German Childhood: Oma's Apron

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OMA'S APRON

My Oma (grandmother) was a true Hausfrau (housewife/homemaker).  Before World War II, she was trained to cook from scratch, and she took care of large families - to include her own 10 half-siblings, the last of whom was born just a year or so before her own first child.  Even when she worked outside the home later, she was a Putzfrau (cleaning lady) for businesses.  For this reason, and because it was the norm for many of the women of her generation, she wore an apron almost every day while doing her housework.  

Schürze = apron

My Oma loved her little kitchen - and for that reason, so did I!  

In between doing her work, my Oma sat in her chair at the kitchen table, enjoying her coffee, doing crossword puzzles, balancing her household accounts, or writing in her daily calendar/diary.

Looking at these pictures of my Oma with her various aprons, I vividly remember the patterns and colors.  I still own one of her practical, cotton aprons!

Oma's apron pockets usually held a tissue and were handy for filling with clothes pins when it was wash day.  My Oma never had a dryer.  Her small washing machine was in the kitchen; clothes were hung to dry outside in the summer and in the attic of the apartment building in the winter or on a rainy day.

Of course, if she went outside the house, the apron always came off!  I think my Oma was so beautiful.  I always admired her so much.

Every day, after lingering over a cup of coffee and maybe some buttered bread for breakfast, she always got completely dressed to include her stockings, girdle/garter, and then fixed her hair.  My Oma almost always wore a skirt and blouse or a dress.  And of course, she then tied on her apron!

source

Here's a Christmas gift idea -

How to sew an apron:

youtube video is AUF DEUTSCH