Front And Rear Pleated Apron C. 1460-1500

Front And Rear Pleated Apron C. 1460-1500

Front and Rear Pleated Apron
As Worn in Southern Germany, Switzerland, and Austria
c. 1460-1500
By: Herrin Emeludt Hänsler m.k.a. Emmie Smith
Background: This apron is based on period depictions in art, of women wearing this style of apron. I
was not able to find an extant example of this piece, nor any wills or other documentation to further
describe the apron. I hope that as I continue my research I will be able to find some additional
evidence, like the latter. Additionally, though I have searched, I have only found examples of women
wearing this apron and only when the work was of a “messy” nature. This seems to be the apron of
choice when the desire is to protect one’s clothing from stains. The attached examples show scenarios
where the apron was worn while cooking and baking, assisting with birthing, helping the sick or
injured, and working in the fields. 1-9 The apron evolved with time, and by the end of the 15th Century
it appears to have had several inches of pleating that was stayed or locked in place. I choose to follow
the pattern of the apron shown in the Geburt of Hl. Rochus4 as that is within my persona’s time period.
This example demonstrates a few inches of a tighter pleating at the top of the apron.4-9
Supplies: White linen fabric (approx. 2 yards), white linen thread, needle, and scissors. I used white
linen fabric and thread for this project, as linen was a commonly used fabric12,13 during the time period.
Also, in light of the use of this apron, to protect one’s clothing during “messy” work, linen was best
suited as it could be easily cleaned with bleaching methods.
Assembly:
(1) I worked with two pieces of linen, 36 inches wide and 55 inches long (the length of the fabric
selvage to selvage), 36 inches is approx. my chest measurement and would ensure comfortable
movement without the top of the apron having too much fabric for the desired look with the
pleating. I measured from my upper chest to approx. mid-shin and cut the length of the linen at
that measurement. The cut edge is the bottom hem and the selvage as the top of the apron. The
pieces of linen that were cut from the larger piece were used to make the facing/straps on the
apron.
(2) The two large pieces of linen fabric were sewn together using a running stitch,10,11 from the
hem to approx. mid-hip.
The seams and hem were then finished by double-turning the edge to prevent fraying and
hemstitched10,11 in place.
(3) The top edge of both pieces were pleated with two lines of a gathering stitch11, approx. 3/4 -1
inch apart.
The fabric was pulled or pleated together and “locked” in place with an overcast stitch on the
last two pleats, on both sides, of the pleated fabric.
(4) The straps/facing was made from the remaining fabric using a modified hem stitch10 where the
facing/straps encases the top of the apron and overcast stitch11 on the straps, to sew the under
turned side to the selvage edge. The facing/straps is approx. 3/4 - 1 inch wide.
In the future I need to work on my pleating and finding a way to make it look neater or flatter when the
facing/straps encase the top of the apron, at the pleating. I also will make the straps a bit longer the
next time I make this style of apron. I also hope to find more documentation and to support and make
an apron in this style with colored straps, but as of right now I have only found examples of this in the
early 16th Century. Honestly, I need to hand sew a bit more for practice. Hopefully that will assist me
with neater stitching in the future.
Sources:
1. Issac's Benediction. 1460. Franziskaner-Kosterkirche, Kiel, Germany. Bildindex Der Kunst Und
Architekur. Web. 24 Aug. 2010. <http://www.bildindex.de>.
2. Meister De Fridolfinger Altars. Beheading of St. John of the Taufers. 1491/1500. Staatliche
Kunsthalle, Karlsruhe, Germany. Bildindex Der Kunst Und Architekur. Web. 25 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.bildindex.de>.
3. Illustrationszyklus Chronik. Pastetenbacker. 1485/1495. Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek, Wein,
Austria. REALonline - Digitales Bildarchiv. Web. 8 Nov. 2010.
<http://www.imareal.oeaw.at/realonline>.
4. Geburt of Hl. Rochus. 1475/1485. St. Lorenz, Nurnberg, Germany. REALonline - Digitales
Bildarchiv. Web. 9 Nov. 2010. <http://www.imareal.oeaw.at/realonline>.
5. Geburt Mariens. 1488. Stadtmuseum, Wels, Austria. REALonline - Digitales Bildarchiv. Web. 10
Jul . 2011. <http://www.imareal.oeaw.at/realonline>.
6. Grngungslegende von Heiligenstadt. 1485/1495. Schlomuseum Anmerkungen, Linz, Austria.
REALonline - Digitales Bildarchiv. Web. 10 Jul. 2011.
<http://www.imareal.oeaw.at/realonline>.
7. Meister von Mariapfarr. Birth of Mary. 1495/1505. Mariapfarr Pfarrkirche, Mariapfarr, Austria.
REALonline - Digitales Bildarchiv. Web. 9 Nov. 2010.
<http://www.imareal.oeaw.at/realonline>.
8. Albrecht Durer. The Cook and his Wife. 1497. The Art Institute of Chicago Museum, Chicago,
Illinois. Web. 2 Feb. 2010. <http://www.artic.edu/aic/>.
9. Birth of Mary. 1460/1465. Württembergischen Landesmuseum, Stuttgart, Germany. ZUM.de Zentrale für Unterrichtsmedien im Internet e.V. Web. 25 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.zum.de/Faecher/G/BW/Landeskunde/rhein/geschichte/spaetma/ka/wohnen1.htm>.
10. Jones, Heather Rose. "Archaeological Sewing." Heather Rose Jones. 29 Feb. 2004. Web. 24 Apr.
2012. <http://heatherrosejones.com/archaeologicalsewing/index.html>.
11. Carlson, Jennifer L. "Sewing Stitches Used in Medieval Clothing." Some Clothing of the Middle
Ages. 25 Feb. 2002. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. <http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marccarlson/cloth/stitches.htm>.
12. Fragments of Marientoddarstellung Chasuble (details, linen ground and silk thread embroidery).
1490/1500. Schnütgen-Museum, Köln, Germany. Bildindex Der Kunst Und Architekur. Web.
25 Apr. 2012. <http://www.bildindex.de>.
13. Fragment - Linen Fabric with Print. 1401/1500. Museum für Angewandte, Köln, Germany.
Bildindex Der Kunst Und Architekur. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. <http://www.bildindex.de>.