One for my M.i.L. who has made us a Christmas cake in her Mix Master for the last 18 years. 
And one for my Mum who was a big fan of the Sunbeam Frypan. It even had it's own bench space in our kitchen.
The apron represents a conflicting set of ideals for me. I have vivid memories as a child of Dad coming home on payday and Mum holding out her "pinny" while the housekeeping money was dished out into it. It was meant to be a joke, but even as a girl, it made me feel a bit uncomfortable.I knew I didn't want the bloke to control all the money. I wanted to earn money too.
Luckily I have always been financially independent, and able to contribute to the family coffers.
That said, I love the domesticity of the apron. I'm not that domesticated, but I can dream.......
I've been reading the growing debate around women who are embracing the domestic arts, be they cooking, crafting, or gardening. I don't believe this heralds a return to the days when my Mum held out her pinny, made many of our clothes, baked cakes and cooked regularly in her Sunbeam fry pan. "Pinny porn" is the term that's been bandied around.
I believe it's women making a choice and having the ability to direct their lives in the ways they see fit. Contemporary crafting is clever, healthy and environmentally aware, and not just for the comfortably off, idle women who have nothing better to do. Tanis Taylor sums it well.
So, sorry Germaine, crafting today is modern and progressive, not regressive.
We Craft and love pinnies-so there!
Cute book found at Camberwell market on Sunday. I was a little Elizabeth that helped her Mummy. Look at her gorgeous apron!
I completely agree with your sentiments. It's all about being able to choose how you want to live your life, and if that involves working, having a family, crafting, baking, sewing, gardening (all while wearing a fabulous apron), then I'm glad that I have that choice.
ReplyDeleteThe teatowels work perfectly in your fabulously colourful kitchen.
Cam just took the words right out of my um, fingers. It's all about choice. I choose to feed my family healthier and nicer food, and if that means I bake and cook a lot than so be it. I'm the biggest feminist you could meet, but I tell you if looking after fellow human beings and loving to working with textiles makes me LESS of a feminist? Goodness...
ReplyDeleteGreat aprons! We love our sunbeam frying pan too - we use it for our roasts, and don't know of any other way to cook roast! Both our mothers used them for roasts too.
But it's so hard to find the stainless steel version these days - it's all non-stick and teflon!
I think you've summed it up so well as have the other wise women who have been adding their voice to the debate.
ReplyDeleteAren't Cam's aprons the best. The tea towels you provided are gorgeous.
Great post. I agree with you. I am a (serial!) crafter... I love to garden, craft, sew, garden etc... but I am in no way repressed! I do it because I love it, and because I choose to- often wearing a lovely fluffy apron!! ;o)
ReplyDeletelove the sunbeams...i would have a house full of them if i could...and yes nothing does a roast better than a sunbeam frypan...if it happen to blow up or get way too old it was replaced instantly with a new one...
ReplyDeletei have often wondered why some of us surround ourselves with 50's memorabilia...and i have come up with a few reasons why i have over the past...but i still havn't gotten to the bottom of it...i certainly wasn't born then and i'm sure it was a very hard time for most women...so why does it seem so beautiful and glamourous...it could just be from the wonderful black and white american movies i would watch all weekend as a teenager...
i too chose to craft and work and i love it...and wouldn't change it for the world...
great post...loved reading it...
I saw your fabulous aprons in person at Curlypops house. They are fabulous and they great as aprons.....
ReplyDeleteI work as a chef in aged care and I wear an apron everyday. It spart of the uniform. Funnily enough I make more money wearing that apron than in my last job not wearing any aprons...