Fancy Reversible Hostess Apron

Hellooo, fancy time party apron! This 1950s gem would compliment any full skirt far better than it does my slightly later, mod A line dress. Picture a Georges Briard tray filled with cocktails. Things on tooth picks. The opulence of the period in America after the second World War. Big cars, big skirts, bigger, better, MORE!

This charming apron is also reversible. Black is an unusual color for such a thing. There is a very fine black line in the printed fabric. Who ever made this apron elaborated on that line with black organdy ties and an overlay on the pocketed side through which the reverse of the striped fabric can be seen.

Personally, I don't like working with stripes. You have to line them up and it takes extra fabric. A pain in the neck, really. This piece illustrates how you can use the pattern to your advantage and make something a little more interesting. The large pockets have a seam in the middle that creates a chevron design. On the "front" The stripes are vertical, and on both sides of the waistband, horizontal.

The fancy striped fabric appears to be faille. It has a gold design printed on top. The gold gives this lustrous fabric even more texture.

This apron could be yours for $48. Really, it's only $24 each side, since you get two aprons in one. How often does that happen?

My Oldest Apron

Here are some photos of an apron of fine lawn for sale at AlexSandra's Vintage Emporium. I think it is the oldest one I have available for sale. I believe it dates to the Edwardian period, or could possibly be as old as the early 1920s. It has delicate lace trim, a scalloped hem and a floral motif.


Climbing vines of light green are punctuated with pink and blue flowers separated by trios of turquoise French Knots.









Two tiny pockets are edged with hand worked French knots. For it's age this remarkable apron is in excellent condition, particularly the hand stitched needle work. This is the type of thing I classify as "Pre TV." I picture a woman, possibly near a radio, or cranking a Victrola spending countless hours entertaining herself with the craftiness of needle and thread.









The reverse is as finely finished as the front. A narrow rolled hem on all edges is machine done. This apron could be yours for $55 or the best offer I receive.

As Green As It Gets

So I have an extensive collections of aprons. Both in my personal possession and for sale in my Vintage Emporium. In these interesting times we are living in, I predict a return to simpler ways. Aprons were often made from worn out dresses and other clothing as a pit stop on the road to becoming part of a quilt or quilt square. Reuse of the finest kind. It is here that I will share aprons both for sale and for admiring. A customer brought me this clipping as we share a love of aprons. And so it begins.

Grandma's Apron

The principle use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, but along with that, it served as a holder 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 old aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids, & 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 it 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 on the porch and waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields for dinner.

It will be a long time before anyone invents something that will replace that old time apron that served so many purposes.

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