Vintage Children's Primers & Readers

As you already know, I am a vintage ephemera and graphics fiend. One of my favorite sources for my artwork and art journal pages is artwork from old primers & readers. The New England Primers date back to the 1600's and have a mostly protestant slant, mixing in religious hymns, prayers and morals among the consonants, vowels & reading lessons. Made by fixing thin paper to a wooden board, these primers lasted well into the late 19th century.

I love the well worn covers and pages included in the primers in my possession and enjoy the way they look and feel in my art journals and collage pieces.

Readers were a series of graded primers, used as textbooks in American schools from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century.  The few readers I have are mostly from 1920s and 30s and are filled with beautiful full color plates to go with each story. Some of these pages would make nice prints for a child's nursery or library.

All of these books are wonderful to page through and read the stories and whimsical lessons for the younger children, my favorite being this set of thought and discussion-starters for a classroom and the list of "Funny Things to Do".

While I look through these vintage treasures, I can't help but imagine what it would have been like to be a child in a small schoolhouse in the mid 19th century or even early 20th century, and using these for my lesson plans daily. What a delight!

Below is a scan from one of my readers to give your creativity a jumpstart on a winter project. If you do use these graphics, we'd appreciate it if you would post a link to a photo either in the comment section below or on our Facebook page.


—Nancie

Ellen's Vintage Fashion Inspiration for 2014

Just like Emily mentioned in her fashion inspiration post, every year around this time I get incredibly antsy for new projects, inspiration, and new fashion! Today I'm going to share with you some of my favorite pieces, looks, and styles that will certainly inspire me for the year to come.

This is a 1922 House of Lanvin French dress housed in the Met's Fashion Collection. And I am in love. The combination of contrasting fabrics and colors is the first thing that catches my eye. It looks soft and comfortable, but still airy enough (especially with the coral cut outs) to be the perfect dress for a warm summer day! I love how the coral lines the neck and arm and creates a fun, geometric pattern to define the rest of the dress.

The cut of this dress is great too - and in fairly typical 1920s tradition. It looks loose enough to be incredibly comfortable, but still with a little definition around the waist and bust. And I can't get over that full skirt, either! Unfortunately this is the only photograph available on the Met's website, but I would absolutely love to get a closer look at the front of this piece (and not to mention all the detail!).

Another dress I have been fawning over lately is this beautiful silk 1930s dress that is available for sale on Etsy. I think the cut of this dress has to be my favorite part - the fit and flare is incredibly flattering. The pleating above the bust is an excellent addition as well, it adds just the right amount of visual interest to the top of the dress. 

There isn't too much information available on this dress. It's made of a slubbed silk which makes it fairly light and comfortable - and brings out the brilliant red coloring! This dress would be incredibly easy to add into a modern wardrobe as well. It's a style that is copied quite often, but I think it is executed to a T here!

Here we have a pair of 1930s metallic gold dancing shoes (also available on Etsy!). If only my feet were a little smaller they would be mine! Unfortunately, I don't know exactly when in the 30s these were made and worn (I'm not as much of a modern history expert as Emily is!), but they sure are adorable.

They have just the right amount of heel and hold your foot in well enough to look amazingly comfortable. But I love the metallic details and the woven cage around the toes! It's a different approach to the usually closed toe t-strap heel that I feel works really well.

I could just imagine having a fantastic time dancing in these, they are definitely going to be my inspiration while I am looking to buy new heels this season!

Lastly is this robin's egg blue, fur trimmed coat from the 1960s (that is also for sale!). I don't even know where to start with this dress! It's a wool blend with genuine fur cuffs and collar and the most adorable purple buttons. I love the lining along the front and can only imagine it to be a very flattering (and warm!) coat when it is worn.

I think the color of this coat is what really gets me! I think the powder blue mixed with the light purple buttons and light grey fur that has some dark highlights is the perfect mix of pastel and darker natural fur colors.

Although coats are a hard thing to copy, this is definitely my go-to for inspiration. I try to look for jackets in eye-catching colors with nice details without forgetting the warmth factor! This coat hits all those marks and I am incredibly jealous of whomever snatches it up!

I hope you've enjoyed taking a look at some of my vintage fashion inspiration - and that it may have inspired you! Do we share any of the same tastes?

Ellen

Vintage Patterns from Tanglewood: The 1930s Briony Blouse

Hello folks! Emily, here.

Slowly but surely, over the past couple of years, I have been working on developing a small vintage pattern line. I think I might just be ready to release my first set this spring (fingers crossed!) so stay tuned!

I've been self drafting patterns in one way or another since I learned to sew. In middle school and much of high school I drafted costumes for the local renaissance festival and made several outfits for myself and for friends. I'll never live down the time I left a dress pin in the hem of a skirt I made for my friend, Amy... I'm pretty sure she sat on it in the middle of class. Hahaha.

When I got to college I thought I was going to get a degree in Art Ed with my focus at the time being photography, but all it took was a single accidental wander past the textile design studio and I knew where I belonged. Experimenting in that studio (and having bought bolts upon bolts of plain cotton muslin to fiddle about with) allowed me to learn all sorts of things about fitting and drafting clothing. I never got as much into couture design as I would have liked, but it was the community of knowledgable people in that department that really got me hooked on fiber and sewing.

I have three blouses and a dress mocked up and finished, with very satisfactory results. I'm still working on two other dresses and a skirt, but they're the kind of unfinished project that I pick away at over months so who knows when they'll be finished. This has been an interesting learning experience for me thus far because I am a fairly busty lady and I am aiming to find and draft patterns that work for both busty and not-so-busty ladies.

I thought today I'd like to give you all a sneak-preview of what I got accomplished this weekend. This is the third self-drafted pattern that I have then digitized. It is based originally on an early 1930s top I found at a flea market last year but with some slight changes to cut and fit to accommodate fabrics other than the gorgeous silk crepe de chine ($$$) that it was originally made in.
This is by far my most complicated pattern and I am looking for 1-2 more pattern testers, sizes 2-10, to try it out. If you're interested, please comment below! If I get enough interest, I'll probably be willing to expand my pattern trials a little so let me know!

This dainty blouse is airy and light, with a slight hint at late 20s androgyny and a sharp nautical-styled collar that plunges deep while remaining close to the skin so it is almost to the point of showing off a bit of vintage cleavage but remains period and simply alludes to its presence rather than showing it off. ;)

I'd really like to take a moment here to apologize for the terrible instagram photos I have posted of this blouse. The weather here in Michigan has been fairly atrocious, and there is nothing but poor lighting this time of year (both inside and out) so, until we get some seriously gorgeous weather you'll all just have to accept these silly, cliche selfies as examples of the Briony blouse.

The blouse that I am wearing in the photos is a size six, but the next one that I construct for myself will likely be a size eight to fit me a little more historically correctly. The sleeves are cuffed dolman, and the front inset is self-lined. It's made here in a lightweight cotton chambray, and I trimmed it with some black antique cotton lace that I had in my stash from the 1910s (I am a serious sucker for vintage notions!) This shirt works great untucked so you can see the trimmed bottom cuff for a relaxed 1930s look, or you can tuck it into your high-waisted slacks or skirt for a more formal appearance. It's a very versatile top!

...Gosh I'm really hating these photos, now. I can't wait until we get a chance to do some actual photos for this!

Cocktail Classics: Old Mr. Boston

"Sirs: – May we now present to you Old Mr. Boston in permanent form. We know you are going to like him. He is a jolly fellow, one of those rare indviduals, everlastingly young, a distinct personality and famous throughout the land for his sterling qualities and genuine good fellowship. His friends number in the millions those who are great and those who are near great even as you and I. He is joyful and ever ready to accept the difficult role of "Life of the Party", a sympathetic friend who may be relied upon in any emergency ... Follow his advice and there will be many pleasant times in store for you. Gentlemen, Old Mr. Boston."

Genderisms aside, what a wonderful intro to a vintage bartender's essential.

Last year on the border of Michigan and Ohio, I found a 1953 edition of "Old Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide," the proclaimed bible of booze. The first official edition was published in 1935, two years after prohibition ended (the thirteen-year-long ban on all sale, importation and production of alcoholic beverages in the United States). It was compiled and edited by Leo Cotton for the Old Mr. Boston distillery on 1010 Massachusetts Ave. in Boston.

Old Mr. Boston (later just known as Boston) was renowned for its spirits, but even more so for the Bartender's Guide. With each of the earlier editions, new cocktails were included and old ones adjusted.

In the next couple weeks, I plan to sample a couple of the book's more obscure antique recipes, and report back here. But for now, I've selected a couple of the 1953 editions' more charmingly-titled cocktails and posted them below:

Merry Widow Fizz
Juice 1/2 Orange
Juice 1/2 Lemon
White of 1 Egg
1 Teaspoon Powdered Sugar
1 1/2 oz. (Old Mr. Boston) Slow Gin
Shake well with cracked ice and strain into 8 oz. Highball glass. Fill with Carbonated Water.

The Income Tax Cocktail
1/4 oz. French Vermouth
1/4 oz. Italian Vermouth
1 oz. (Old Mr. Boston) Dry Gin
1 Dash Bitters
Juice of 1/4 Orange
Shake well with cracked ice and strain into 3 oz. Cocktail glass.

Note: It seems no one is completely certain how this cocktail got its name. The general consensus though is that the drink's bitter taste reflects the bitter experience of tax season. That, or this strong drink will take the edge off when you start digging out those receipts.


So, what's your favorite classic cocktail?

Vintage Style: My Fashionable Family in Hats

I have so many family photos that I am just dying to share with you all. The people in my old family photos certainly seem fashionably keen, so much so that I don't know if it was just a reflection of the times or if it was really just that I have some seriously hip ancestry.

This first photo I want to share with you today appears to be from the mid 1910's. You see it has examples of some of the typical Edwardian formality and yet you don't yet see the practical changes that came about after the first world war (did I mention I'm a history geek?). Still, I'm inclined to say this is approaching (or even early) wartime because of the shorter skirts and lower, slightly more practical shoes, as well as the large pockets.

To be honest, a lot of my knowledge of clothing history is more British-based, and I'm still learning about the early 20th century American styles. My family was almost certainly already in North America by this time, though I don't really know who these women are. I'll have to ask my mother. :)

The thing I love about these old photos is that everybody appears to always wear hats, out of doors. The first photo is a great example of the silhouette of the Edwardian hat, while this next one shows the changes in silhouette to a more sleek cloche form. The hat material is also different, where a few of the earlier hats appear to be straw or lightweight fabric, the bottom shows a much heavier woolen-type hat.

Now this photo really makes me smile...

These ladies are posed next to a beautiful automobile (does anyone know the car make? There's a logo but I can't quite make it out...) with a 1930 license plate. In both photos, you can see that the elder women are dressed more conservatively while the younger women wear lighter colors and more modern cuts. In addition to the great cloche hats in this photo, make sure you take a peek at those shoes! I'm a sucker for 1920's cutout and t-strap shoes, and the pair on the right just makes me squirm with envy.

I've got plenty more where these come from, and I'm sure I'll be sharing them as we roll along here at Seven Magpies.

Do you have old family photos? What era are your favorites from?  

Public Domain? Yes, Please!: Meet The Boswell Sisters

The Boswell Sisters formed in 1925 as a three-sister singing group from New Orleans, and their jazzy complex harmonies were a local sensation for half a decade before they moved to New York City in 1930. After they moved to the Big Apple things really took off for them and they began recording for Brunswick Records.

 "These Brunswick records are widely regarded as milestone recordings of vocal jazz." – Boswell Sisters, Wikipedia

The three sisters were very actively traveling the USA for shows during the second World War but unfortunately not allowed to visit bases over seas for foreign troop rallying and whatnot due to an unfortunate childhood accident that left the middle sister, Connie, paralyzed and wheelchair bound.

This is a streaming version of "When I Feel Lonely" which is very snappy and was the first song the sisters recorded back in 1925! You can find loads more like this at Archive.org which offers public domain music streaming and downloads. It's a great website!

This is another of their popular songs, from later in their career. I love the way they bop as they sing!

If you have time, this is a nine minute short called "Close Farmony" which is a seriously amazing (albeit mildly bizarre) film about how jazz music saves the farm! The sisters and the farm hand spend the film serenading farm animals, trying to encourage them to produce more milk and eggs.  It's hilarious! The best part is the piano covered in hay.

A few years after the sisters began recording for Brunswick, they split to go their separate ways. Connie (who changed her name officially to Connee at that point) went off to enjoy a prosperous solo career.


So I leave you this Christmas Eve with a beautiful song from Connee Boswell. While I am certainly sad that there are no other voices to harmonize with her, this is still a beautiful version of a holiday classic.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Vintage Style Showcase: 1930s Florsheim "Florette" Pumps

Sometimes when I see a piece of vintage clothing my heart begins to pitter-patter like a child with a schoolgirl crush. These shoes are just such an item! When I saw them, I knew I had to add them to my collection of wearable vintage shoes.

The most exciting thing about these shoes (apart from their wearability) is that their original stamp is still fully visible inside. They are a late 1930's "Florette" shoe by Florsheim, and thanks to Google I was able to find the text from an original ad for them from The Salt Lake Tribune, April 1936! They were sold at a store in Salt Lake City called Auerbach's, and cost $8.75-9.75, depending on whether you wanted them in solid or strapped pumps.  Here's the original ad text:

 Hosiery—Street Floor "FLORETTE" SHOES By Florsheim if you're young or have young ideas 8.75-9.75 an d up "Florette" shoes have that out-of-the-ordinary smartness every chic young woman craves. If you have a practical side, too, remember they're FLORSHEIM and that means they'll wear. Expertly fitted by X-Ray Shoe Dept

And, while it is obviously likely they were purchased someplace other than Auerbach's, here is a period photo of the building that the above ad references:

Can't you just imagine the roar of 30's traffic, and the click of wooden heels on the pavement as you walked up to Auerbach's Department Store in 1936 to pick out your new pumps from the latest spring line? How exciting! 

The (American) Florsheim company was started at the end of the 19th century in Chicago, Illinois. You can find some more information about the company HERE at the historical Encyclopedia of Chicago website.

The company survived both World Wars rather well, which is fairly impressive, and I guess there was a big "to do" about the company moving to St. Louis in 1953 since they'd been such a staple in the Chicago area. Since my pair of Florsheims are definitely pre-1950s, it's safe to say they were manufactured in the heart of the Chicago factory works. If you click the small thumbnail on the left, it links to the Encyclopedia of Chicago zoomable image of the Florsheim factory in 1949.

The shoes are a soft, supple leather in a neutral warm fawn color, and have so many design details that it's hard to highlight them all. The most obvious of the details is the enameled metal flowers on the "tongue" of the shoe, with beautiful red and yellow glass. They are also a reasonably vague antiquated silhouette, with their pointed toes and scooping heels, so they fit with pretty much any of the fashions from the turn of the 20th century through the 1940's!

While these shoes are a bit narrow for the modern foot, they are still in a wearable size and I can't wait to take them for a spin once the weather clears up a bit!

Have you ever had that tingly giddy feeling about a vintage item? What was it for you?