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.
Janice says
Love the retro aprons reminds me of my grandmother. I’m making a retro kitchen with original 1950 cupboard would love to have a aprons to wear in my kitchen.
RJK says
We just moved into a new home, and I am trying to turn back the pages of my life to a time that I remember with such love and joy, a time where things were simpler, sweeter and happier. I grew up in a small town in Nebraska, Elkhorn, population 750 when I left there in 1965. My relatives were all farmers and I always looked forward to the summer vacation from school so I could make the rounds! Time with one set of grandparents, then the other. Time with several Aunts and Uncles, cousins and lifetime friends of my parents. My fondest memories…the ones working along side my mothers mother, my grandmother, in the kitchen. Cooking, or sometimes copying recipes or even her helping me perfect my hand sewing techniques!
And the best part, her aprons that she always let me borrow, until one day she had made me one to match one of hers! I was so excited! So, passing that on, each of my daughters, daughters in law, and now granddaughters, have their own apron. I put on one of my grandmothers aprons on now and I can feel her right beside me again. Something so simple, yet so powerful.
I would love to have one of Pamella’s aprons, a green vintage one! And I have a new granddaughter, who will need an apron too!
And thank you Retro Pam, you are helping me find the items and ideas I need to make my new home “old”!!
Sharon Potts says
My mom always wore a full apron and I bought several vintage ones that I can’t find among the hoard. I’d love to send matching cheery aprons to my granddaughter who loves to cook next to her mom.
Laura Rustin says
I would have to choose the Nora in the Ruby Dot. I’m crazy about polka dots!
donna says
I like all the different patterns…prefer the Eunice colors/patterns best. The hair snugs are great, too.
Barbara Bishop says
Love a cute apron…..learned to cook from my Mom starting at 3 yr. old. We both wore aprons that she made for us. She made aprons for me after I was married and I just wore out the last one I had a few years ago………..so this would be a great replacement and I have someone special to give a child size apron to.
Sue says
The Katherine in the cherry print! My mother had a red and yellow print apron that had the same crossed over back. I wonder if my father would still have it in the “tea towel” drawer?
Angie GJ says
I want to win a Eunice dotty plaid green apron or a red polka dot apron! They remind me of the aprons my Grandmom Garcia used to make…she also made quilts, clothespin bags and children’s clothes (she used the scraps from the clothes to make the quilts and bags, so it was always fun to find your summer dress fabric on a quilt!). I have at least one of the things she made back in the 50’s so very similar to these aprons that are prizes. I love your site; we just bought a 1957 custom built ranch in Mich and the seller was the original owner. And it hasn’t been redone…bought it specifically for that reason having owned 1881-one room schoolhouse, 1914-late Prairie style, 1916 Arts Craftsman bungalow, 1924-Colonial revival and 1939-Art Deco homes…all original and period style homes that we lived in and loved for at least 5-8 years each…we moved around a lot with work. We are using lots of your ideas and suppliers for work on the new house. So excited about learning of this era home. I lived in 2 diff. modest ranch houses myself in the 50’s and 60’s as a kid, so lots of memories!
Lisa Martin says
I would love to win an apron. They are all amazing-don’t have a preference! Would be happy with any of them!!!
Kathleen says
Aprons are so cool. when we lost my mother-in law February 1969. the only thing I asked for was three of her aprons to share with our children. At the time we only had two; ages 2 yrs and 2-months. The third was born in 1970. When they grew up I gave each of them an apron. What a special gift. I would chose “Clementine”…. green trim if possible.