Original 1952 McCall's Pattern No. 1691 - Women's and Misses' Flower Petal Apron

Original 1952 McCall's Pattern No. 1691 for a women's and misses' flower petal apron, a short waist apron built from pointed, petal-shaped sections that open out like an upside-down blossom, designed for women's hostess and party wear. One Size. Factory folded and unused.

Quick Facts

• Pattern Number: McCall's No. 1691
• Year: 1952; promoted in catalog appearances from December 1953 to July 1955 (McCall catalog, December 1953, Page 671; McCall Printed Patterns catalog, July 1955, Page H6994)
• Garment: Women's and Misses' Flower Petal Apron (3 Views)
• Size: One Size
• Condition: Factory Folded and Unused, 10 Pieces

Design

McCall's 1691 is a waist apron made entirely of petals. Long, pointed sections are sewn side by side so the apron flares from a narrow waistband into a ring of petal tips at the hem, and the color scheme does the rest. View A, in two materials, is a plain apron, shown in blue, with its petal points faced in a print that matches the waistband and tie. View B, in four materials, alternates green, yellow, blue, and violet petals, edges every point with a full green ruffle, and ruffles the ties as well. View C, in three materials, is cut from black taffeta or organdy with each petal tipped in rose and green, like a flower just opening, and tied with green. Ten pattern pieces (three apron sections, a petal-point facing, three ruffle sections and a tie ruffle, waistband, and tie), with ¼" seams suited to taffeta and organdy and a Cut and Sew Guide. Each view takes only small amounts of each color, from ¼ to 1⅛ yards.

A Moment in Fashion History

The early 1950s hostess apron was meant to be looked at, and McCall's 1691 turns the whole apron into a flower. Short waist aprons like this were worn over a party dress to serve guests, and sheer organdy or rustling taffeta, with a ruffle at every petal tip, made them as much a part of the outfit as the dress. The design used small cuts of several colors, a good way to put remnants to work. It also proved a steady seller: after its 1952 copyright, McCall was still showing it in the December 1953 catalog and again in the July 1955 McCall Printed Patterns catalog.

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 blue with flowered petal tips, View B in four pastel colors with its green ruffles, and View C in black with rose and green tips, drawn flat to show the petals; two back views on the envelope back show the ties. We've also included page 671 of the December 1953 McCall catalog and page H6994 of the July 1955 McCall Printed Patterns catalog.

Connections

McCall kept this Flower Petal Apron in its catalogs for years, and it kept good company there. On page 671 of the December 1953 catalog it shares the page with McCall's 1650, an apron whose bib and pockets button on and off: one apron that turns itself into a flower, and one that changes with a few buttons to suit the job. By July 1955, on page H6994, it sat beside McCall 1279, a Bow Apron McCall had been offering since 1948. See McCall's 1650 Apron with Detachable Bib and Pockets and McCall 1279 Bow Apron.