral prints. Two big pockets and the apron covered your entire front. I remember when she would make an angel food cake, she would get all the utensils out and wash in hot,hot water and the last thing she would do before starting was put on a clean apron. I finally asked why one day and she said that after beating the batter (by hand of course) she would turn the mixing bowl upside down when she thought the batter was ready. If it stayed in the bowl, she was good to go. If it plopped out, it would be onto a clean apron and she could scoop it up and finish. In her 60+ years of baking the angel food cake it only happened once and the cake still turned out beautifully.
My grandmother also had half aprons, usually gingham and hand stitched with contrasting thread for "holidays".
What a wonderful topic!!

LindacÂÂ.

Post a picture of your apron with the measurements around the middle and the length. I can probably make you a pattern. I made my own dress patterns so an apron should be a piece of cake.

Claudia

I put on an apron as soon as I enter the kitchen with the intention to prepare food. When at home I live in T-shirts...usually white ones...so without a bib apron I would automatically get oil and tomato spatters all down my front.
Those stains never seem to come out so I'm careful to always cover up, and even change into my old shoes for cooking as I manage to drop and slop onto the floor as well. :-)

I like the large heavy duty cotton ones with a bib top and a very long tie that goes around the back and comes back to tie in the front with a pocket for my ever present paper hankies. Once I'm wrapped up, I'm ready to do some serious cooking.

Today I'm making a dinner for my daughter and son-in-law (at their home in Canada). Going to do the the Leek & Onion Quiche recipe that I made in June. Thank heavens I gave them both large BBQ aprons with funny quotes on the front as a gift one year, so I'll be wearing one of those before I start chopping.

SharonCb in BC

Wonderful!! No time today nor tomorrow.....but soon.
And I'll just bet I won't be the only one that would like to have a pattern for that apron.
Thank you for your kind offer.
Linda c

...a Hoover apron. Wow, I have looked for a pattern for specifically a "Hoover apron" but I have had very little information to go on. My grandmother wore them. Mom said that they crossed over somehow in the front and after cooking, the woman could cross it over the other way and it would be clean. I LOVE that idea. I have never found a pattern for one and I don't have a good idea of how they would look.

I have chef's aprons, but I don't particularly like them. I like the pull-on kind that crosses over in the back, and I like the cobbler's type with the ties on the sides. They're extremely useful and I can't believe that they went out of fashion!

I make dress and suit patterns, and so I could also make an apron pattern for you, if Claudia does not.

I used to buy vintage aprons when I lived in San Francisco in the 70s, and I make aprons as well. I should have made a pattern from the apron I sent to Diane because it crossed in the back, but it did have strings to tie. It came from England. As a child I liked organza aprons the best.

You can find a lot of aprons on eBay.

Lars

I have a collection of aprons and I thoroughly enjoy my nightly ritual of putting one on before I cook. Judging from how messy they get, it's a wise choice. My favorite two aprons are hand made by Cece Marie:
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They're modeled after 40's and 50's pin-ups, and are as sexy as they are practical.

I also have a few from Kitsch'n Glam that I like a lot... and I've bought some off eBay too.

My requirements for an apron are as follows:

• Must be full. If I spill anything, I spill it on my boobs so that's where I need coverage. A half apron would never get dirty (and therefore, never be useful).

• Must be figure-flattering. My apron is like a Superman cape. It's a symbol of my strength and power, and it should look good on me. Nothing straight across on the top. I'm a well-rounded gal, and I require seaming and a defined waist. A butcher's apron may be practical, but if it makes me feel or look like a skullery maid, I'll have no part of it.

• As silly as it sounds, it bothers me if my apron doesn't match what I'm wearing underneath it. This means I'm always on the lookout for new aprons in different colors.

• It must be machine-washable. What is the point of an apron if you can't get it dirty?

• It needs at least one pocket.

Cooking is a joy to me: my husband doesn't expect it of me, my professional life affords me ample time, and I've chosen to become good at it. Wearing an apron makes me feel powerful... and helps me forgive myself when I lean over a pot and accidentally sauce my bosom... Hey! At least the blouse underneath didn't get ruined!

I made it over here (first time!) from a message on the Decorating forum about aprons.

Check out Etsy.com for aprons and patterns - lots to choose from.

In fact, I found a pattern for a criss/cross apron

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_4&listing_id=15255954

or this full apron with pockets and nothing on your neck

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_6&listing_id=15205867

or this - pillowcase aprons! How cute is this!?

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_18&listing_id=14271607

I couldn't function without an apron!

My friend made me the coolest apron ever for my birthday last year, a retro print with Spanish senoritas on it. I love it. I had a barbecue a couple of weekends ago and coordinated my outfit to that apron and got tons of compliments. Fortunately, the friend who made was also at my house so she was able to received the accolades. Need to start wearing one more often. Usually I just throw on an old denim shirt as an apron but I've done less of that since I lost weight. And less of cooking, for that matter.

Aprons seem to be all the rage now that the '50s and '60s are the focus of nostalgia. On Mad Men just last night, the main character and his wife were hosting a dinner party. Before the hostess left the kitchen to join her guests, she untied a little wisp of a pale blue organdy half-apron and handed it to the maid (who of course was wearing a real apron, since she'd done all the actual cooking!). It made me remember the collection of non-apron aprons my mother used to have and that I used to love to dress up in--organza ruffles, naughty embroidery, all transparent so you could still see the dress underneath. My current ones are a lot more practical, but much less romantic. You give up a little something when you acknowledge reality.

I'm going to call her and ask if she still has those aprons.

Thanks for bringing back the memories. My Mom always wore an apron and had a whole drawer full of them. She even had fancy ones that were sheer with decorations that she wore when having dinner parties. Anyone see 'Mad Men' last night? The wife had on one of those chiffon aprons my Mom use to wear.

I grew up wearing one too. Until the 80's when I wore jeans all the time so didn't care if I got messy. I liked the full length cobbler or smock ones that covered the whole body, I was very messy when learning to cook. I have a pattern somewhere around here for one. I now use a "pro" chefs white apron that I got at the thrift store. Usually I don't bother though.
Clare

I only wear an apron if I am cooking in clothes I need to make an appearance in such as for company on the way or if I'm dressed to leave the house. I have a couple of bib aprons. None of them were chosen by me. Two came with the ex. I kept them! One was a sort of gift. (Hey, I don't need this. You want it?) Otherwise I am very casually dressed at home in something I can wipe hands on and not care while I cook.

My grandmother always wore a full apron in the kitchen. The kind with arm holes. She was short like me and I remember the aprons were always stained in a band where her middle met the counter edge. I do not recall ever seeing my mother in an apron but I also have no memories of her doing more in the kitchen than buttering toast or making a sandwich.

{{gwi:2105732}}

Here I am wearing the apron that Lee sent to me. Her husband Max did my portrait on the bib. I made the zebra hat and the shirt that I'm wearing. I love the apron but am reluctant to wear it for fear of getting it dirty. That happened when I went to Jimmy and Maartje's house in Torrance for Jimmy's 50th birthday party. It was a barbecue, and they wanted me to cook, and so I wore the apron and the hat, since they seemed to go together, but I did get barbecue stains on the apron :(. Maartje has since given me fabric for a new apron, but I haven't made it yet. I'm also still waiting for them to come and take their frogs and water plants from my pond, which they left with me six months ago while they redid their own pond.

Lars

I love wearing an apron, but I'm not in the habit and forget to put one on most of the time... I think I'll work harder at remembering!

I just love all the stories about aprons and those who wore them. I have lots of different styles and colors of aprons. But nothing close to what my mil has, she collects aprons and does presentations on them to church and social groups. I would say that she has over 200 aprons of all sizes and colors and styles. She has several that are kid sized. I need to get to work and make some for the girls when they help me in the kitchen. I plan on sharing this post with her, she would love the stories and would have something to add. I have some of Dh's grandma's aprons that I treasure.

Stacie
girlsingardens

Lars - Ooh la la! I like your apron.
Clare

Last year my church was having a Mexican dinner and a salsa contest. The idea was to judge the salsa, then use the entries as part of the meal. I was asked to make a gift for the winner. I make a cute chef type apron which was black background with colorful chili peppers all over it. I was afraid that we wouldn't have enough salsa for the meal, so at the last minute, I grabbed 2 pints that I had canned a couple of years before, put them in a dish and took it along with me. They found it in the kitchen and put it with the other salsa to be judged. You guessed it......I won. I wasn't going to claim the prize, of course, but my husband did. He marched up front like he had won, put on the apron, marched over and picked a big red velvet sombraro that was part of the decoration and put that on, and strutted around the dance floor. So HIS apron is the latest one in my kitchen.

We all wear aprons when we cook. I have sizes from small-kid-size to MILs wide one I made for her years ago.

Thanks for the memories, Caliloo. And everybody else too!

Lars that is my favorite picture of you

Thanks for sharing all the memories!

LindaC, if you take one of these generous people up on the offer to make you a pattern for that apron, I would love to have one too - maybe you could send a copy of the pattern to me too?

I must admit, I was inspired to check eBay for aprons last night - there are a lot available, but nothing that really sparked my interest. I think I may have to look for patterns to make a few of my own.

Thanks again everyone, I have really enjoyed reading your posts!

Alexa

I think that pillowcase apron (link provided by dlm2000)could be easily made. Some of the fancy aprons that jazmynsmom likes could be made by buying a dress pattern that was similar and just modifying it a bit, maybe?

Grammy Britt always wore the ones that tied around the middle but had a bib. She didn't like straps on the bib, though, so she'd cut them off in a way that didn't show and pin the top two corners of the bib onto her dress front with little safety pins. She had a set for each apron, and when she took the apron off she'd attach the pins to the apron so they'd be handy the next time she used it. I remember sometimes she'd be working in the kitchen and have something on her hands and Gramps would walk in and give one of the apron strings a yank and leave her standing there with her apron just hanging. He thought it was a funny prank. I'd run up behind her and put my arms around her waist and feel for the ends of the strings so I could tie them back for her. She was such a precious little woman. She died of cancer when I was 15.

I have an apron that my grandson made for me in Family Living class. I'm going to start wearing it. I've enjoyed everyone's posts. --Ilene

There are plenty of apron patterns available in the pattern catalogues, and patterns are frequently on sale for $1.99 at JoAnn or Hancock. Make sure you get one with a bib and use cloth that splatters won't soak through and that will launder easily.

I've always wondered why anyone would NOT wear an apron while cooking. They're cheap and it doesn't matter if they get stained. Cooking is a very messy task.

You made me do it...I just bought a new apron. I was intrigued by Linda's description of her cross over apron and found these by Bellapamela. I also like this one and The Emmeline.

HUBA... HUBA.... LARS !!!! YOU DO LOOK GOOD!!!!DIANA55

You can download free patterns here including apron patterns.
Clare

Here is a link that might be useful: Free Patterns

My grandma was a professional cook/chef at local luxury resorts. She always had an apron and had a pretty collection of them. I remember her using it this one time. We had gone with her in her old station wagon to haul a load of slabs from the sawmill to use as firewood for her wood-burning kitchen range. On the way home, the engine started on fire and our bottles of pop didn't put the fire out. Grandma went to the side of the dirt road and we scooped her apron full of the soft sugar sand and got the fire put out. My uncle had to fix her car later and was not too appreciative of all the sugar sand he had to clean out of the carburetor.