Mitzi's Miscellany

A Charming Discovery

We all know there have been some well-loved magazines that have disappeared over the last several years, so you can imagine how many have come and gone in the last century.  One of the most popular during the late 1800's to 1937 was the Delineator, a magazine that began with a focus on ladies' fashion but morphed into a general interest magazine.

 

 

 

Around the 1920's the Delineator included a series of pamphlets for children titled The Little Delineator, which included short stories, contests, and craft ideas for boys and girls.

 

The colorful artwork on the covers of The Little Delineator pamphlets really grabbed me, and I bought a stack of them from one of my favorite stores recently:

 

 

Most issues were built around a theme, like a holiday, event, or topic like health.

 

 

Inside one booklet there was an article from Cho Cho, the Health Clown.  Evidently Cho Cho had been going around the country, visiting schools, and had noticed that children were too skinny and didn't have enough pep.  Cho Cho challenged kids to write to him to find out how much they should be eating each day.  I hate to break the news to old Cho Cho, but he'd be in for a rude awakening if he visited our schools nowadays!  Kids may not have enough "pep", that's for sure, but they certainly seem to be consuming enough calories!

 

 

Little fairies, sprites, and naked babies playing pan flutes were always popular topics for illustrators during the early 20th century:

 

 

I like the way animals were depicted years ago, before the Hallmark cutesy-ness took over.  They still looked like real animals that could bite you if you didn't mind your P's and Q's:

 

 

 

The lion and tiger  in the picture below illustrate my point perfectly:

 

 

I can have a lot of fun with a pile of little magazines.  I just enjoy the glimpse of childhood from another era, a simpler time.  Sometimes it makes me feel sorry for the children of today, and what they are missing by sitting in front of a computer or TV all the time, twiddling a video game control.  They should be outside, going on a nature walk, discovering what our beautiful world has to offer, or maybe creating something with their hands that they can be proud of.

 

Do you feel the same way I do?

Mitzi

Expand Your Vintage Vocabulary Post #21

"Chatelaine" is the word for today.  If you are familiar with vintage sewing accouterments, you know what a chatelaine is, otherwise the word may sound foreign to you.

A chatelaine like a ladies' mini sewing and tool kit that attached to her belt.  Suspended from the main part that attached to the belt was a series of chains, onto which each tool or helpful item was connected.  The items typically included a thimble, scissors with a caddy, a watch, and perhaps a few keys.

The Marlene Harris Collection is offering this chatelaine for $3,000.  The high price is due to the delicate multicolor cloisonne/enamel decoration and piercing:

Needlewitch has a lovely selection of chatelaines, including this sterling silver example:

For something a little less expensive, a chatelaine in brass:

Chatelaines range from the purely functional to the highly decorative, which I've shown here.  I've only sold one chatelaine during my years as an antique dealer, and it was more of a simple, functional chatelaine.  I think it sold for about $195, if memory serves.  It's rather rare to find a spectacular decorative chatelaine like those pictured above here in mid- Michigan.

Mitzi

Vintage Fabric Brooch Tutorial

I often purchase old bits of fabric from unfinished quilts, especially yoyo quilts, which are my favorites.  All yoyo quilts start the same way:  with circles of fabric, hundreds of them!  I had a bagful of the cut circles that I had been saving for just the right craft project and today I found it:  a fabric flower brooch like the one pictured below:

 

 Look at the beautiful circles of old fabric I had to choose from:

 

 

To make this brooch, you will need:

Ten to Fifteen circles of fabric (mine were 3" in diameter)

A felt circle for the back and felt for the leaves

A pinback

Hot glue and a skewer or chopstick to hold the petals in place while gluing

Once you have your fabric circles cut, get a circle of felt ready for your base.  As you can see in the picture below, my base is smaller in diameter than the circles of fabric.  It's about 2" in diameter.  I used a circle of a felted sweater I made which was nice and sturdy, but you can use store bought felt.

 

 

Step 1:  Fold a fabric circle in half.

 

 

 Step 2:  Fold the circle in half once again.

 

 

Step 3:  Apply hot glue to the tip of the fold, then place the glued petal in the center of the felt circle.

 

 

Step 4:  Using a skewer, chopstick or other implement, press down in the center of the petal to make sure it sticks down well.

 

 

Step 5:  Keep adding more petals working from the inside towards the outside of the felt circle.  Be sure to fill in areas that seem less full so that the blossom has a full look all over.

 

 

Step 6:  If some of the petals stick out too far, you can give them a trim with scissors when you are finished adding petals for an even look.

 

 

Step 7:  Add your leaves and a pin to the back.  I just use hot glue for the pin, or sometimes sew it on before I start gluing the petals to the base.

 

 

 My leaves were also from a resale shop wool sweater that I felted and cut up.

 

 

After my first version was finished, I decided to try pinking shears on my fabric and liked it much better.  Can you see the difference (below):

 

 

I hope you can try this fun and easy little project!  I'll be linking to the following link parties:  Sugar Bee Crafts, Rook No. 17, Sweet Anne Designs, and Carolyn's Homework.

Mitzi

Things Our Mothers & Grandmothers Said

In honor of Mother's Day weekend, today I'd like to celebrate mothers and grandmothers by sharing some of their favorite sayings. I polled a couple of my friends and added their memories to what I recall being said by the women in my family.

 If someone in the group was dawdling, my grandma knew just what to say:

 "The army won't wait for one soldier" - Mary Pletkovic

 

My grandma Newton was somewhat shy.  I love this picture of her listening to her favorite song on the Victrola.  Underneath the photo she had written "Sentimental...I suppose".  Once she and my grandpa started their restaurant, she worked from dawn till dusk cooking and cleaning.  She used to say this about herself:

"I'm afraid of everything except hard work" - Harriett Newton

 

My grandma also loved to sew, make jewelry, and kept herself occupied with various other handicrafts.  Another one of her favorite sayings was:

"Busy hands are happy hands" - Harriett Newton

I attended a softball game once and overheard a mother talking to her upset son, who had his arms crossed against his chest and his lower lip jutting out in the classic pout. 

"Stop pouting or a bird will poop on your lip" - Unknown

 

When it came to dating advice, my friend Nancy Clifford recommended the "Shop Around" method, and used pasta as an effective analogy:

 "If you throw enough spaghetti against a wall, some of it is bound to stick" - Nancy Clifford

 My mom wasn't one to use a lot of sayings, but she often used nicknames for me, one of which was "Snookey Ookums".  Imagine my delight when I recently came across two sets of sheet music titled with my old nickname!

"Stop snacking.  You'll ruin your dinner!" - Every mom that cooks.

 

 "A penny saved is a penny earned" - Many, many moms.

 "A stitch in time saves nine" - Universal mom-ism.

My friend Gail's mother was famous for these sensible words of warning:

"Don't borrow trouble" - Jan Roehrich

When it came time to visit the "necessary room", my friend Vicki's mother would say something unusual:

"I have to go to the biff" -  Beryl Sutton

She also said this little rhyme to comfort her daughter when she broke a toy or had a mishap:

Suppose my little lady
That your doll would break it's head
Would it mend it all by crying
Til your eyes and nose were red?
Now, wouldn't it be better to treat it as a joke
and be so glad t'was the doll's head
and not your head that broke?

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." - Mothers all over the world.

Generic mother-daughter pic:

If there was ever an opportunity for readers to comment, this is it!  What endearing quips did your mother or grandmother used to say?  Please let us know in my comment section!  In the meantime, I'll sign off with this picture of my mom and me and wish Happy Mother's Day to my mom Lucile and all the other moms and grandmothers out there!

Love,

Snookie Ookums

A Few More Tools of the Trade

I've posted before about "tools of the trade" that I've found helpful when cleaning and repairing my vintage treasures.  Today I have just a few more to share.

Odors in fabric can be a problem, especially the musty smell that we all recognize in vintage linens.  I've found the detergent called "Win", made for athletic clothing odor removal to be helpful.  And speaking of detergents, my friend Lynn, who claims there is no stain she can't remove (and I believe her) uses Biz, a stain activated booster.  She soaks the items in Biz and water overnight prior to washing with regular detergent.

Something as simple as plastic gloves can make all the difference when dealing with disgusting substances.  I can touch anything, and I mean anything, if I have on gloves!  Dead mice, possum droppings, and decaying leaves are no problem for my hands with the protection of my Playtex yellow gloves.  If I don't have my gloves on, I get grossed out easily.

Frames often get damaged and need a little repair before I can sell them.  I use spackle to fill in gaps.  After drying it can be sanded, then sealed with a primer and painted with gold paint or Rub-n-Buff.

This hand held vacuum made by Dyson is really awesome.  It's battery-charged, so it's cordless.  I use it for all sorts of situations, like getting dust out of the cracks and crevices of delicate frames, baskets, and other things that aren't washable.  I also take it to the antique mall to clean around my heavily packed booth.

Sometimes used for repair and sometimes for crafts, E-6000 is my glue of choice.  The only drawback is that is doesn't set immediately.  One tip that I've found helpful is to use hot glue and E-6000 side by side on the item I am gluing.  The hot glue will bond quickly, and the E-6000 will cure overnight.  Why not just use hot glue?  Because it's not permanent.  I've made Christmas ornaments that fell apart when stored in the basement for a year.

If you have any helpful tools or product you'd like to recommend, please tell us about it in my comment section so we can benefit from your experience!

Mitzi

Show and Tell Wednesday Post #21

Vogue Picture Records were illustrated vinyl discs, most of them 10-inch 78 RPM records manufactured in Detroit, Michigan in 1946 and 1947.  There were only about 74 different picture records released, with a variety of musical genres including country, jazz and big band.

Some collectors set a goal to find all of the Vogue records made.  This is a challenge, but it can be done. 

Most of the artists that recorded for Vogue weren't well known.  They didn't sign any mega-stars, but Charlie Shavers, a jazz musician, was one recording artist that was considered to be quite a catch for Vogue.

In terms of current values, I did a quick check on eBay and found wild variations when I checked prices Vogue picture records have been selling for.  Probably due to a combination of condition and desirability of the recording artist, final prices realised at auction varied from $7.00 to $58.00 for the 10"  RPM discs.

I've sold a couple Vogue picture records (the examples pictured in this post), but never had a chance to play them on a stereo.  I've read they are high quality recordings.  Even if you don't play them, they have great visual appeal and would make cool display pieces, don't you think?

Mitzi

Hat Appreciation Day at Mitzi's Miscellany

Nothing says "Spring" like a flowery chapeau, so today I'd like to pay homage to hats, the fashion accessory of yesteryear that women wouldn't think of leaving the house without.

The image below shows the offerings of Sears, Roebuck and Company from the 1920's, an undeniably great era for hats:

Recently, an auction was held locally by Glen Rairigh of Americana Auctions and I nabbed some of the lovely pictures that show off each of the hats offered as if they were fine art sculptures:

 Image Credits:  Americana Auctions

 Learning to make hats is on my "craft bucket list".

 

This little number would definitely grab attention for you, or people might try to feed you bird seed:

Worn by Patti LaBelle in the 1970s?  Perhaps.....

 Expert use of netting, rhinestones, and bird feathers show off the milliner's art:

 A hat from my collection.  The correct term for this headpiece is a "fascinator":

Even though it needs a little steam to revive it, I think you can see what a work of art this hat was:

 

Another cute fascinator, probably from the 1930's:

Most of the hats from my collection came from a family of five sisters, a few of whom never married.  They lived together and saved everything from their baby clothes through their adult garb.  I've sold many of their hats in my Etsy shop.  Here's a picture of the sisters:

I have scarves, gloves, and some of their costume jewelry too!

Nothing completes a spring outfit like a beautiful hat.  Even if you don't wear them frequently, they sure look nice displayed in the boudoir!

I hope you have a special hat you can wear this spring.  No matter how much weight we might gain over the winter, our spring hat should still fit!

Mitzi

Always a Classic

Today I was scrolling through my saved images and compiled a group of things I consider "classics", or things that never go out of style.  As far as I'm concerned, antiques in general never go out of style, but I have to admit there are some items that have more staying power than others.

Let's start with straw "boater" hats.  They always look nice on display:

 

Staffordshire spaniels have graced many a bookshelf or fireplace mantel in style over the years:

Old hand painted checkerboards lend country flair to a wall:

This one is old, the real deal!  How can I tell?  It has two ridges on the underside, to keep it from sliding off a barrel.  Can't you visualize two old men playing checkers as they sit in front of a barber shop with the checkerboard on top of an old barrel?

I love brown and white transfer ware, but other colors appeal to me too.

 

I love several colors mixed together, like the display in this dealer's cabinet:

Hand painted Limoges china with gold edges is a little more elegant than ironstone/transfer ware:

 

Vintage childrens' pull toys add some whimsy to a country primitive setting or a vignette in a child's room:

 Green and cream enamel wear.  Such a classic color combination!

Copper food molds:  I like them hung en masse all over a kitchen wall.

Roseville pottery bookends, vases, and candle holders are always a colorful addition to the living or dining room.

Cast iron doorstops make a nice collection, or can actually be used as doorstops!

 I can't resist googly eye mechanical Valentines, so I consider them classics:

 Pretty filigree hand mirrors and other girly vanity accessories:

 

Are you thinking of a classic to add to my list?  Please feel free to leave it in my comment section!

Mitzi

Expand Your Vintage Vocabulary Post #20

Have you ever heard of "Sunday paintings"?  Sunday paintings were created by amateur artists, often women, who painted as a hobby. Since leisure time was often limited to Sunday afternoons, these little oil paintings got their name from when they were created.  They were often a floral still life like the example below.  I've seen numerous variations of this same painting, with the somewhat flat looking vessel.  The frame is very nice, and it would probably sell for around $120:

The popularity of creating Sunday paintings as a hobby peaked around the early 1900's.

I've sold many Sunday paintings in my antique mall spaces, and I'm always on the lookout for more:

Here's one that sold on eBay, unframed, for $40.00:

Sometimes I wonder how women of years ago had time to paint pictures, embroider pillowcases, sew quilts and clothing, cook homemade meals, do laundry the old fashioned way, put up preserves, and tend to a garden without all of the modern "conveniences" we have today.  But on the other hand, perhaps the "conveniences" are slowing us down.  What do you think?

Mitzi

Howdy, Y'all, We Have A Winner!

If you've been following the saga of my "Howdy" letters, you know  I regretted the word I chose for my project, so I asked readers to submit their ideas for a different word using as few additional letters as possible and made a contest out of it. 

 

I chose a winner, Linda, who suggest "Home", which only required two letter changes (turning the "W" upside down doesn't make a good looking "M", I discovered).  I'm a homebody, so this appeals to me:

 

I put together a little cigar box full of vintage goodies for Linda, including some bottles ready to be used in a project, feedsack yoyos, a satin horse show ribbon, a soldered glass framed rose postcard, and a cute candy tin.  Linda, if you are reading this, please contact me so I can get your address and mail you your package!  You can e-mail me at mitziscollectibles@comcast.net.

In other news, my second blog "Mitzi Made It" is off and running with the kinks worked out of the system.  In case you missed my introduction to it, Mitzi Made It is a craft blog with a twist.  I post a materials list at the beginning of each of the four seasons so readers can be looking for the required vintage goods while they are out and about.  In most cases new materials can be substituted in case you can't find the vintage originals.  Tutorials for the projects and motivational posts will be published throughout each season too. 

So far we've made a giant button out of a wooden tray:

We've also made chandelier crystal pendants with vintage wallpaper:

I've also written a post about getting started on a new venture, and how to avoid feeling overwhelmed.  It's called The Journey of a Thousand Miles, and you might enjoy reading it.

Eventually I hope to feature some reader projects over at Mitzi Made It.  If you have a project using any of my vintage materials, please contact me at mitziscollectibles@comcast.net so your project can be considered for a feature.  I'd love to share the spotlight with my talented friends.

Wishing everyone a creative week!

Mitzi