Kantha, the ancient embroidery tradition from India, can be traced back to the first or second century. The needlework gave new life to old cloth by upcycling and repurposing various fabrics. Traditionally, the technique was used to create quilts, encompassing layers of old cotton or silk cloth sewn together using a running stitch, or kantha stitch, of coarse thread. The J. Catma Kantha Apron now applies this unique approach to exclusively sourced, colorful vintage textiles resulting in these soft, thick, one-of-a-kind aprons. These authentic pieces come directly from artisans in India who curate and produce them in small batches. You won’t find these kitchen accessories anywhere else.

Made from a range of beautiful upcycled textiles, each apron is unique, coming directly from artisans in India who source the colorful vintage fabric and produce them in small batches.

Please note, these aprons are all handmade, no two will be alike. Choose the color way you like, however the exact pattern/patchwork will not exactly the same as shown in the pictures. We love the adjustable neck, as it helps ensure a comfortable fit. And these vibrant, durable aprons are unlikely to fade with use, as they’ve already been pre-washed to ensure their rich colors stay true.

Kantha, the ancient embroidery tradition from India, can be traced back to the first or second century. The needlework gave new life to old cloth by upcycling and repurposing various fabrics. Traditionally, the technique was used to create quilts, encompassing layers of old cotton or silk cloth sewn together using a running stitch, or kantha stitch, of coarse thread. The J. Catma Kantha Apron now applies this unique approach to exclusively sourced, colorful vintage textiles resulting in these soft, thick, one-of-a-kind aprons. These authentic pieces come directly from artisans in India who curate and produce them in small batches. You won’t find these kitchen accessories anywhere else.

Made from a range of beautiful upcycled textiles, each apron is unique, coming directly from artisans in India who source the colorful vintage fabric and produce them in small batches.

Please note, these aprons are all handmade, no two will be alike. Choose the color way you like, however the exact pattern/patchwork will not exactly the same as shown in the pictures. We love the adjustable neck, as it helps ensure a comfortable fit. And these vibrant, durable aprons are unlikely to fade with use, as they’ve already been pre-washed to ensure their rich colors stay true.

Founded in 2003 by six Ghanian women, Global Mamas is a nonprofit organization aimed at helping African women grow their businesses as artisans. This beautiful apron combines a batik patchwork design on one side and an upcycled flour sack on the other, all hand-sewn and personally signed by seamstresses in Prampram, Ghana. Besides being a durable apron in the kitchen, we love the new life these aprons give to upcycled materials, all while supporting African women and their businesses.

Founded in 2003 by six Ghanian women, Global Mamas is a nonprofit organization aimed at helping African women grow their businesses as artisans. This beautiful apron combines a batik patchwork design on one side and an upcycled flour sack on the other, all hand-sewn and personally signed by seamstresses in Prampram, Ghana. Besides being a durable apron in the kitchen, we love the new life these aprons give to upcycled materials, all while supporting African women and their businesses.

Don’t be fooled by this apron’s stunning design—it’s actually been used as a functional piece of workwear for centuries in Japan. They’re produced in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture (the last remaining area of production in Japan) and made from durable cotton that’ll stand up to frequent use. These aprons from Anything Co. are made on century-old Toyota shuttle looms (yes, the car company, which originally started out as a loom manufacturer). They’re colored with a rich indigo using resist-dyeing techniques, which allows the original white shade of the fabric to come through in the design and not bleed or fade over time. We love how the color fades a bit with use—typically, this is a sign in Japan of well-worn beauty. The thick belts are also colored with white and red, both considered lucky colors, and are sturdy enough to offer lower back support when tied in a traditional fashion.

Sometimes the simplest kitchen tasks are the hardest. Like boiling an egg. I’ve also found that the simplest tools—such as aprons—are equally confusing. Aprons that are too short. (I like them to reach just above the knee.) Or aprons that are made of fabric that is too light or, on the other hand, too heavy. You feel like you’re in a woodworking shop. I like function in my kitchen with clean designs—no wild colors or cutesy printed messages. Our Chambray apron is not a gauzy fashion accessory but rather built to last for real cooks, substantial in terms of fabric weight but not overwhelming. Its wider-than-standard bib provides maximum protection from splatters, and the apron itself is the proper length—just above the knee for me. Some aprons are so short that you end up with flour or hot oil on your pants if you’re not careful! The two wide pockets are reinforced with metal rivets at the corners, so you can load them up with your instant-read thermometer, cellphone, a timer, a peeler or even a small kitchen towel. For a functional design element that complements the rustic look of this apron, we feature a large metal grommet at the neck for an easy adjustable neck strap—once you have the correct length, just tie a double knot.

Sometimes the simplest kitchen tasks are the hardest. Like boiling an egg. I’ve also found that the simplest tools—such as aprons—are equally confusing. Aprons that are too short. (I like them to reach just above the knee.) Or aprons that are made of fabric that is too light or, on the other hand, too heavy. You feel like you’re in a woodworking shop. I like function in my kitchen with clean designs—no wild colors or cutesy printed messages. Our elegant Gingham apron, an updated classic, is not a gauzy fashion accessory but rather built to last for real cooks, substantial in terms of fabric weight but not overwhelming. Its wider-than-standard bib provides maximum protection from splatters, and the apron itself is the proper length—just above the knee for me. Some aprons are so short that you end up with flour or hot oil on your pants if you’re not careful! The two wide waist pockets are great for a a cellphone, a timer, a peeler or even a small kitchen towel; for home cooks who like to mark up their recipes, we also added a breast pocket on this apron perfect for storing small items like pens. To keep things neat, this apron’s adjustable neckstrap uses a metal buckle (similar to a guitar strap) and avoids the issue of loose ends.

Sometimes the simplest kitchen tasks are the hardest. Like boiling an egg. I’ve also found that the simplest tools—such as aprons—are equally confusing. Aprons that are too short. (I like them to reach just above the knee.) Or aprons that are made of fabric that is too light or, on the other hand, too heavy. You feel like you’re in a woodworking shop. I like function in my kitchen with clean designs—no wild colors or cutesy printed messages. Our elegant French Stripe apron, patterned after those worn by European shopkeepers, is not a gauzy fashion accessory but rather built to last for real cooks, substantial in terms of fabric weight but not overwhelming. Its wider-than-standard bib provides maximum protection from splatters, and the apron itself is the proper length—just above the knee for me. Some aprons are so short that you end up with flour or hot oil on your pants if you’re not careful! The two wide pockets are great for an instant-read thermometer, a cellphone, a timer, a peeler or even a small kitchen towel. We also love the design of the adjustable neckstrap, which uses a metal buckle (similar to a guitar strap) and avoids the issue of loose ends.

Kantha, the ancient embroidery tradition from India, can be traced back to the first or second century. The needlework gave new life to old cloth by upcycling and repurposing various fabrics. Traditionally, the technique was used to create quilts, encompassing layers of old cotton or silk cloth sewn together using a running stitch, or kantha stitch, of coarse thread. The J. Catma Kantha Apron now applies this unique approach to exclusively sourced, colorful vintage textiles resulting in these soft, thick, one-of-a-kind aprons. These authentic pieces come directly from artisans in India who curate and produce them in small batches. You won’t find these kitchen accessories anywhere else.

Made from a range of beautiful upcycled textiles, each apron is unique, coming directly from artisans in India who source the colorful vintage fabric and produce them in small batches.

Please note, these aprons are all handmade, no two will be alike. Choose the color way you like, however the exact pattern/patchwork will not exactly the same as shown in the pictures. We love the adjustable neck, as it helps ensure a comfortable fit. And these vibrant, durable aprons are unlikely to fade with use, as they’ve already been pre-washed to ensure their rich colors stay true.

Kantha, the ancient embroidery tradition from India, can be traced back to the first or second century. The needlework gave new life to old cloth by upcycling and repurposing various fabrics. Traditionally, the technique was used to create quilts, encompassing layers of old cotton or silk cloth sewn together using a running stitch, or kantha stitch, of coarse thread. The J. Catma Kantha Apron now applies this unique approach to exclusively sourced, colorful vintage textiles resulting in these soft, thick, one-of-a-kind aprons. These authentic pieces come directly from artisans in India who curate and produce them in small batches. You won’t find these kitchen accessories anywhere else.

Made from a range of beautiful upcycled textiles, each apron is unique, coming directly from artisans in India who source the colorful vintage fabric and produce them in small batches.

Please note, these aprons are all handmade, no two will be alike. Choose the color way you like, however the exact pattern/patchwork will not exactly the same as shown in the pictures. We love the adjustable neck, as it helps ensure a comfortable fit. And these vibrant, durable aprons are unlikely to fade with use, as they’ve already been pre-washed to ensure their rich colors stay true.

These neatly designed aprons are the only ones our cooks use on Milk Street TV. They are not a gauzy fashion accessory—I like function in my kitchen with clean designs, without wild colors or cutesy printed messages. These aprons are beautiful, simple and built to last for real cooks, substantial in terms of fabric weight but not overwhelming. The wider-than-standard bibs provides maximum protection from splatters, and the apron itself is the proper length—just above the knee for me. Some aprons are so short that you end up with flour or hot oil on your pants if you’re not careful! For added convenience, the apron's adjustable neck strap uses a metal buckle (similar to a guitar strap) and avoids the issue of loose ends. The thick, durable cotton will soften over time, making for a custom fit, and is machine washable: use cold water and tumble dry low.