Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Aprons - A Short History Lesson






Remember making an apron in Home Ec? Read below:

The History of 'APRONS'


I don't think our kids know what an apron is.

The principal use 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 folk 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.




Send this to those who would know (and love) the story about Grandma's aprons.

REMEMBER:




Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.

They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.

I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron.

5 comments:

Kim said...

Nice post. I grew up with an "apron-wearing" Grandma. Lots of great memories in those old aprons.

Unknown said...

We made aprons in 8th grade home ec, and we also made apples sauce. I love this post

Penny said...

I love the look of the old aprons. They are making a comeback, especially on etsy sites. My preacher's wife makes them for herself. She even cooks on a wood stove, gave birth without drugs, works in the garden, milks a cow, cans and preserves, and home schools her 3 boys! And she is only 27! Love it!

Linda said...

I also grew up with a Grandma who wore aprons. I even used them when we were first married. I got a few for shower gifts, and wore them out. I guess I just never replaced them. I think my DIL has one that she uses.

Penny, your preacher's wife sounds amazing! Does she write a blog?

Kim Lehnhoff said...

My grandmother made an apron for ME in Home Ec this year (though they call the class something else). It's cool, it has peace signs on it - I guess she thinks I'm a hippy!