Makers include: Fiona Jellie, Heather Barker, Jane Bear,
Gail Maddern, Vicki Fenton, Trish Hook, Deb Baillie, Irene Pagram
Sharry Trease, Jen Grenfell, Sue Tate, Sandy Batten, Lynne Richardson

‘Once Upon and Apron’ -  Artist Statements
 
Deb Baillie
“Gardening/Seed Gathering”
The uses of aprons are as diverse as aprons themselves; often adapting to the need of the wearer.
My apron is named as such because it is mostly created using botanical items, namely leaves which are eco printed on to the fabric. As well, the use of machine stitching, hand-stitching and text are used; the texted ties showing some of the amazing variety of uses of the humble apron. My apron features an added bonus of a pocket as it serves a wonderful purpose of collecting seeds to grow even more beautiful plants. Material for the making of the apron was upcycled, being sourced from our local op shop.

Vicki Fenton
“Masks”
Noticing a lot of disposable masks around town on the ground stirred concerns in me.  Alas our beautiful wildlife is suffering from getting caught up in elastic bands. Simply by cutting off the elastic bands helps with this issue. 
These masks are also getting washed up on beaches all over the world!
 
Fiona Jellie
Early memories of apron wearers bring forth images of Mum and my two Nannas. After that I think of the blue and white striped butcher’s apron, made with heavy cotton to catch the splatters as meat is cut. I saw this as a child on my frequent trips to the butchers across the road and down the street from our family business. Hanging off the butcher’s hip was a scabbard holding knife and steel. Enclosing his hand, a metal chain glove: to securely hold the meat and protect the hand holding it as it’s cut with a razor-sharp knife. This is the basis of my apron. Metal. Knitted.  Forming my own chain mail. This apron protects those who wear it.
 
Irene Pagram
'Loud Apron/Church Cover Up' in a body of artworks about trauma.
 
For those who survived and those that did not; for those who spoke out, and for those who could not.
 
Graphite drawing on plant-stained silk, ribbons.
 
Trish Hook
‘Untitled’
This crochet apron is from a “yarnspiration” pattern with some adjustments.  It is dedicated to my 92-year-old mother who still wears aprons and looks so beautiful in this colour blue.
 
Gail Maddern
"Wandering Pinny"
A covid journey.
Starting in the surf and sand for a beach play day,
Followed by a visit to the charred heathland for a charcoal rub,
Then out to the grasslands and salt lakes.
Eventually arriving at Barwon Downs to join up
with other diverse members of the apron family,
to hang out together for a couple of weeks.
 
Each stage of the journey had some form of absorption
in the environmental elements to
create this Wandering Pinny to this stage.
I enjoy the art of ecodyeing in a variety of methods,
Ranging from very rustic to specific design pieces.
 
Jane Bear
“Downstairs Apron”
Downstairs maids wore a full-length apron that covered their clothes, while doing the dirty house work.
 
This Apron is patched using eco dyed marked woollen fabric. These pieces are hand stitched together as a tribute to the manual work and the marks represent the type of dirty work carried out.
 
Sandy Batten
“It’s a little like Kinda”
Spending hours with friends joyfully playing and learning in the beautiful grounds of my then neighbourhood kindergarten during the 60’s is the inspiration behind my apron – getting it splattered with paint or wiping my paint dripping fingers on it without a care in the world.  Picking out faces in the messy paint marks left on paper or on the apron and making up a story about them brought such joy.
 
Curtain backing fabric forms this apron and the painted splotches and marks is a collaborative effort by a bunch of artists playing with handmade brushes and tools – having fun, learning and sharing on a sunny day 12 months ago.   It felt a little like Kinda!

Heather Barker
"French Maid's Apron"
The term French maid is now often applied to an eroticised and strongly modified style of servant's dress that evolved from typical housemaid's black-and-white afternoon uniforms of 19th-century France. I think of this style of apron as a symbol of servility because the duties of a lady's maid did not require an apron to protect her clothes. The sexualisation of the uniform adds to the elements of servility and exploitation implicit in the apron. The weathering and possible disintegration of the apron on the line holds the promise of the disintegration of exploitation of women in the future.       
 
Lynne Richardson
"Servant or Slave"-
Inspired by the Documentary on SBS of same name.
Symbolic work
Apron - Well made Tailored white linen- uniform to keep woman in their place- domestic service/slavery
Sub Apron - (back) history of slavery in pictures from Ancient times to now (reference Wikipeadia)
Sub Apron (hidden) emotional depiction of pain felt by those suffering slavery
Pocket 1 - Empty vessel- indicating the lost cultural significance of work such as weaving and the lost stories that surrounded their creation
Pocket 2 Bread- what most women were imprisoned for- kept in poverty by the elite class
-having to steal bread- the most staple of all food to feed their children
Red- (bloodshed) ribbon- umbilical cord we are all tied together by our common humanity .
Notes on ribbon a history of slavery in words (reference wikapeadia)- (that will fly on the wind)
and be lost to all but the ears & eyes of those who have empathy or interest to look to the past
and the present in order to change the future.
Fake $50 note- by which the modern world is currently enslaved.
 
Jenny Grenfell

The Many Faces of Woman
My apron identifies and explores the roles that, over time, have been used to identify women  and their place in western society . I have identified them as the domestic goddess (the apron), the aesthetic object (the image on the apron) and the face of the 21st century professional woman wearing the apron.
Recent events and community discussion would indicate that we continue to engage with these issues in contemporary society. 

Media:  Silk , various fabric dyes and fabric pens.



Sue Tate
Delicious is, as delicious does. 
Many a delicious meal made me what I am today.
Worn by the maker while cooking hearty delicious meals for walkers on the Great Ocean Walk,  2011 to 2015.
 
Sharryn Trease
The Eco Printed Apron
A homage to the importance of nature and the need to reduce, reuse and recycle to protect our environment.

​Marlene Kluzek
The apron dated back as far as the 17th century medieval times coined by the French as the Napron.  Whether shortened by the French et al became called the apron.   The apron was developed to protect, whether to protect the body from physical harm or to protect clothing, industry, home economics, laborites, forensics, uniforms and even rituals the apron has and is still worn today in the 21st Century.
MY crazy apron has nothing to do with protection instead was made to honour the apron and to honour creative minds.  Further to this my apron evolved from utilising wool felts and natural fibre valued greatly worldwide.
The Australian wool industry made our country as dedicated sheep farmers through husbandry, high nutritional studies to lead to excellent outcomes for wool and meat.