"An Apron for Housework"

Delightful wisdom from the 1926 New-Way Course in Fashionable Clothes-Making:

"To be entirely consistent, an apron that is worn in the performance of household duties must cover the whole dress underneath. Otherwise it wouldn't be much of a protection, would it? But the apron must be absolutely neat, for surely one cannot do neat housework when the apron one wears is untidy! And after all, why shouldn't a woman look as attractive in her own home, among her own dear ones, as she does at a fashionable dinner?

If you intend to wear your apron in the morning, make it of the type that can be easily slipped off. Your pattern will tell you whether or not the apron, when finished, is going to be convenient. It should be very simply styled and made of a sturdy material. Gingham is perhaps the most favored material for work aprons, although unbleached muslin when bound with checked gingham is really ideal. You may also use percale if you wish.

In making your work apron, you will find the binder in your box of sewing machine attachments very valuable indeed. With it you can bind in no time at all, all the edges and corners of your apron, adding a certain smart finishing touch that no amount of hand sewing can impart. If you have ruffles on the bottom of your apron—which, we think, are not entirely appropriate but a forgivable attempt at trimming—bind the edges of these ruffles with contrasting color and you will achieve a delightful effect."