Original 1942 McCall Pattern No. 957 - Mr. and Mrs. Dog-House Aprons and Pot Holders

Original 1942 McCall Pattern No. 957 for matching his-and-hers aprons with Dog House pockets and puppy pot holders, made for a husband and wife to share the kitchen. One size. Complete and in nice condition, with an uncut transfer.

Quick Facts

• Pattern Number: McCall No. 957
• Year: 1942; also found in the July 1948 McCall catalog, Page 48
• Garment: Mr. and Mrs. Aprons with Dog House Pockets and Pot Holders
• Size: One Size
• Condition: Complete Nice Condition; Envelope Worn and Professionally Repaired with Lineco Acid-Free Archival Tissue and Acid-Free Adhesive; Comes with Uncut Transfer, Transfer Shows Some Damage

Design

McCall 957 gives the man of the house an apron of his own. View A is a sturdy bib apron with a neck strap, a contrast trimming band across the bib, and long tie strings; View B is the lady's version, gathered at the waistline for a soft flare, with a tie belt and contrast bands above and at the hem. Both carry the pattern's best joke: a little Dog House pocket with a rick-rack roof and "DOG HOUSE" lettered above the door, where a winking puppy appliqué peeks out. On his apron the house is embroidered "I'm in again," and on both, a puppy-shaped pot holder tucks right into the pocket. The pattern includes 11 pieces and McCall's Blue transfer for the lettering and embroidery, with denim, percale, or unbleached muslin suggested for him and gingham, percale, chintz, or chambray for her.

A Moment in Fashion History

Mr. and Mrs. aprons were a lighthearted invitation for husbands to pitch in at home, and McCall 957 leans into the joke of a husband who has landed "in the doghouse." It arrived in 1942, as American households adjusted to wartime rationing and made the most of every yard of fabric; each apron here takes just a yard and a quarter. The design stayed popular long after the war: McCall's July 1948 catalog still shows it on page 48, beside two other wartime aprons, McCall 987 and 917.

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. A smiling husband in a gray suit and his wife in a blue dress walk arm in arm in matching red-and-white striped aprons, she holding a puppy pot holder, with plain versions sketched beside them and a close-up of the Dog House pocket and pot holder below. We've also included page 48 of the July 1948 McCall catalog, where the Dog-House Aprons still appear six years later alongside McCall 987 and 917.

Connections

In the July 1948 McCall catalog, the Dog-House Aprons share page 48 with two more wartime favorites still selling six years later: McCall 987, a slim princess-line apron trimmed with tassels and outline embroidery (also available in bust 40-42), and McCall 917, a crisp ruffled pinafore for ladies, misses, and girls.

McCall made aprons for everyone in the household: matching sets for mother and daughter, his-and-hers aprons for Mr. and Mrs., and junior aprons for brother and sister, so the whole family could pitch in together. Explore McCall Family Aprons in Kitschy Kitchen -- McCall Edition.