Original 1945 McCall Pattern No. 1231 - Ladies' and Misses' Apron with Transfer

Original 1945 McCall Pattern No. 1231 for a ladies' and misses' scalloped half apron with pointed contrast pockets and embroidered flower sprays, from McCall's Printed Pattern with Transfer line. Complete Nice Condition, with an uncut transfer.

Quick Facts

• Pattern Number: McCall No. 1231
• Year: 1945
• Garment: Ladies' and Misses' Apron, with Transfer
• Size: One Size
• Condition: Complete Nice Condition; Comes with Uncut Transfer (Yellow)
• Envelope Condition: Envelope Worn and Professionally Repaired with Lineco Acid-Free Archival Tissue and Acid-Free Adhesive

Design

A gathered half apron falls from a waistband with a scalloped upper band and long tie strings, and its hem is finished in deep scallops with a shaped lower facing. Two pockets are set into the front, each opening in a sharp point lined in a contrasting fabric, and the transfer's flower sprays are embroidered down either side to frame them. The apron takes just 1½ yards of 35- or 39-inch material, plus ⅜ yard of contrast for the pockets and three skeins of six-strand cotton for the embroidery. The transfer also carries a large star flower with heart-shaped leaves. Eight pieces and one transfer, with McCall's Cut and Sew Guide and French and Spanish translation on the pattern.

A Moment in Fashion History

In 1945 fabric was still scarce, and a half apron like this one asked very little of it: a yard and a half for the apron, scraps of a contrasting color for the pocket points, and embroidery floss to do the decorating that extra fabric could not. The envelope shows it as a hostess apron, worn over a dress while carrying a tray of glasses, a small luxury of color and handwork for the evenings when friends came by. McCall printed the transfer in blue or yellow, so it would show on light or dark fabric.

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 a woman in a black V-neck dress wearing the apron in white with red embroidery and red pocket points, a redhead in mustard carrying a tray of glasses in a gray version trimmed in green, and a smaller figure in pink in a blue apron, with the blue apron laid flat below and the transfer's star flower drawn at the top.

Connections

Cut from a yard and a half, with contrasting scraps for the pocket points and embroidery doing the decorating, this 1945 apron shows how wartime thrift and McCall's flair for kitchen fun went hand in hand. Explore our exhibits showcasing the resourcefulness and everyday style of wartime home sewing, Women of WWII, and the whimsical, decorative side of kitchen textiles, Kitschy Kitchen -- McCall Edition.