Aprons & Tablecloths

1. Grandmother’s apron- one pocket, hand towel sewn into the apron’s waistband
2. Grandmother’s apron- two pockets
3. My petite apron when I was younger
4. Strawberry apron- first sewing project
5. My mother sewed an apron from my late father’s shirt.
6. I sewed the smaller apron for our oldest daughter.

THE HISTORY OF THE APRON – (Unknown Author):

https://www.justapinch.com/blog/notebook/read/733/the-history-of-the-apron/
I don’t think our kids know what an really apron is.

The principal use of Grandma’s apron was to protect the dress she wore 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.

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… but love!

This reverence to a simple staple in the homes of years past magnifies the grandmothers’ love to her family and homeplace.

I sewed my first apron when I was in sixth grade, and it rests among my other apron assortment. The apron demonstrates a beginner’s trial yet carries the burgeoning enjoyment of many sewn projects hence.

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Different themed tablecloths: 1) rooster [late mother-in-law’s] 2) apple 3) harvest [table runner sewn by my mother]

Tablecloths always welcomed visitors to my grandmothers’ tables. The worn cloths were always clean and free of wrinkles. One grandmother would place another cloth over the dinner meal for any newcomers to partake if wanted. This method also saved the leftovers for the supper meal. At the day’s end, she would fold the precious cover and set aside on her buffet to be used again the following day.

These antiquated staples are observable in my home. I wear an apron to cook and wash dishes while the tablecloth protects what’s underneath from unintentional scratches and the many touching hands.

I found “The Tablecloth” story in many forms on the internet. I felt it would be easier to listen to the precious story instead of copying and pasting the long narration.

Disclaimer: The video repeats itself after 5:30. Please note that the remaining footage was skimmed and appeared to be of repetition. I did not monitor the ads.

May you find joy in these simple staples as I have over the years. May they tell your story- Jan