My interest in aprons really started out more as a survival tactic than a true appreciation. You see, dear friend...I can be a bit of a mess in the kitchen. And there is no hope for anything I am wearing when that day comes around each December to bake...and bake...and bake. So, I had acquired a very plain blue apron to shield my clothing from my superhero-like power of catching everything I put my hands on. Now, I don't want to sound ungrateful toward this apron...it has always done it's job when called to duty and it has never complained. But, I'm a girl that doesn't mind a little bling...a little frill...a little pizzazz. So, it was not unusual for my eye to be drawn to cute aprons in all types of patterns when I'd come across them in little boutiques. And at some point, I mentioned to my mom that I would like a cute apron...something that made me feel fun and sassy while I was wearing it.
In the meantime, my friend Joni over at the Old Centennial Farmhouse blog would write
posts about the vintage aprons she would pick up at rummage sales and thrift stores...the pictures sharing the charm of each. I would mentally make a note to watch for such treasures when I was out and about.
And recently, while cleaning out my email inbox,I came across an email that my mom had forwarded to me about 18 months ago. It contained a poem titled "Grandma's Apron", written by Tina Trivett. It so beautifully captures the little pieces of a family's history that something as simple as an apron takes on as it faithfully does all that it is called to do.
The strings were tied, it was freshly washed, and maybe even pressed.
For Grandma, it was everyday to choose one when she dressed.
The simple apron that it was, you would never think about;
the things she used it for, that made it look worn out.
She may have used it to hold some wildflowers that she'd found.
Or to hide a crying child's face when a stranger came around.
Imagine all the little tears that were wiped with just that cloth.
Or it became a potholder to serve some chicken broth.
She probably carried kindling to stoke the kitchen fire.
To hold a load of laundry, or to wipe the clothesline wire.
When canning all her vegetables, it was used to wipe her brow.
You never know, she might have used it to shoo flies from the cow.
She might have carried eggs in from the chicken coop outside.
Whatever chore she used it for, she did them all with pride.
When Grandma went to heaven, God said she now could rest.
I'm sure the apron that she chose, was her Sunday best.
While I don't get the opportunity very often in this season of my life, I do love to stroll through an antique store, touching the delicate pieces, wondering what stories they could share if able. I love quilts...the history that could be attached to the fabrics before they are pieced together into one entity...and the history those fabrics shared as a community.
So, it was such a sweet surprise, early this week when I opened a birthday gift from my mom and dad. There on a hanger draped five new aprons...three of them made by my mom and two she had picked up while shopping. Each has a different personality...all are adorable. And I can't wait to get them dirty...to carry jars of freshly canned applesauce to the basement in...to wipe the jelly off the corner of my daughter's mouth with...to cover with flour next December as my girls and I work together on gajillions of Christmas treats...to saturate them with the atmosphere of my home and family. Such a sweet uniform for this station in life that I love so much...and a cute and sassy way to protect the rest of my laundry.
Check out this
search at Etsy for a fun peek at vintage aprons and some adorable brand-spanking new ones too.
