My grandma (my mom’s mom) came from a family of 12 children. It seemed to me, when I was growing up, that my mom’s relations went on forever. Family reunions were enormous, and I couldn’t keep track of who was who. It’s still a challenge. But Aunt Edna was easy to remember. We saw her quite frequently, and she had a way of connecting with us even when we were very little girls. She didn’t play with us, but she talked with us and it didn’t hurt that she made us cute aprons.
If you grew up in the 1970s like I did, you’ll remember how wild prints were all the rage. The print Aunt Edna selected for our aprons included bold purple and black brush stokes in a wild print that spelled out “LOVE” every so often.
And love is exactly what we did with those aprons. They survived being handed down through all five sisters in my family, and they stood up to multiple adventures with baking, painting, and who-knows-what else.
So when I started thinking about projects I’d like to include in Oliver + S Little Things to Sew, I knew I wanted to include an apron like the one Aunt Edna made for me.
I always loved the shape and design of Aunt Edna’s aprons, but I wanted to improve on them a bit. For my version, I lowered the pockets, slimmed down the apron, and made the curve of the shoulders a little more gentle. These changes make the apron more contemporary looking. And of course we added sizes so it can fit toddlers as well as big kids.
But if you’re really into the retro-’70s thing, no one is going to stop you from sewing your own version in a wild green, purple, and black brush-stoke print that spells out “LOVE” every so often.
And I have to say, while I think all the children who modeled for the book did a wonderful job, I think the photos of the little girl who modeled this apron (she’s one of our friends and neighbors) turned out to be especially adorable. Don’t you just want to hug this little cutie?