History of 'APRONS'

**KBs PensNmore** · 11th February 2017, 10:59 AM

I don't think our kids know what an apron is. The principle use of
Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a
few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and
aprons 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 folk 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.

Send this to those who would know (and love) the story about Grandma's
aprons.

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...

**rwbuild** · 11th February 2017, 12:17 PM

That sure brings memories flooding back. I was raised by my Grandmother on a farm and this has brought many happy and fond memories.

Thank you!!

**Bluegum** · 11th February 2017, 01:08 PM

Great read and thanks for sharing. Bought back a few memories from living with my grandparents.

**KBs PensNmore** · 11th February 2017, 03:36 PM

Unfortunately I don't remember my grandparents, as I was about 6 months old when we left Holland, but I had a school friend, with whom I stay on several occasions, who's mum wore one, and it certainly did bring back memories.
I think we were healthier back then, than we are now.
Kryn

**Big Shed** · 11th February 2017, 04:07 PM

Originally Posted by KBs PensNmore

I think we were healthier back then, than we are now.
Kryn

Maybe because you were a lot younger?

**Handyjack** · 11th February 2017, 07:46 PM

I have an image of my mother wearing an apron, now thinned and patched, but still being worn when I visit.
Thank You.

**Kidbee** · 11th February 2017, 10:10 PM

The germs on the apron soon disappeared when she boiled it in her outside copper and hung it out to dry on a propped up wire clothes line in the sunshine. My mum also had a washing machine with a Villiers motor that she would kick start like a motorbike to get the engine running. Oh and the bag of Bluo she used to whiten the whites. Some memories of growing up in the bush in the 50's with no electricity, a chip heater to warm the bath water and of course the wood stove that cooked all the food and warmed you in the winter.

**chambezio** · 13th February 2017, 08:59 AM

Ah Kryn.....that was a tap to open up a flood of memories. My grand mother had an apron more on the lines of a dressing gown with no sleeves. It was made of cotton and was quite thin. My Mum always wore an apron around her waste to do household jobs and on Mondays (washing day) she would don herself with a homemade plastic one made from a shower curtain.
She had a Wilkins Service washing machine with the wringer over the bowl. The laundry had a double concrete tub. One side filled with just water to rinse away the soapy washing water and the other side filled with the Bluo. It was quite a production line she had going washing for 7 people. She had a long straight line for hanging as well as the compulsory Hills Hoist line

**Chesand** · 13th February 2017, 09:08 AM

Memories of my mother and her mother - perhaps we are showing our age by knowing about aprons and their uses.

**rwbuild** · 13th February 2017, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by chambezio

Ah Kryn.....that was a tap to open up a flood of memories. My grand mother had an apron more on the lines of a dressing gown with no sleeves. It was made of cotton and was quite thin. My Mum always wore an apron around her waste to do household jobs and on Mondays (washing day) she would don herself with a homemade plastic one made from a shower curtain.
She had a Wilkins Service washing machine with the wringer over the bowl. The laundry had a double concrete tub. One side filled with just water to rinse away the soapy washing water and the other side filled with the Bluo. It was quite a production line she had going washing for 7 people. She had a long straight line for hanging as well as the compulsory Hills Hoist line

The only item I would add to that was my Grandmother also had a large copper wood fired boiler that was used to heat the water which was then bailed into the washing machine. Interestingly, the wringer over the bowl had timber bearing blocks that I remember replacing twice as a teenager.

**KBs PensNmore** · 13th February 2017, 02:59 PM

I vaguely remember my mum having a copper to wash with as well as the wringer on the cement laundry trough, when I was about 6-7.
Brings back the memory of an old couple that lived in my home town, that didn't have electricity, nor phone. Kerosene was what gave light and ran the fridge, cooking was done on the old wood stove, as well as the copper for washing (which she wrung out by hand)and the bath which was bucketed from the copper, all chopped by hand, he was the last Lime Burner on the Yorke Peninsula. It was nothing for him to chop 3-4 ton of fire wood, then stack the limestone rocks on top ready to burn once a week, then shovel it into bags ready to be picked up. He was about 75 when he stopped work. When his wife passed, she was about 80, was when he had electricity connected, because she was scared of it. The radio was electric, operated by batteries.
I was about 17 when she passed and he survived till he was 97.
I know hard work never killed anyone, but I'm not taking any chances.

**groverwa** · 13th February 2017, 04:21 PM

And us oldies should remember having to drag and empty the outside and only dunny pan into a hole dug for that purpose. I grew some magnificent fruit trees with this method.

And of course using Phynl to stop the dunny bees (blow flies) from laying eggs.

And using David Gray poison to kill any red back spiders.

**CAG** · 13th February 2017, 04:31 PM

Use an apron for that?

**MrFixIt** · 15th February 2017, 12:32 AM

It was all those apron germs that built up our immune systems to give us the health that today's kids lack.

**Tubatoad** · 16th February 2017, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by MrFixIt

It was all those apron germs that built up our immune systems to give us the health that today's kids lack.

Science supports your statement - the low level exposure to all sorts of germs builds up the immune system. Our modern hyper-sterile environment leaves today's kids at risk.
Pete

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