A Thimbleful of Thoughts

Mar 30

Favorite Vintage Advice: Control Your Hands

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Posted by Amy in Miscellaneous

Happy Friday! Let’s share another laugh and a look back at one of my favorite findings from my vast library of vintage resources. Each week, I’ll post amusing advertisements, articles or advice, spanning the topics of domestic arts, fashion, beauty and more. If it’s weird, witty or wacky, you’ll see it here.

This week’s tip is another gem from Dressmaking Made Easy by Mary Brooks Picken. According to Mary, a lady should avoid “hand-talking” and other “ugly gestures.”

“Be in control of yourself at all times, and make no movements or gestures that are not easily graceful. Little habits sometimes are so big that it takes years to correct them. Right now is the time to stop drifting and to grasp the younger way.”

All this talk of hand habits makes me think of this YouTube video featuring two pairs of happy hands… No “hand-talking” or “ugly gestures”, but I wonder what Mary Brooks Picken would think about hand dancing?

Check back for more quirky quotes and images each week (and find more of these timeworn tips in my book Vintage Notions)!

Mar 28

What’s Your Color? Pick your Palette

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Posted by Amy in Miscellaneous

Spring is here! Time to put away winter clothes and refresh your wardrobe with a new palette. Take a peek in your closet — what hues do you typically choose?

According to Mary Brooks Picken, you should wear a shade that enhances your eyes, hair, and skin. Mary was, of course, a top authority in sewing in the first half of the 20th century, but what many people don’t realize is that a lady’s sewing book also served as a fashion manual. Mary wrote many books on dressmaking and sewing, but chapters that included beauty tips, fashion, and manners were not out of the ordinary. Mary outlined in her book, Dressmaking Made Easy, some rules for determining your own personal set of colors:

    *Hazel eyes take on the color of the dress — be it brown, green, or blue
    *Black eyes need deep, warm colors to reflect their depth and brilliance
    *A woman with true blue eyes should glory in a blue that makes her eyes more blue



In addition to Mary’s words, I’ve also come across a number of useful “color charts” in various vintage sewing books and pamphlets. See if the suggestions below match your own style!

To learn a little more about the art of color, I talked to my friend Vicki Fischer— the Beauty and Lifestyle Editor of ItsAGlamThing.com, and makeup artist for Nancy Zieman— whom I met while filming an Indygo Junction feature on PBS’s Sewing With Nancy. Vicki was impressed by the professional quality of the vintage color wheels, and was reminded of one of her favorite beauty manuals of all time called, Color Me Beautiful.

“When you’d have your colors done, you could get a little folder (a bit bigger than a check book) with color swatches for your “Season” (Summer, Fall , Winter, Spring) to take with you when you went shopping. I thought it was the best!”

She suggested checking out the Color Me Beautiful website, where you can  find out what “Season” you are. But what’s Vicki’s most important piece of advice for choosing a look?

I always tell people to find a look that fits their personality. Trends come and go but a person should stay true to themselves and adapt whatever is “in” to fit individual needs. You’d be surprised how just adding a very current  and “in” color to a nice neutral eye will update a look, still keep a person in their comfort zone, and keep them on edge with the current trend.”
Mar 23

Favorite Vintage Advice: Kneel Gracefully

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Posted by Amy in Miscellaneous

Happy Friday! Let’s share another laugh and a look back at one of my favorite findings from my vast library of vintage resources.

Here’s another tip from Dressmaking Made Easy by Mary Brooks Picken, which is full of etiquette tips and advice, in addition to dressmaking instruction. This chapter teaches us to “kneel gracefully” when we pick up something off the floor, and to not bend over in a cumbersome way. I can’t remember the last time I (or anyone else, for that matter) bent down to pick up something with such a straight spine, but I guess it can’t hurt to do some aerobic lunges throughout the day!

Check back for more quirky quotes and images each week (and find more of these timeworn tips in my book Vintage Notions)!

Mar 20

Duck Duck Goose Free Printable

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Posted by Amy in Miscellaneous

Easter is just around the corner, and Spring is in the air!

In my collection of vintage home arts books and magazines, I’ve found an abundance of wonderful vintage kids crafts to share with you. This fun, “jolly Easter duck” project came from a children’s magazine called the Buddy Book, published in 1929.

This project is a simple, yet creative craft for kids to construct a free-standing duck with nothing more than this page and a pair of scissors. The directions suggest that “by tracing the pattern you can make a whole flock of Easter ducks”, but today, all you have to do is print out more pages! I love finding vintage goodies like this and comparing them to what we have today. Paper crafts and DIY kids projects have made a huge comeback — especially free online printables. But I can’t help appreciating the hand-drawn style and charming simplicity of projects like this one from the Buddy Book.

For more Easter images and craft projects, like the “Easter Joys” image above, check out The Vintage Workshop’s extensive image library, and keep up with the Workshop Window blog for a free image download every day. Find more free goodies when you “Like” The Vintage Workshop on Facebook! Also, keep an eye on my blog for some upcoming Easter printables…. Enjoy!

Click on the image to enlarge to full size.

Mar 16

Favorite Vintage Advice: For Your Spine’s Sake

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Posted by Amy in Miscellaneous

Happy Friday! Let’s share another laugh and a look back at one of my favorite findings from my vast library of vintage resources.

Here’s another tip from Dressmaking Made Easy by Mary Brooks Picken, which is full of etiquette tips and advice, in addition to dressmaking instruction.

According to Mary, a lady should always be mindful of the way she sits. I could probably benefit from this advice myself — no more “bramble-bush slouch” for me!

“Have you ever sat on the edge of a chair — only shoulders touching the back? If so, you know how ugly and awkward it is. Why say more? Try this bramble-bush slouch — convince yourself of its unattractiveness; feel how tiring it is. Sit up, and make yourself sit up hereafter.”

Check back for more quirky quotes and images each week (and find more of these timeworn tips in my book Vintage Notions)!

Mar 14

100 Years of Girl Scouts

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Posted by Amy in Miscellaneous

In 1912, Mary Brooks Picken was beginning her career as a teacher at the American College of Dressmaking in Kansas City. That same year, Juliette Gordon Low started the first branch of Girl Scouting in the United States, from her town of Savannah, Georgia. (hence the name of the new Girl Scout cookie, “Savannah Smiles”) Gaining immediate popularity since its introduction 100 years ago, the Girl Scouts of America continues to thrive with over 3.2 million Scouts, nationwide!

I love these vintage Girl Scout Handbooks, especially this one with a silhouette design, from 1929.

While camping, community, and cookies are all part of the Girl Scouting experience, these handbooks also include chapters on “Homemaking” and “Arts and Crafts”. The other week, I had the opportunity to teach my daughter’s troop about cross-stitching, and we had a lively discussion about the meaning of “Haste makes waste”(see picture above)! These vintage handbooks were wonderful resources to share with the girls, and made me think of all the fun projects for kids found in The Sew-It Book.

I also recently learned of a new book about the life of Juliette Gordon Low, which came out last month — Juliette Gordon Low: The Remarkable Founder of the Girl Scouts. Though they might have never met, I’d like to think that Juliette Gordon Low and Mary Brooks Picken would have found a mutual admiration in each other’s accomplishments. They both did so much to educate and empower women in the same era when women’s rights was still a forthcoming issue.

For its big centennial celebration, Girl Scouts USA is kicking off its largest awareness and fundraising campaign dedicated to empowering girls, called ToGetHerThere. You can watch this video on the Girl Scouts website to learn more about the campaign.

Happy birthday to the Girl Scouts of America! Here’s to another successful 100 years!

Mar 09

Favorite Vintage Advice: Quick Dinners for the Woman in a Hurry

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Posted by Amy in Miscellaneous

Happy Friday! Let’s share another laugh and a look back at one of my favorite findings from my vast library of vintage resources. Each week, I’ll post amusing advertisements, articles or advice, spanning the topics of domestic arts, fashion, beauty and more. If it’s weird, witty or wacky, you’ll see it here.

Here’s the cover of a book called QUICK DINNERS for the Woman in a Hurry Cook Book , published in 1942.

My first thought was, swap the typewriter for a laptop and that’s me!

My second thought was how much food photography has improved since 1942…I’m not so sure meat with grapes and carrot sticks would be very well received in my house.

Here are some more fun, “Kitschy Kitchen” images from The Vintage Workshop:

Check back for more quirky quotes and images each week. You can also find vintage recipes and cooking tips in my book Vintage Notions!
Mar 07

Vintage Redux Giveaway

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Posted by Amy in Miscellaneous

My love of vintage stretches far and wide — from the timeless wisdom of Mary Brooks Picken and the Woman’s Institute to the repurposing trends in fashion and home decor. I love discovering artisans and entrepreneurs that use vintage in their own work, and I’m even more excited when I can share them with you in a fun way…

Brenda Schweder uses vintage objects to create stunning jewelry pieces that are modern and unique. I met Brenda at the Creative Connection 2011 and got to see some of her fabulous work myself. Look at this amazing bracelet made out of vintage rings!

She’s also the author of three project books with step-by-step instructions on how to create your own vintage jewelry masterpieces. Everyone’s got a box or two of junk jewelry lying around somewhere, right?

Steel Wire Jewelry features projects made out of affordable and easy to use steel wire. Junk to Jewelry guides you through creating new treasures out of finds from, “the hardware store; the jewelry box; the sewing basket; even the sportsman’s lodge”. Vintage Redux: Remake Classic and Collectible Jewelry focuses on utilizing old jewelry from all different decades to craft a modern design that retains the original vintage appeal.

Brenda was good enough to sign a copy of Vintage Redux for me to give away on my blog, so now I have the pleasure of introducing her to you! For your chance to win a copy of Vintage Redux, leave a comment on this blog post telling us what you’d most like to make with your own “junk jewelry”.

Comment by Wednesday, March 14, 11:59PM CST for your chance to win. I’ll randomly select the winner and will announce him or her on Thursday, March 15.

Good luck, vintage-lovers!

Mar 02

Favorite Vintage Advice: Be Agreeable Always

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Posted by Amy in Miscellaneous

Happy Friday! Let’s share another laugh and a look back at one of my favorite findings from my vast library of vintage resources. Each week, I’ll post amusing advertisements, articles or advice, spanning the topics of domestic arts, fashion, beauty and more. If it’s weird, witty or wacky, you’ll see it here.

This piece of advice comes from The Etiquette Book: What to do, and How – and Mistakes to Avoid, published in 1929. It’s full of useful tips for ladies in all kinds of occasions, seasons, and circumstances.  The author advises us to “be agreeable always” and to make an effort with everyone present at a hostess’ house, “whether you like them or not”.  Even if you encounter someone “tedious” or “moody”, reaching out to everyone is “worth while, whatever the effort required.”

This is a good lesson to remember, but I think that last line sounds a little ominous…“whatever the effort required”. I can see beginning of a plot for the next “Meet the Parents” movie!

Check back for more quirky quotes and images each week (and find more of these timeworn tips in my book Vintage Notions)!
Feb 29

A Passion for Fashion Week

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Posted by Amy in Miscellaneous

With Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York a few weeks behind us, and the end of the Vintage-Inspired Modern Style Design Challenge only a few weeks in front of us, I thought I’d take the chance to share some fun fashion inspiration!

While it’s reported that the dominant hues were darker for winter, springtime is just around the corner, and that means color! This combination by Diane von Furstenberg is pretty eye-popping in itself, but I was also tickled to notice some similarities to the fashions of Mary Brooks Picken’s day. Take a look:

One of my favorite collections on the runway this year was from Carolina Herrera’s fall 2012 preview. Using exaggerated bouffants, and striking silhouettes, Carolina’s models embodied a sophisticated feminine strength. When I saw this style, I couldn’t help but think of this vintage jacket pattern by Mary Brooks Picken, herself. This pattern is actually one of the 4 free ePatterns available on IndygoJunction.com, right now, to use for the Vintage Modern Design Challenge. Who knew it would be so easy to make your own Carolina Herrera?

Runway photo from: http://www.mbfashionweek.com/

Beyond these fun photo comparisons, Mary Brooks Picken is linked to New York Fashion Week in a much more direct way. She was, in fact, part of the group of women who started the original Fashion Week in 1943. While Vogue editor Eleanor Lambert is credited with the creation of the event (originally called Press Week), Mary’s expertise in fashion sewing and writing, as well as her deep involvement in New York’s fashion and fashion writing scene, placed her in this circle of early American designers and fashionistas. She was also a founding member of the prestigious Fashion Group International. You can visit their website to see videos and coverage from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2012.

To find out more about Mary’s involvement in New York and the fashion world, check out my guest blog on BurdaStyle.

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