Far from having a checkered past, gingham aprons were popular kitchen fashions in the mid-twentieth century. This charming volume of over 300 full color photographs is devoted to beautiful, meticulously handcrafted garments in a myriad of designs: unpretentious, complicated, serious, and whimsical. Lively geometric patterns, stars and flowers, kittens and butterflies, trees and acorns, prayers and blessings are all presented in the cross stitch section alone. Another section is devoted to rickrack decoration, including regular rickrack, miniature and jumbo rickrack, as well as rickrack-cross stitch combinations. Yet another section is filled with techniques that include aprons with pulled thread patterns, smocking, Teneriffe Lace, and stairstep borders. This lavish volume includes engaging, informative captions with values and is a must for all textile designers and collectors of vintage household linens.