A dainty Japanese lady with a Chinese lantern...one of my Japanese friends did not like this apron when I showed it to her! She said the designer had made the mistake of confusing the Chinese and Japanese cultures - common to Westerners! Oh well, I still think it is a nice apron!
A very unusual design, don't you think? And such a lot of work, all that stem stitching to fill in the dress! I have a few aprons with the patterns filled in like this, and every time I look at them, I am amazed at the amount of work involved.
This image is not very clear, as the cotton material has been worn thin over the years and doesn't photograph well. But you can still make out the Spanish flamenco dancer, and the black crocheted edge which is such a perfect finishing touch.
I won this on eBay, and as with so many from that source, I have no information whatever about who stitched it, or when and where it was done. My guess is that it dates from the early 1950's.
This sensational apron always receives cries of delight when I show it off! It dates back to the 1930's I believe, and was stitched by a lady in NSW, according to the eBay seller who sold it to me.
