Old aprons today catch our fancy. They speak of bygone times when it was a hardship to do laundry and when good dresses were kept clean for best. Of course, in those days, women did wear dresses, not pantsuits, jeans, or a blouses and slacks. The amount of time and effort put into making a pretty apron is sometimes mind boggling. For me, the whole subject of aprons will require more study. Last summer, I washed and pressed 80 old aprons, so I guess you could say that I’ve seen them up close and personal. Here is one of them.

Notice the triadic color combination of red, yellow, and blue in the cheerful-looking apron seen above. Unlike old quilts that sometimes have tags on them, more often than not, former owners of aprons are not identified. Look at the fancy edge lace, the gathered waist, and the long ties.

I know of one person who asked for her grandmother’s aprons and then cut out the good spots to make a quilt. That is certainly one way to remember grandma.

Since they are used less today, aprons from the past take on more significance, pointing to a time of more domesticity when supper was not at a fast food chain or other eatery, but homemade and served hot on the kitchen table. I love old aprons whether they are appliquéd, have pockets, are smocked, are over the shoulder kinds, or are the old fancy and delicate pinafores. To me, they are important “pieces of the past.”

Patricia Cummings