APRONS

Aprons of every size and style and color hang on a large hook in my kitchen pantry.  Why you may say?   I do use them, but I also have collected them through the years, making many and some as gifts for purchases.  I even have one from my Grandma Clara.  It is the last one she sewed before she could not longer sew due to her cancer before she passed away at 84.

Grandma Clara's apron is a dark flower print with bias tape for edging.  It has pockets, and in the one pocket was, as typically her mantra, a swatch of the apron fabric.  Just in case you got a hole or a tear, you had something to patch it with.   She did live through two world wars and also the depression, so frugal thoughts came natural to her.  My aunt gave me the apron as she thought I would hang it up in my kitchen and never use it.  Hardly, Grandma was frugal and she made this apron for someone to use, even if she never was able to.  I am glad it came my way, as I have used it plenty of times and it thin now with years of use, but still a treasure.  It was 1988 when it came my way.

Other aprons may be from trips, like some from FRANCE.  A glamping friend even sent me one from FRANCE for Christmas this past year.  Another is South African as my neighboring farm lady is from this pretty country, resettling her due to dangers of being a white farmer in this dangerous country.  Many are sewn by me with love, interest in the fabric, or for special reasons.

I made some aprons of floral prints for a group of ladies at a country church I attended years back.  We were having a ladies luncheon at one of our homes and my thought was that the ladies who were in charge would look "spiffy" with matching aprons.  Years later one of these ladies, who has now retired to town saw me at a yard sale and said that she still has the apron I had made.

At one point I took my aprons and stitched loosely a fold to make a sleeve so I could slide them onto curtain rods and made , repurposed, them for cafe curtains in the dining room.  As I generally like my windows free of things blocking the outdoors I soon changed this to just two longer aprons hanging on each side of the top window rod with tea cups nicely hanging from the shelf bottom.  It looked very interesting and I liked the compliments it brought also.

There were special aprons I used while I did glamping camping.  People would comment that I used aprons.  To this day I use aprons when I am cooking and baking, which is daily.  My neighbor wears them also and it gives me a since of joy that a younger person likes aprons.

A few years ago when my youngest granddaughter was learning to sew for homeschool projects, her mother invited me over for a day of apron making.  I wore my newest apron which is sewn from fabric that has....wait.....aprons on it....black backing with red and white and black spotted and floral aprons.  I like the pattern as it has to arm holes and fits over the shoulders more like a smock worn by children for painting.  It also ties in the back.   The day was fun and Alorah made a really cute apron with fabric print of donuts.  Never did learn if she wears it when she cooks or bakes.  She is 15 and may someday look back and really treasure it.  I treasure the day we had together.

So with my typing on this blog done for today, I think I will put on my new bright yellow daisy print apron and make some lunch.  It is a cheery print and the daisies remind me of my Daisy Mae Foxhound who was my glamping friend, my best friend, and no longer is with us.  Lots of great memories, even a apron.