Original 1950 McCall Pattern No. 1594 - Women's and Misses' Organdy Apron

Original 1950 McCall Pattern No. 1594 for a sheer organdy half apron in three views, designed for women's and misses' hostess and party wear, with a sweeping scroll cut into the hem and chintz or appliquéd-rose trim. One Size. Uncut but not factory folded, with the uncut transfer included.

Quick Facts

• Pattern Number: McCall No. 1594
• Year: 1950; also found in the December 1953 McCall catalog, Page 675
• Garment: Women's and Misses' Organdy Apron (3 Views), with Transfer
• Size: One Size
• Condition: Uncut but Not Factory Folded, 5 Pieces; Uncut Transfer

Design

McCall 1594 is a gathered half apron cut from a single "whole apron" piece of organdy, set on a waistband with long tie strings. Its signature is the hem: on one side the lower edge sweeps up into a deep curved scroll, and each view decorates that curve differently. View A, shown in pink, trims the scroll with a floral motif cut from a chintz remnant. View B, in white, pairs the organdy with a chintz waistband, a chintz pocket, and scattered chintz appliqués; the pattern prints suggested shapes for cutting them. View C, in charcoal, follows the scroll with piping and a rose-and-leaf appliqué from the Electric Blue transfer, embroidered in bright green, light yellow green, and black. Views A and C take 1¼ yards of 36" organdy (1 yard of 42"); View B takes 1⅛ yards of organdy plus ½ yard of chintz. Five pattern pieces and one transfer, with ¼" seams suited to fine fabric and a Cut and Sew Guide.

A Moment in Fashion History

By 1950 the half apron had moved out of the kitchen and into the living room. Sheer organdy aprons like this one were worn over a party dress to serve guests, protecting the dress without hiding it, and McCall's envelope makes the point by dressing all three models for an evening at home, in off-the-shoulder necklines and bracelets. Organdy is crisp enough to hold the scrolled hem and gathers, and sheer enough that chintz roses and appliqué seem to float on it. McCall made a selling point of its "Electric Blue" transfer, promising it would stamp on both dark and light material, which is what made a rose on charcoal organdy possible. The design was still in McCall's catalog three years later, in December 1953, sharing page 675 with McCall 1279, a bow apron McCall had been selling since the 1940s.

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. Three hostesses model the views: View A in pink organdy with a chintz rose spray along the scroll, View B in white with chintz roses on the pocket and waistband, and View C in charcoal with red appliquéd roses, with a small back view showing the long sash bow and a large rose-and-leaf motif from the transfer at lower left. We've also included page 675 of the December 1953 McCall catalog, where it appears beside McCall 1279, a bow apron trimmed with embroidered roses.

Connections

On page 675 of the December 1953 McCall catalog, this organdy party apron shares the page with McCall 1279, the Bow Apron. Both are dressed in roses: here chintz roses and an appliquéd rose spray floating on sheer organdy, there embroidered roses in satin-stitch above crisp ribbon bows. See McCall 1279 Misses' Bow Apron.