Home Hero Capes

By: Holly Brantley

This is an excerpt from GlobeMiamiTimes Spring 2009. Holly’s aaprons have become so popular that The White Porch now structures a social event around her aprons!  This Friday from 5-6pm, everyone is invited to the Porch to discover the new ‘Valentine’s Aprons’ and sample some goodies.

In Search Of Comfort

Times are a tad bit tougher these days than most young people have ever seen. But many generations before have seen such hardships. The lesson learned from those times gone by is that with hope and sacrifice the tough times will pass and we will be better for the strength we gained going through the process.
O.K. with that great piece of wisdom out of the way, a question popped into my mind.  What will bring us comfort in this uncomfortable time? I searched the place that brings me most comfort, my childhood. There in that world existed the memory of my Grandmother. She was the matriarch of our family. She is who cared for us when our Mother was working. She is who watched over us, fed us, refereed us and comforted us when we needed it most. There’s that word, comfort. You ask how? When we got hurt she wiped our tears and our booboo’s with that wonderful tool that she always wore, her apron.
Memory serves up Grandmas apron collection. There was the every day cotton, the clever dish towel design, the for special occasion only chiffon, the Christmas apron with poinsettias and of course the cute cocktail ones with the martini glasses. Grandma was quite stylish in her aprons and always ready to take care of someone’s needs.
This thought brought me comfort in a time of craziness. I decided to give birth to my idea of comfort, I decided to create and make aprons. Now aprons have gotten a bad rap in the past as a representative of nothing more than a sign of servitude. Well I wanted to put that horrible picture out of every ones mind and stress the memories of comfort an apron can bring to us from our childhood. I thought of a logo and decided that my aprons would celebrate the one who would proudly wear an apron. The ones that will wear my aprons will be forever remembered as wearing a “Home Hero Cape”. On February 5, 2009 the apron business was born in my craft room in Ice House Canyon, Globe, Az.
The first apron I made was an original design. I wanted it to be girly so it’s red and white, just perfect for Valentines Day. But it didn’t come out so well. I keep it to keep me humble. The 2 aprons after that were made from a pattern and they were shapely and colorful. When I walked into The White Porch, the shop located at 101 N. Broad Street in Globe were I work on Fridays, I never even got to put a price tag on them before they were both bought right off of their hangers. I was comforted in knowing I had finally found my nitch.
I love the thrill of finding the fabrics for my creations. Some I buy and some has been given to me by some really great Ladies who have no idea what to do with their fabric stash. I take great care in finding and developing new apron patterns. Coordinating the fabrics so that the apron sings is sometimes easy and sometimes it takes a while. I do know that with every apron I make it is designed for that one special person who will love it always even if I have never or will never meet them.
You ask if I have a collection of aprons of my own? YES I do. Sometimes I find it hard to let a certain apron go and it gets added to my personal collection. I have holiday aprons and fashion aprons and even my shop apron. I own books on aprons and people e-mail me facts about aprons. Aprons are fun and every one of my daughters will have one before the year is out. I believe in sharing the love.
I did my research before starting on this path. I googled aprons and do so regularly to keep on top of the fresh and the new. At the time of this article there are roughly 4,500,000 sights listed for aprons. I guess there are a lot of people looking to find the childhood comfort zone in these crazy times.” Thank you Grandma for the special memories and the strength to go forward.”
Holly Brantley

“Home Hero Capes” can be found at The White Porch” located in the Cobre Valley Center for the Arts at 101 N. Broad in Globe, Az. Holly is there on Fridays and she takes special orders. Molly is there every other day except Tuesday and Wednesday. She can take your orders too.