Aprons, and Teacloths, and Dishcloths, Oh My!

The previous poster wrote about some of the modern versus 'vintage' uses of aprons...My apron made by Lorimarsha Sanstedt personifies one of the 'modern' uses...as a sassy accessory!

Here I am at a Sisters on the Fly camping adventure on Tybee Island, Georgia! I wore a sassy apron when we toured in Savannah, and people smiled and pointed, and said they just thought it was great! An apron can be empowering in so many ways!


My love for aprons began with a hostess apron similar to this as a little girl. My mother's friend, Mary Ruth, was always ready with a beautiful starched and delicately sheer apron to manage the kitchen in the home of the bereaved due to a death in the family. I was raised in the Deep South and it still is the custom to bring loads and loads of baked Ham, potato salad, casseroles, multiple cakes...you name it...all with the name of the lady on the bottom of the dish. Mary Ruth might have worn a delicate apron, but she was a drill sargent in that kitchen! No one in my family had ever worn an apron, or used special kitchen linens that I can remember, except for the huge white damask tablecloth with pads underneath for the dining room table on Christmas and Thanksgiving and special company. So, I was 'marked' by Mary Ruth's apron and grew up loving aprons, tea towels, crocheted doilies - all the wonderful stuff we didn't have in our 'modern' home! I have always collected them, pored over them in antique stores, and coveted them in books, much to the puzzlement of others in my family! "Paula is just different", "she has always loved old junk". Oh, well, the saying has never been more true - "another 'woman's' trash is another 'woman's' treasure, right?
Paula Bush from thevilulateagarden.blogspot.com