Monday, April 25, 2011

A Pocket full of Memories


I love vintage aprons.

With each well-worn apron there is an interesting story of a woman, her family and the life she lived woven deeply within the fabric.

My collection consist of aprons that belonged to mamaw Petitt, my great aunt Frankie(mamaws twin sister) and Kevin’s mamaw Jolly and some were bought at estate sales.

Mamaw was a janitor at the Bethel Elementary School and the pockets on the aprons she wore held everything from buttons and pieces of string to chewing gum and a dime for each of us kids to spend at break time.

My siblings and I all remember the pocket with the comb and how mamaw would grab us as we walked through the school hallway for a quick comb-over.

Those handed down garments that were worn often by family have a certain kinship attached to them and when mamaw passed away it was an apron we each wanted as a keepsake.

With each vintage apron comes a story of a woman and a family and the life they lived.

For me aprons worn by women from an era long past are such tangible pieces of history, a collection of journey’s actually.

I wonder about the person who once owned the aprons I find at estate or garage sales, what she was like, how she chose to raise her children, what her favorite activities were, what her home was like and the kind of meals she cooked.

Collectors have found uses for their vintage aprons that go beyond merely displaying them on a few pegs in their kitchen.

Some ladies are opting to make curtains, swags and cozies from their vintage aprons to add a real down home feel to their kitchens, baths, and pantries.

Someday I will figure out how I want to use the aprons have to decorate my kitchen, but right now they are tucked away for safe keeping.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that “old-time apron” that served so many purposes.

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