The History of Aprons

The History of 'APRONS' (sent from my sister-in-law) I don't think our kids know what an apron is. The principal 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. 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...

Mama Did Right

Over the course of the last few weeks, I've taken pictures of the different items I've either sewn, knitted or whatever. Today I stopped to take a look at them, REALLY look at them and see what a truly awesome gift my mother gave me......

She gave me the training, instruction, attention and encouragement to be able to make something with my own hands. She encouraged me to watch the details, the extra little something's that make things different, and to expect the best from myself. Mom taught all us girls that lesson, and it shows in the things all three of us do: quilting, card making, paper crafting, crocheting, knitting, sewing..... and the art of being resourceful. Even though mom was not a nature buff by any means, she knew how to use every color in God's rainbow to make the most phenomenal things, like quilts - her specialty later on in her life.

Today I'd have given anything to just TELL her how much she had influenced her daughters. I know I never told her while her mind was well enough to understand, but I'm asking Jesus to let her know - and that I love her.