Friday, July 13, 2012

The History of Aprons

                                           The History of Aprons

The principle 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.


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.

Share this with those who would know, and love the story about Grandma’s aprons. Or it can be a good history lesson for those that have no idea how the apron played a part in our lives.

Remember, Grandma used to set her hot baked pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set their pies on the window sill to thaw.

They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on the apron. I don’t think I ever caught anything from an apron…. but love!                   

-Author Unknown

7 comments:

  1. So true, aprons can be used a million different ways!

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  2. Absolutely love aprons. They remind me of my great grandmother. She always wore one and always had a candy or two in the pockets of her aprons

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  3. Oh Sarah, this has just become one of my favorite posts from you - what darling thoughts, my friend! I have a love for aprons and have quite a few hanging in my kitchen and dining room. There is just something extra sweet about them.

    Thank you, my dear, for linking up at Roses of Inspiration. Enjoy your week!

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  4. So lovely! I'm so close to having a kitchen and home of my own and can't wait to have my own apron to make a mess of. (...and wash, of course.)

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  5. That's a great history lesson, and no we never caught anything but love off our grannies aprons.

    Diana

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  6. Hello, I have read this a few times and it always makes me happy! I love wearing an apron and some things just should never be given up! I wear an apron daily and my Grandchildren expect it! And it has saved so many outfits over the years! Wisdom in the little things!
    Lovely, Roxy

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