Original 1946 McCall Pattern No. 1257 - Misses' Heart Bib Apron with Butterfly Transfer, Small

Original 1946 McCall Pattern No. 1257 for a misses' bib apron with a ruffled heart-shaped bib and butterfly appliqués, designed for women's kitchen wear, with a gathered or plain skirt that wraps around to cover the back. Small 12-14. Complete Nice Condition, 10 of 10 pieces, with the uncut transfer included.

Quick Facts

• Pattern Number: McCall No. 1257
• Year: 1946
• Garment: Misses' Apron with Heart-Shaped Bib (3 Views), with Butterfly Transfer
• Size: Small 12-14 (30-32" Bust)
• Condition: Complete Nice Condition, 10 of 10 Pieces; Uncut Transfer

Design

McCall 1257 is a full apron topped with a heart-shaped bib, held up by a neck strap and edged with a ruffle. The skirt is cut with separate front and back pieces, so it wraps well around to the back and ties there, covering far more of the dress than a simple bib apron. View A has a gathered skirt, shown in a yellow floral print, with rick rack along the bib ruffle and blue butterflies appliquéd on the bib and on two shaped pockets. View B has a plain, flared skirt, shown in red gingham, with white ruffles on the bib and on a single pocket, each carrying a red butterfly. View C has the gathered skirt again, shown in green with yellow ruffles and yellow butterflies scattered over the bib and skirt. The butterflies come from the included transfer, appliquéd in a contrast fabric and finished with embroidery in six-strand cotton. Ten pattern pieces (bib, neck strap, bib ruffle, tie string, pocket, pocket ruffle, and front and back pieces for both skirts), with a Cut and Sew Guide. The Small takes 2⅛ to 2½ yards of 35" fabric, plus small amounts of contrast for the appliqués and ruffles and 2 yards of rick rack for Views A and B.

A Moment in Fashion History

McCall 1257 dates from 1946, the first full year after the war, when fabric was easing back into the shops and home sewing turned cheerful again. Aprons were where that cheer showed first: a heart-shaped bib, ruffles, rick rack, and butterflies were an easy, inexpensive way to bring color into the kitchen, and the cut-and-appliqué butterfly used only scraps. The wrap-around skirt was practical, too, protecting the back of the dress as well as the front, a welcome feature when most women still had only a few good dresses.

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 a yellow floral print with blue butterflies, View B in red gingham with white ruffles, and View C drawn flat in green with yellow butterflies, beside a back view showing how the skirt wraps; a large embroidered butterfly from the transfer is drawn at the top. McCall printed the copyright line upside down along the edge of the back flap.

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!"