Not just for grandmas
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No comments [ Add Comment ]By BECKY WRIGHT
Standard-Examiner staff
bwright@standard.net
Jill Grover has always been excited about aprons.
"The neighbor girl had aprons -- a stack of them," Grover said, remembering back to when she was 4 years old. "I would wait to play with her, so we could play dress-up with her aprons."
When she grew up, aprons took on a deeper meaning.
"People remember their grandmothers with aprons," she said. "That's why I want to wear an apron, because I loved my grandmother. .<2009>.<2009>. When I saw her in an apron, I knew there was something good in the oven, and those are good thoughts."
Grover now has her own line of aprons selling around the world, but these aren't aprons designed just for grandmas -- these are brightly colored coverups with sassy details, and they're loved by young trend-setters. She's also finding success with slipper, handbag and hair-accessory designs.
Pioneering spirit
Grover, of Brigham City, started her JillieWillie line of aprons two years ago.
"I started it because I went on a piowith some kids," she said.
Grover's great-great-great-grandfather was James G. Willie, captain of a Mormon handcart company known for suffering through snows in Wyoming. She grew up with stories about her pioneer ancestors, but says walking in their footsteps made her appreciate them more.
"I started to do the aprons in honor of the pioneers," she said.
Grover takes great care with her aprons, making wide ties and lining the pockets. Modern touches include small pockets for cell phones, and bright, funky colors and patterns.
"I mixed today with yesterday, in a legacy of love," she said.
The product name, JillieWillie, also combines old and new.
"Jillie's from my name, and Willie's from my great-great-great-grandfather," she said, adding, "My maiden name was Williams, so my dad always called me Jillie Willie, so it worked."
Rocky Ridge
Grover designed her first batch of aprons to sell at Brigham City's Peach Days event a couple of years ago. She and her sister, Debbie Griffiths, stitched as many as they could, but sold out in two hours. They decided to go into business.
"She was a killer sewer," Grover said of her sister. "She got sick six months into it and passed away, just out of nowhere."
Grover wasn't sure she wanted to keep making aprons without her sister.
"She was such a huge part of it. I was just sad; it reminded me of her," she said. "But then I could hear her saying, 'Get going, you dumb girl -- get back to work.' "
She still has a few of the aprons sewn by her sister, and it's difficult to send one of those out to a customer.
"It's hard to part with it because she made it, but it's a good memory," Grover said. "When I send it out, I think 'These people are getting something really special.' "
Roots
Grover started sewing when she was about 10 years old.
"I came from a large family, and I sewed to survive when I was in school," she said.
She often wore hand-me-downs from cousins, including one who attended the same school. Grover modified that cousin's old clothes so they weren't identifiable.
"One dress she had, I took it and cut it up and turned it into a bag, and she came (up) and said, 'That's a cute bag,' " Grover remembered. "She didn't recognize it because I had two different fabrics with it. I remember I made a scarf out of the bottom half of the dress. .. I always had to think out of the box."
Grover took her creative skills to college, where she studied interior design. Though she had a flair for it, she didn't fully enjoy the job.
"I felt like I was kind of cheating people out of making their house how they wanted it," she said. Plus, she didn't like being surrounded by the neutral colors popular in homes.
"After two days of working like that, with no color, I couldn't wait to get in the car," she said.
Grover's use of color in her aprons is exuberant. Her favorite colors are chartreuse, hot pink, turquoise, aqua and yellow.
"I don't care what fashion tells us is color and what's in. ... If it's a happy thing, and feels right, then I like it," she said.
Grover's business is growing rapidly, and she's expanded to design slippers, shoes, bags, hair accessories, housedresses, tablecloths, dish towels and even kitchen gloves.
After publicity trips to New York, her designs received favorable write-ups in national magazines, including Ladies' Home Journal, Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion and Cooking With Paula Deen.
Grover found out that a sample apron she sent to "Live With Regis and Kelly" went home with the female star. She met Kelly Ripa later, when her daughter danced on the show.
"When I said I was with JillieWillie, she got excited and hugged me," Grover said. "She told me how much she loves her 'Baby Doll' apron -- she calls it her 'sexy apron.' "
The aprons and other products are sold in boutiques and on her Web site, www.jilliewillie.com. One of her slipper designs is also featured in the Neiman Marcus catalog. Deseret Book is trying the aprons at one store in Utah County, and will expand if sales go well.
Because of demand, Grover had to give up sewing each piece. Most of her aprons are made in a factory in California, and she's proud of the "USA" label on those and the gloves. To keep near the target price of $19 to $39, one of the aprons, and most of the bags and slippers, are made in China.
It's still a family business. Her husband and children critique her designs, take photographs, manage the warehouse, help with shipping and more.
"I touch everything that goes out. I want to make sure when I turn it over to someone that it's done just right," Grover said.
Practical, yet perky
Grover's designs are fun, but practical. Her "Mop Slippers" have a fluffy mop sole that clean the floor while walking. The material on her fancy kitchen gloves is laminated for easy cleaning.
The aprons are always made with someone in mind -- from party hostesses to schoolteachers to men who love to barbecue. The apron named "Nine Pockets" was designed for scrapbookers.
All of the aprons have names, and some are named after family members. Ada, one of the most popular designs, was inspired by Grover's grandmother.
"That extra-big pocket I did was in honor of her, because she always had big pockets full of treats," she said.
Beautiful memories
Grover sometimes hears from the people who buy her products.
"I think people who own aprons are just really kind people," she said.
One of her favorite letters was sent by a woman from Florida.
"She was darling, and said, 'I'm sitting here with my granny, and we're making cookies. Granny's wearing the apron I had you send to her. ... I'll never forget this day; it's a memory day,' " said Grover, quoting the letter.
"It made me happy, because that's what I want them to do -- bring happiness and memories, so that they can have that memory of the apron and their grandmother in 20 years."
Jill Grover will speak on "Thoughtful Gifts and Goodies" at the Just for Her women's conference on Sept. 23 at Weber State University. For more information, call 625-4559.
