On one of my recent vintage rummaging days, I came across an
apron from the 1940s. It was made from a red and white apple print textile
that had clearly been worn a lot in its first life. It was more colorful and
whimsical than my usual preference but I ended up buying it because there was
something about it that I really liked. As with all old things, it had a story.
One of the threads of its story was a torn pocket, and to me this made the tiny
cotton apron special. For days after bringing it home, I kept thinking
of this torn pocket and the feelings it generated. Peacefulness, curiosity,
sentimentality... and a knowing sense that something ‘flawed’ is perfect in
its imperfection. As I get older, I’m attracted to people and things that are
comfortable and curious with their inner conflicts, transparent in their
messiness and sometimes even celebratory of it. When I designed my new line of
aprons, I kept this in mind. The hemp textile I used has incredible texture,
inconsistencies and character. I
tried to preserve these traits, as best I could, by leaving raw edges that show
the distress of the weaving and garment dyeing the aprons to encourage
variations of shade on the stitching and folds. I guess this is kind of a long
way of expressing how happy I am for small moments in life that influence my creative work.
To read & see more about my new hemp aprons, please visit my online SHOP
