# My favorite apron, what's yours?



## spork (Feb 23, 2011)

Describe, or post a pic of, your cooking apron.  Is it an heirloom, or does it have a backstory?

Most of the time, I cook in long sleeve t-shirt and my most raggedy blue jeans.  But I also sometimes wear a long, vinyl-coated apron, made for barbecue that gleefully makes me feel like Dr. Frankenstein in the kitchen.  I also embarrassingly confess to donning a hawaiian apron for quick dinners if I'm still wearing a good pair of pants.


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## CWS4322 (Feb 23, 2011)

spork said:


> Describe, or post a pic of, your cooking apron. Is it an heirloom, or does it have a backstory?
> 
> Most of the time, I cook in long sleeve t-shirt and my most raggedy blue jeans. But I also sometimes wear a long, vinyl-coated apron, made for barbecue that gleefully makes me feel like Dr. Frankenstein in the kitchen. I also embarrassingly confess to donning a hawaiian apron for quick dinners if I'm still wearing a good pair of pants.


 
Most of the time I don't wear an apron, but I do have two that are useful: one is one my mother bought in San Franscisco in the '70s. It is long (almost like a pinafore) and covers almost everything; the other is a dog grooming apron--vinyl (with all different breeds of dogs on it, naturally). The long one I wear when I'm rolling a lot of dough (flour), the other when I'm canning tomatoes.


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## FrankZ (Feb 23, 2011)

I have a basic black butcher style apron.  Haven't used it yet (Kathleen got it for a couple weeks ago).

I wanted it so I don't end up with bit of meat stuck to me when I am grinding.


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## pacanis (Feb 23, 2011)

Apron? 

Seriously, I have been thinking of getting one. I've been retiring a lot of clothes lately due to a splatter here, a drip there. Maybe something leather


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## spork (Feb 23, 2011)

A cook that's drenched in red splatter is either revered or reviled.  It's better to be neutral, and wear a protective apron/smock.

I also have a canvas one embroidered with a cartoon whistling teapot, my reminder to both let go of and supervise anything I am cooking.  I rarely wear it; but it's a fixture in my kitchen.


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## Selkie (Feb 23, 2011)

I use two:

First - is a red "Gourmet Cook" embroidered full front apron that was a gift from a dear friend.

Second - is a full front black but colorfully silk screened "Route 66" emblems and scenes that another friend made custom for me.

Since I bake a lot, I do wear an apron.


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## Andy M. (Feb 23, 2011)

I have a white one with dark blue trim and a New England Patriots logo.  SO has one she said I could use but it has pretty flowers and a frilly edge so I doubt it will make it out of the cabinet.


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## FrankZ (Feb 23, 2011)

Andy,

Kathleen offered to let me borrow one of hers.  Flowers, frilly, pretty, cute.. I decided I needed one of my own.


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## Andy M. (Feb 23, 2011)

FrankZ said:


> Andy,
> 
> Kathleen offered to let me borrow one of hers.  Flowers, frilly, pretty, cute.. I decided I needed one of my own.




I should try to get a Red Sox apron to go with the Patriots one I have.


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## Selkie (Feb 23, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> I should try to get a Red Sox apron to go with the Patriots one I have.



I suppose now I'm going to have to get one for the Cubs! 
Yes, I know, I'm a die hard glutton for punishment. But one of these days...


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## joesfolk (Feb 23, 2011)

I have several that I wear interchangably but I do have a vinyl one that I use for really messy jobs.  (Like butchering a deer).  But I often forget to put one on at all and I am so messy that my clothes often get ruined.  Thank goodness I discovered Shout Advanced a few years ago.  It has saved me hundreds of dollars in clothes.


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## Andy M. (Feb 23, 2011)

Selkie said:


> I suppose now I'm going to have to get one for the Cubs!
> Yes, I know, I'm a die hard glutton for punishment. But one of these days...



Have faith, Selkie, your time will come.  It took the Red Sox 87 years.


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## FrankZ (Feb 23, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> I should try to get a Red Sox apron to go with the Patriots one I have.




Flowers, frilly, pretty and cute reminded you of the Red Sox did it?


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## Andy M. (Feb 23, 2011)

FrankZ said:


> Flowers, frilly, pretty and cute reminded you of the Red Sox did it?




I got the idea from watching Cleveland Browns fans dress up pretty.


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## spork (Feb 23, 2011)

aprons and floormats with the cubs logo are the juju that keeps the curse alive


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## PrincessFiona60 (Feb 23, 2011)

I have a full apron in black, it says, "Come to the Darkside, we have cookies!"


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## Midnight_Merlot (Feb 24, 2011)

My apron is something that I would NOT be proud to "share"...it looks kinda hideous at times. Granted, it gets slated for a weekly washing, but...whoo-hoo..some days go easier on the aprons than others!  LOL


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## bethzaring (Feb 24, 2011)

oh, I love aprons and make my own....they are reversible, have large pockets and the neck strap comes apart so you don't have to pull the apron strap off over your head..I have maybe 12 right now. This time of the year I may wear one all day to keep warm...here are a few pics of some of them...Mary Mulari designed the apron and sells the pattern..


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## Josie1945 (Feb 24, 2011)

bethzaring said:


> oh, I love aprons and make my own....they are reversible, have large pockets and the neck strap comes apart so you don't have to pull the apron strap off over your head..I have maybe 12 right now. This time of the year I may wear one all day to keep warm...here are a few pics of some of them...Mary Mulari designed the apron and sells the pattern..


 
Beth, I looked up the aporn patterns. Is the one you are wearing the one that is $12.00? I love your aprons. They will make great gifts.

Josie


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## joesfolk (Feb 24, 2011)

Josie1945 said:


> Beth, I looked up the aporn patterns. Is the one you are wearing the one that is $12.00? I love your aprons. They will make great gifts.
> 
> Josie


 I agree that they would make great gifts for someone just like us.   If I made those for dh's kids they would smile politely and through them out.  It's tough being the only serious cook.


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## bethzaring (Feb 24, 2011)

Josie1945 said:


> Beth, I looked up the aporn patterns. Is the one you are wearing the one that is $12.00? I love your aprons. They will make great gifts.
> 
> Josie


 
nope, it's the $6.00 one..

Mary's Productions: Mary Mulari's Favorite Reversible Apron Pattern

yes, they do make great gifts


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## FrankZ (Feb 24, 2011)

bethzaring said:


> oh, I love aprons and make my own....they are reversible, have large pockets and the neck strap comes apart so you don't have to pull the apron strap off over your head..I have maybe 12 right now. This time of the year I may wear one all day to keep warm...here are a few pics of some of them...Mary Mulari designed the apron and sells the pattern..



Thank you for the fashion show.


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## Josie1945 (Feb 24, 2011)

bethzaring said:


> nope, it's the $6.00 one..
> 
> Mary's Productions: Mary Mulari's Favorite Reversible Apron Pattern
> 
> yes, they do make great gifts


 
Beth I just ordered the pattern, Thanks for the info.

Josie


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## bethzaring (Feb 24, 2011)

FrankZ said:


> Thank you for the fashion show.


 
much obliged

at one point I had the silly idea of selling them on eBay, but considering I have $20. in the material, and it takes me 3 hours to complete one apron, the asking price was steep


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## FrankZ (Feb 24, 2011)

bethzaring said:


> much obliged
> 
> at one point I had the silly idea of selling them on eBay, but considering I have $20. in the material, and it takes me 3 hours to complete one apron, the asking price was steep



Economies of scale and mass production are the key.  Figure that bit out and yer on your way.


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## justplainbill (Feb 24, 2011)

My favs are made from heavy linen or denim.  They are homemade, have wide waist-high pockets across the front, ties (apron strings) long enough to permit me to tie them in front, wide enough to provide full chest coverage and some backside coverage.


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## chopper (Feb 24, 2011)

Mine is one I bought from Pampered Chef.  I like it as much as I like my Pampered Chef pizza stone!  It is denum and has lasted about eight years so far.  I have also made some, but this is still my favorite.  It has great pockets, and the ties adjust so you can cover more or less up top.  It covers well.


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## LAJ (Feb 24, 2011)

I wear a Boca Burger apron and bought one for my son while he cooks on his Coast Guard ship. Conversation piece and with nice ties. We lived in Boca when the burgers were actually developed and made there. Its a nostalgic thing


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## Tinybu88les8 (Feb 25, 2011)

I have a super cute apron with cupcakes on it and cute little ruffled pockets.


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## FrankZ (Feb 25, 2011)

I ground up some chuck today and since I have a new apron that I haven't used yet, and when grinding I have ended up with bits of meat attached to the front on my shirt I wore it today, finally.

I wish the ties were just a touch longer, or I wasn't quite as far to get around.


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## NoraC (Feb 25, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I have a full apron in black, it says, "Come to the Darkside, we have cookies!"



My daughter has that apron!  

I OTOH have 3, white cotton patient exam gowns from the 60's.  I rescued them from a medical practice that was closing, almost 20 years ago.  They cover everything and are infinitely bleachable and seemingly indestructible. I wear those if I am going to be cooking "all day". To whip up dinner, I usually just pull an old (already ruined) shirt over what I am wearing.  At Christmas, I get out my grandmother's vintage Christmas hostess aprons, but only for display.


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## Grandma Rose (Feb 25, 2011)

The aprons of today are mostly useless in my mind so I make my own. I like the kind that wrap around a person. That prevents the stains that come from wiping hands on your sides.
                    Grandma Rose


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## spork (Feb 25, 2011)

Grandma Rose said:


> The aprons of today are mostly useless in my mind so I make my own. I like the kind that wrap around a person. That prevents the stains that come from wiping hands on your sides.
> Grandma Rose


Hello, Grandma Rose.  I have a terrible habit of wiping my hands on my backsides.  A full-wrap apron might help, I suppose, but I also don't want a pair of tomato-stained handprints back there.  Any design solutions?


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## cmarchibald (Feb 25, 2011)

I'm too lazy to put the apron on most of the time....the only one I have I bought because it has cats on it.  And I only bought it because we had found this cat-shaped wall-hook and I wanted something to hang on it.  







We...uh....we like cats.


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## CWS4322 (Feb 25, 2011)

I work from home...most of my clothes are "dog clothes" because I share my life with three drooly, hairy Saint Bernards. To get the drool off my black jeans, I have to wash them twice and add white vinegar to the rinse each time. Getting tomato stains (or pomagrante stains) out of clothes is a lot easier than getting "drool shadows" out of black jeans! (Says she who dresses in the back entrance when she has to go meet clients--with the dogs behind the baby gate on the other side).


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## PrincessFiona60 (Feb 26, 2011)

I have multiple white aprons fromwhen I worked in the bakery, they actually get worn for everyday cooking.  My "Darkside," "Chef Pigs" and "Coffee" aprons are fpor after everything is cooked...in other words, I liked them so I bought them.


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## taxlady (Feb 28, 2011)

CWS4322 said:


> I work from home...most of my clothes are "dog clothes" because I share my life with three drooly, hairy Saint Bernards. To get the drool off my black jeans, I have to wash them twice and add white vinegar to the rinse each time. Getting tomato stains (or pomagrante stains) out of clothes is a lot easier than getting "drool shadows" out of black jeans! (Says she who dresses in the back entrance when she has to go meet clients--with the dogs behind the baby gate on the other side).



Oh my! Three Saint Bernards! I lived with one very sweet Saint Bernard for about two months and that was quite the experience. When he shook his head it sounded like a flock of pigeons taking off and he would hit opposite walls with slobber. At least he didn't pull on the leash when I took him for a walk. The huskies thought it was hilarious to pull on the leash if I had my arms full of groceries.


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## joesfolk (Feb 28, 2011)

I know this is the apron thread but the mention of the St. Bernards reminded me of a long forgotten menory. Growing up the pastor of my church owned a pair of them. The female gave birth to a litter of 14! (they said it was some kind of record).They had quite a pack of animals running around their relatively small ranch style house for a time but oh my, what fun!


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## Zereh (Feb 28, 2011)

cmarchibald said:


> ... the only one I have I bought because it has cats on it.  And I only bought it because we had found this cat-shaped wall-hook and I wanted something to hang on it.



^^ 

Wasn't there a DC Travelling Apron that was making the rounds a few years ago?


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## Grandma Rose (Feb 28, 2011)

In reply to Spork about apron design. Mine is very close to the apron that has been shown by Beth. I made my own pattern to fit my needs but it is not reversable.   Grandma Rose


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## PrincessFiona60 (Feb 28, 2011)

I still think a Haz-Mat suit would be appropriate for the messy cook!


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## CHEFsk (Feb 28, 2011)

my fav apron is The Frugal Gourmet (aka Jeff Smith) one thats denim with white pin stripes. Pic later, i'm too busy right now.

Jeff had a cooking show "The Frugal Gourmet" for years on PBS, which got me started in the art.


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## cmarchibald (Feb 28, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I still think a Haz-Mat suit would be appropriate for the messy cook!


I could use one of those when I'm cooking with my niece.  Back when she was about 4 she wanted to help me make an apple pie one day.  I ended up with little flour handprints all over my jeans as she would grab my backside to steady herself climbing on and off the chair.  I wasn't the only casualty though.  She managed to get flour in her hair, her shoes, the ceiling, the wall behind us....


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 1, 2011)

cmarchibald said:


> I could use one of those when I'm cooking with my niece. Back when she was about 4 she wanted to help me make an apple pie one day. I ended up with little flour handprints all over my jeans as she would grab my backside to steady herself climbing on and off the chair. I wasn't the only casualty though. She managed to get flour in her hair, her shoes, the ceiling, the wall behind us....


 
There are reasons we are naturally drip dry...cooking with 4 year olds is one of them!  You got pictures, right?


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## Akagrandpa (Mar 1, 2011)

My favorite – full black apron with
     Many have eaten here...
          Few have died!


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