UPDATE: Contest now closed; congratulations to winner Lynne! Thanks, everyone, for playing! I recently bought a bunch of Bella Pamella vintage-design aprons to send as gifts to our new BFFs at Wilsonart following the launch of our new laminate collection. Oh happy day (photo below.) Not only are these aprons sweet, but I really use aprons like this — they are functional! So I got to thinking, how about asking Pam — the Pam of Bella Pamella — if she’d like to contribute an apron for our next giveaway. She jumped on it — and hey, offered a two-fer: This giveaway includes two aprons — one adult- + a matching mini-sized, for a youngster.
What a sweet story of how Bella Pamella got its start:
One afternoon at a function in the church basement I noticed someone had meticulously arranged a display of aprons. One apron had a little sign on it describing its former owner. A great-grandmother, her children, grand-children and great-grand-children numbered something like 70.
And the author of the sign figured that this apron was worn for every meal ever served those 70 descendants in her kitchen.
The thought occurred to me that if you asked those people to describe their matriarch the description would surely include that apron.
It was her uniform. And since it covered her from shoulders to knee they might have little idea what else she had on. That woman’s identity was defined by that apron. And a realization came crashing down on my head: I wanted that.
Increasingly, I’m aware of a longing to be connected with my home and mothering. I wanted my kids and my future grand-kids and great-grandkids to think of me, not as I come running in the door from work at 6pm, but as I function in my kitchen, serving up some homemade comfort in my “uniform”, my identity, my apron.
When I set about to find the quintessential apron I was amazed to see that with all we consumers have at our fingertips, nowhere could I find a good old-fashioned apron. Pretty much every apron out there was the basic “butcher” style. No frills. One piece of fabric. Twill tape ties.
Being a sewer, I was undaunted. I figured I’d make one. But that turned out to be much more difficult than I realized. Somehow what seemed to be a perfectly simple and utilitarian article was not so easily captured. So, I began to research. And sew. And sew and sew.
Then, the more I sewed, the more I realized I wasn’t just trying to make the perfect apron. I was setting out to recreate a familiar comfort of a time past. I also realized if I felt that way, maybe others did too.
And BellaPamella was born.
Apron stories, indeed: My story: A few summers ago, my brother and his children visited me. While the boys went out somewhere, my niece (seven or eight years old at the time, I think) stayed home with me, and together we prepared to bake some chocolate chip cookies. To get going, I set her up in one of my many vintage aprons purchased at estate sales. I didn’t think much about it at the time, but… Fast forward to the next summer, my niece went down to visit my Aunt Mary Anne. They were going to do some baking too. My Aunt later told me that before they got started, my niece asked, “Aunt Mary Anne, can we wear aprons? I wore an apron at Aunt Pam’s.” Peeples, this is the stuff that memories are made of!
How to enter to win an Adult+Child apron set from Bella Pamella:
- To win, you must be a subscriber to our newsletter (Yes, this is “what’s in it for the blog” — you can opt out at any time after the contest ends, or continue on for the stories and because our goal is to schedule a giveaway every two weeks.)
- To enter, use the Comment field on this post below and tell us: Which Bella Pamella apron design and fabric would you choose? Click here to scope them out. Or, How about, give us an apron story. Or, a happy whatever — we’re easy, the goal is joy.
- One entry per person. U.S. lower 48 states only.
- Entries close on Friday, Feb. 19, around 5 p.m. Eastern — that is, we will close the Comments field at that time.
- Prize: There will be one winner. The winner will receive one Adult apron and one Child or Sister apron in the design and fabric their choice, delivered by Bella Pamella.
- Publisher Pam (not apron designer Pam) will choose the winners via the Random Number Generator at random.org. We will email each person. [Tip: Be sure you enter your email address correctly in the email field of the Comment form.] The winner will have five business days to respond. If we do not hear from them, we will choose the next person who commented. Lather, rinse, repeat. We will post the winner’s first name as soon as all is confirmed.
- Terms of use apply.
Many thanks to Pam! Bella aprons!
And, congrats to our recent giveaway winners, Jordan, who won the Tiki Diablo tiki mug, and Lisa, winner of the Ikea PS2014 light.
Link Love:
Disclosure: We were not paid to host this giveaway —
we do giveaways to delight readers and to grow our newsletter list.
You can read more about how we make money here.
lorri says
i would love any one of them… they are beautiful!
Sandra says
I couldn’t help but smile when reading this article. My grandmother’s been gone for more than thirty years, but how vividly I remember her in her apron, standing at the white porcelain sink and surrounded by post-war, white metal cabinets. Something was always cooking in the kitchen, where she welcomed six children and seventeen grandchildren. The Nora cherry apron would fit right in and that would be the one I’d choose.
Danita says
I just adore the Nora apron in cherry fabric; it just makes me want to bake a fruit pie! I especially like the way the neckline works – looks real simple to just take off your hook in the kitchen, put on, and start cooking. Just love aprons and am glad you are featuring a site where you can purchase. 🙂
Nancy M. says
My grandmother in southern Indiana wore these every day. Oh, could that woman cook! What great memories.
Lisa says
These would definitely fit in in my 1958 house, especially the Eunice retro apron in blue diamond. Beautiful aprons!
Alison says
Love the aprons.
Miriam says
My mom wore one like that. I wish we had it now. She is 89 and it would be more dignified than a bib.
rsqdogsmom says
This is a wonderful idea. Both my Mom & my Grandmother (her Mom) always wore aprons in the kitchen. Some were really fancy, with lace or appliques, and I know they were all handmade because both women were big on sewing their own clothes, let alone something as ‘simple’ as an apron. I was the only one in my whole family who never got the sewing gene or bug. To my Mom’s everlasting shame, I failed at hemming dishtowels in 7th grade sewing class. Thankfully, I have improved in my later years so that I now even have a sewing basket of my own… AND I know where it is!
I would love to win a set of ‘Nora’ aprons for my apron-wearing sister and our 7 year-old niece. She is being properly trained, and requests an apron every time they bake together. 🙂
Mary says
Love the Katherine in the cheery cherry print!!
Janet says
I do remember these!