She has also written "The Apron Book" (Andrews McMeel, $16.95), which not only tells apron stories but also includes patterns for making them. (Earlier, she co-wrote "Apron Chronicles: A Patchwork of American Recollections," which has been out of print, but is scheduled to go into its second printing this month.)

Aprons are having "a magnificent revival," she said. "After decades of a bad rap, of being thrown and folded away, they are coming back."

And why not? she asks. They still make good sense.

It used to be, "that we dressed up to stay home." Then life became more casual. Fabrics became easier to care for. Up until 1999, "I wiped my hands on my clothes like anyone else. But why not wipe them on a protective garment that can be worn a few times between washings and is easier to wash than clothes? Plus, I can carry everything I need in the pockets — glasses, lip gloss, whatever I need to truck around the house."

She now has "a luscious apron drawer," she said, "that is a cacophony of color and style. I find any occasion I can to wear them."

In the seven years since she got into aprons, interest has not waned, she said. "No matter where I go, I meet someone who has an apron story. It's a universal symbol. Everyone knows what it is."

Sometimes, she admits, the reaction is negative. "I was in Greenville, S.C., in September, and as I was talking about aprons, a women in the back hollered out 'strangulation.' For some women that is what aprons were, and I also want that point of view to be represented. The memories aprons trigger are different for every person, but they all have memories."

And some are just delightful, she said, including the woman whose grandmother died, and following the funeral, she went back to the house thinking the one thing she would like of her grandmother's was her apron. Unfortunately, it was not to be found, and she gave it up for lost. "But she couldn't stop thinking about that apron, and went on eBay to see if she could find something similar.

"She saw a grouping of aprons that looked much the same and placed the highest bid to get them. It was only then that she learned it was her mother who was selling her grandmother's aprons."

Then there was the woman who had never sewn before, but after she got married, decided to make an apron and pot holders for her mother-in-law. "They were a sorry sight, but the mother-in-law oohed and aahed over them. When the mother-in-law died, the woman found the apron among her things, all stained and worn. It meant so much to her. It made her love and miss her mother-in-law all the more. Those were stains of love."

Since she has started collecting aprons, Geisel has seen a dramatic change in the market. "Back in '99, I could get them for a dime. If I had to pay a quarter, I'd give it real thought. Now, they cost upwards of $15," which still makes them a bargain, she added.

She also gets a lot of aprons in the mail, sent in by people who want the "Apron Lady" to take care of them. "My heart does a flip-flop whenever that happens. There's almost always a hand-written note. I say hello to a memory. I feel so lucky to be the one who gets to keep them."

If you have old aprons, Geisel has a couple of words of advice. "Give them a gentle wash to get any starch out. Starch will collect bugs."

Then, she added, unless the aprons are very worn or are priceless heirlooms, "use them. They are meant to be used."

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E-mail: carma@desnews.com