Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Vintage Aprons: Fruit, Fine and Fancy

Good morning. This is Tina and I am going to show you some of my favorite vintage aprons with fruit designs today.
This is our Great Grandmother, and while she is not wearing an apron with a fruit design, she is showing off her fruit tree while wearing an apron, so she fits in today in a roundabout way. She lived in Wisconsin, very far up north and so she was always happy when her orchard produced, it meant it was summer!
My first lovely is bright and shows apples and peaches and blossoms. It is made of a nice sturdy cotton, and is homemade. I love to wear this apron when I am feeling especially springy. I was feeling that way until I got up this morning, the last day of March, and it was snowing. But that's okay, I can still wear it and look forward to it becoming springy out (again)!
This is a closeup showing the top bib of the apron, which shows off the flowered portion of the fabric. It is really bright and cheery.
Here my lovely model displays her ability to make an apron look perfect. Notice the lovely lace surrounding the bib on this apron. It is a sturdy workhorse rather fancied up, in case some company drops by.
This apron is definitely my favorite of my fruit aprons. Berries abound and the colors are bright. It makes me want to bake a pie.
A closeup shows strawberries, blackberries, and I guess those little round ones could be cranberries. Whatever they are they are yummy looking!
This apron definitely covers you up and protects your clothes while managing to make the cook look fabulous.
This pretty little red white and blue cherry apron, although not vintage, is made of a fabric which definitely has the vintage look. It was a gift, and I use it quite a lot. The cotton it is made of is a lot thinner than the first two aprons, so it is a lot cooler to wear during a warm baking session, or perhaps out to the patio when barbecuing.
Anyone for cherry pie? Or hamsteak and cherry sauce (which I am making for dinner tonight?
The granddaughter is ready to get out the rolling pin and use some elbow grease to start the pie crust.
This pretty vintage apron is made of cotton and organdy. It has many pieces of fruit sprinkled along its skirt. The organdy panel is see-through. I think this was a good apron for when company was coming, such as for Sunday dinner. The ties are organdy, and the pockets also.
Here is a closeup of a pocket. I like how the fruit peeps out through the fabric. Strawberries, peaches, pears, cherries, plums, you name it, this apron has it.
Bring on the guests, Grandma, I'm ready for them. I've just put the chicken in the oven.
This lovely company-ready apron is the first vintage apron I ever purchased. I have had it for over 25 years, and it was pretty darn old when I bought it. It is hand appliqued with cherries along the bottom and the waist. It looks lovely over a nice dress as you prepare for your guests. I am not sure what this fabric is called, it is cotton but has little flecks of black all through it. With the black trim it really looks nice. Someone spent a lot of time on this apron, and it shows.
Every cherry and leaf and piece of trim is handsewn, and it has a nice flare to it to show off a trim waist.
Open the door and let those folks in Grandma, I am definitely well prepared.
I am ending with an apron which is perfect for summer. Watermelon and grapes, pretty bib and a nice full skirt. Very 4th of July.
I will leave you with a little poem I wrote to celebrate our aprons and Grandmas:
Grandma wraps her apron round her ample little waist,
She gathers up the flatware and slaps flapjacks on our plates.
The apron strings are flapping as she shoos us out the door,
and after we are off to school her apron mops the floor!

3 comments:

Emily said...

Great post! I just love vintage aprons and yours are simply wonderful.

Heidi Ann said...

Those are truly some fabulous vintage aprons!
And now that makes me think I might feel like baking a pie this week.
I'm thinking cherry....

yosemite faith said...

my first job was picking cherries at my uncles cherry orchard. i was in kindegarten i think. 35 cents a lug. love these berry/fruit/cherry aprons. love the picture of your great gram also. thanks for sharing.