Aprons As Fabric Art
April 17, 2009 by Mary Emma Allen
Filed under Home & Living
Aprons as fabric art! I hadn’t thought of placing aprons in this category. I’d always considered them as utilitarian, sometimes as an accessory if frilly and fancy. However, I recently saw a program, on a Quilting Arts DVD, that featured aprons throughout the decades. Perhaps you’d call them wearable art.
Collecting aprons of the early 20th century seemed the focus here. You also could make aprons using patterns from this era. Embellishing the aprons is another art.
My mom, grandmother and aunt, as well as other ladies of their era always wore an apron over their dresses. In those days, most women wore skirts and dresses for housework, so used an apron to keep their clothes clean. Then there were fancier aprons for entertaining.
Until I saw the program, I really hadn’t given much thought to the styles of aprons over the years, yet I recognized those from my childhood. Most of the earlier aprons, were full length. Many from the 40s and 50s had evolved into waist length and often were fancy and frilly for hostessing.
Also, the fabric of the aprons was typical of each era. So aprons are good sources of vintage and period fabrics for other art projects.
My very first item of sewing, other than doll’s clothes, was a drawstring apron made from a feed sack.
Do you remember the aprons of your life?
image: flickr
Funny enough, I am just now making a “nice” apron aka vintage, using the fabric from a set of “cottage curtains” that has a really cute pattern.
AND I am making an apron from a pair of my hubby’s old Levi jeans..that I already embellished with a chewed up leather work glove one of my dogs picked out of my jacket pocket! and things like that.. That is more like a WORK apron
I have no fotos right now, but this it timely!
Thanks, Debe, for stopping by and sharing with us descriptions of the aprons you’re making from vintage and memory fabrics. How interesting that you’re doing this just as I’m writing about it.
Great article! I can’t pass up a vintage apron, especially souvenir aprons with state maps. I can imagine souvenir aprons bought on a road trip while traveling in an Airstream. And then there are the vintage aprons made out of crisp organdy, or difficult to find holiday printed aprons. I’m quite addicted.