Original 1954 McCall's Pattern No. 1942 - Women's and Misses' Do-It-Yourself Hobby Apron

Original 1954 McCall's Pattern No. 1942 for a women's and misses' "Do-It-Yourself" hobby apron, a sturdy work apron with a deep band of pockets for tools, brushes, and rags. Made with or without the bib. One Size. Factory Folded and Unused.

Quick Facts

• Pattern Number: McCall's No. 1942
• Year: 1954; also found in the July 1955 McCall Printed Patterns catalog, Page H6997
• Garment: Women's and Misses' "Do-It-Yourself" Hobby Apron (3 Views)
• Size: One Size
• Condition: Factory Folded and Unused

Design

The full, flared skirt is built from three shaped sections edged in contrasting double-fold bias tape, and a wide lower pocket band runs across the front for a hammer, a rag, or paint brushes. A smaller upper pocket closes with a button or a hammer-on snap. View A is made in one fabric; View B pairs a solid top with a plaid lower section; View C drops the bib for a waist apron. The neck strap adjusts with a four-inch closure or snap fasteners, and the envelope suggests hard-wearing ticking, denim, percale, or gingham. Eight pieces, with McCall's Easy-Rule fitting feature.

A Moment in Fashion History

The 1950s do-it-yourself boom sent new homeowners into the garage and workshop to paint, panel, and repair their own houses, and pattern companies took note. Here McCall gives the woman of the house her own work apron, shown with a hammer in one hand, a practical companion to the kitchen aprons that filled the catalog. McCall's offered a his-and-hers version the same year, McCall's 1941, the Mr. and Mrs. "Work Shop" Aprons, and in July 1955 the two shared a page in the McCall Printed Patterns catalog. The pattern numbers are a coincidence: Nos. 1941 and 1942 both date from 1954.

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. The front shows one woman holding a hammer in the red version and another holding a bottle in the plaid-trimmed version, with the bibless waist apron and the folded apron drawn below. A faint, reversed red stamp from a store's no-return notice shows on the front, likely transferred from a neighboring envelope. We've also included page H6997 of the July 1955 McCall Printed Patterns catalog, where it appears beside McCall's 1941.

Connections

On page H6997 of the July 1955 McCall Printed Patterns catalog, this Do-It-Yourself Hobby Apron shares the page with McCall's 1941, the Mr. and Mrs. "Work Shop" Aprons from the same year. Both trade ruffles for rows of tool pockets, made for the home workshop and hobby table. See McCall's 1941 Mr. and Mrs. "Work Shop" Aprons.