Original 1952 McCall's Pattern No. 1710 - Misses' Tea Aprons with Large Floral Appliqués

Original 1952 McCall's Pattern No. 1710 for three misses' tea aprons, each trimmed with one oversized floral appliqué, designed for women's hostess and party wear: a ruffled round apron with a giant rose, and a bib or bibless apron with a pocket band of big poppies or blossoms. One Size. Complete Nice Condition, 11 of 11 pieces; the transfer has been used but is included.

Quick Facts

• Pattern Number: McCall's No. 1710
• Year: 1952; also found in the December 1953 McCall catalog, Page 669
• Garment: Misses' Tea Aprons with Large Floral Appliqués (3 Views), with Transfer
• Size: One Size
• Condition: Complete Nice Condition, 11 of 11 Pieces; Transfer Used but Present

Design

McCall's 1710 offers three tea aprons, each built around one oversized flower. View A is a round, ruffle-edged apron for sheer fabric, with a single huge rose appliquéd across the front; it can be cut from one sheer material (1⅛ yards of 35") or from two fabrics with a contrast appliqué section, and the appliqué can be outlined by machine with a zigzag attachment (the envelope calls for a "Zig Zagger") or by hand in six-strand cotton. View B has a narrow bib with straps that cross into a deep V, and its lower edge is a pocket section shaped as a row of large red poppies outlined in green, with embroidered centers. View C is the same apron without the bib, in a dotted print, with a pocket section of white flowers in piqué or linen. Eleven pattern pieces in all (for View A: waistband, tie string, apron section and guide, appliqué section, and a sample width of ruffle; for Views B and C: waistband, tie string, bib, apron, apron facing, and pocket section), with ¼" seams and a Cut and Sew Guide, plus the transfer for the embroidery.

A Moment in Fashion History

The tea apron was the early 1950s hostess's finishing touch: small, pretty, and never meant for scrubbing pots. McCall's 1710 takes the idea to its most dramatic, with one enormous rose or a row of oversized poppies standing in for the usual small motifs, the kind of bold, graphic flower that suited the era's full skirts and party dresses. Its option for machine embroidery is a sign of the times, too: zigzag attachments were bringing decorative stitching to home sewing machines, and McCall's wrote them into the pattern alongside traditional hand embroidery. The design was still in McCall's catalog in December 1953.

Illustration

The envelope front and back are shown as scanned, framed on our blue mat without retouching, so the artwork appears in its true color and condition. View A is shown in pale blue-gray with its pink rose and ruffle, beside a detail of an appliquéd petal; View B in white with red poppies over a gray dress; and View C in dotted yellow with white blossoms, drawn flat. We've also included page 669 of the December 1953 McCall catalog, where it appears beside McCall's 1711.

Connections

This pattern is part of our exhibit, Kitschy Kitchen -- McCall Edition, a growing collection celebrating the whimsical, decorative side of kitchen textiles. While I love everything about McCall, it must be said, "McCall Makes the Cutest Aprons!"