Original 1943 McCall Pattern No. 1040 - Mr. and Mrs. Barbecue Aprons, Chef's Hat, Mitts and Accessories

Original 1943 McCall Pattern No. 1040 for his-and-hers barbecue aprons with a chef's hat, mitts, and a full set of cookout accessories. One size. Factory Folded and Unused, with an uncut transfer.

Quick Facts

• Pattern Number: McCall No. 1040
• Year: 1943; also found in the March 1944 McCall catalog, Page 41
• Garment: Mr. and Mrs. Barbecue Apron, Chef's Hat, Mitts and Accessories
• Size: One Size
• Condition: Factory Folded and Unused; Comes with Uncut Transfer

Design

McCall 1040 outfits a husband and wife for the backyard grill. Views A and B are long bib aprons, hers and his, each with a neck strap, long tie strings, and a patch pocket, finished in bias binding. The set adds a tall chef's hat with a round crown on a band, a pair of mitts with appliquéd sections, and View C, a barbecue case for napkins along with pennant banners and fringed checked lap napkins or place mats. The embroidery is the fun part: a rooster on her bib, a pig on his, "Barbecue" across his pocket and the case, "Genius at work" and "I'm Chef" on the hat bands, and "Come and Get It" and "Chuck Wagon" on the banners, all in simple outline stitch. The pattern includes 12 pieces and McCall's Blue transfer; each apron with its mitts takes a yard and a half of 35-inch fabric, and the hat three-quarters of a yard.

A Moment in Fashion History

McCall 1040 is a wartime pattern through and through. The envelope dresses the husband in his Army uniform, and when the set appeared in McCall's March 1944 catalog, the copy suggested holding a barbecue to raise funds for the Service organizations, or simply indulging a husband who loved to cook. Meat was rationed from 1943, so a cookout took planning, and a set like this made the occasion festive. The catalog grouped it with hostess and maid's aprons under the heading "Aprons for All Our Needs."

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. A wife in a chef's hat lettered "Genius" and her husband in his Army uniform and "I'm Chef" hat show off their rooster and pig aprons, while a chef tends the grill beneath "Come and Get It" and "Chuck Wagon" banners, with the barbecue case and checked napkins below. We've also included page 41 of the March 1944 McCall catalog, where this set appears under "Aprons for All Our Needs" beside McCall 1012.

Connections

McCall's March 1944 catalog grouped this barbecue set with its hostess and maid's aprons under one heading, "Aprons for All Our Needs," and suggested a backyard barbecue to raise funds for the Service organizations. Its companion on page 41 is McCall 1012, a tricornered hostess or maid's apron with cherry embroidery and its own cap, collar, and cuffs.

McCall made aprons for everyone in the household: matching sets for mother and daughter, his-and-hers aprons for Mr. and Mrs., and junior aprons for brother and sister, so the whole family could pitch in together. Explore McCall Family Aprons in Kitschy Kitchen -- McCall Edition.