I wear an apron often and have done so for years. Time was, and this goes back hundreds (thousands?) of years, when most women wore one most of the time. What a useful part of a wardrobe the apron is. Not only does it protect the clothing underneath, it also provides a towel that is right at hand, and even a potholder in a pinch. As a child and teenager, the aprons I wore were my mother's. I remember that she would sew some every year for the "apron table" at our church bazaar and then buy one made by someone else from the same table. There must be an economics lesson in there somewhere!
In 1968, my future husband gave me a hope chest - a beautiful cherry chest in which to store the linens I was beginning to collect for our life together. When my grandmother, Memere, learned I had a hope chest she took me upstairs and opened her own hope chest. Inside her cedar lined chest were linens that she had saved over the years, including an apron made by my great-grandmother, which she presented to me, the eldest grand-daughter. It has been in my hope chest for the past 43 years and will be until my grand-daughter, Ruby, has a hope chest to put it in for her future. It is made of a very thin organza, frilly, hand embroidered, and practically speaking, totally useless. To me, it is priceless and one of my most precious possessions.
There are aprons for sale at The Quilted Purl. Yesterday, a woman came in and as she was leaving, noticed the aprons. She paused and then told me how her mother is now in an assisted living facility where they recently had a tea for the women residents. The feature of the tea was a woman who came with an apron collection and told the story of each one. The residents had been invited to bring their own aprons to the tea and had the opportunity to then share their own apron stories.
My thanks to this customer for making me remember my apron story. How about you? Something to share?
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