Materials and Making

Aprons were an important part of an eighteenth century woman's wardrobe. Working women wore plain or checked aprons in linen or fustian to protect their clothing, but more highly decorated aprons that were too delicate to be used as practical items of clothing were worn as high fashion as a reflection of the status of the wearer in society.

This apron from about the 1730s has been beautifully and strikingly hand-embroidered in a rococo style often known as crewel work, depicting stylised floral designs in bold bright colours. Crewel work usually used worsted thread (crewels) on a plain white background and it was very popular in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries for bed-hangings. The embroidery here comprises coloured silks in stem stitch outlines with fillings in long and short stitches, whilst oher shaded areas have been sewn in straight stitch diaper patterns and cross stitch speckles. This fine embroidery was skilled and time-consuming, and this costly apron has probably survived because it would be simple to store and because it would almost certainly have been treasured and preserved for its beauty and technical skill.

Full item descriptions:

"apron" [1983.444]

Related Themes:

Aprons
Embroidery
18th Century Women's Fashion