Excerpts From the Past • 1911 Women's Home Companion • Vol II

Hurrah!! I'm finally sharing Vol. II of the much-loved Woman's Home Companion!!

Today we have some lovely needlecraft pages, plus lots of lovely dresses!!

First off is a page showing all sorts of lovely hand-stitches. There is just nothing like embroidery to make something so special!!

Just think, ladies used to embroider even their curtains! How beautiful that would be! 

The suits in this ad are so beautiful! They remind me slightly of Butterick 6093 with those big, detailed lapels. The price seems quite high, however; $55 for a suit in 1911? Wow!

I just had to include this. Apparently what I look like after a failed pincurling would have been immensely stylish in 1911. Hmmm...

Now for the really good stuff!! ;)

There are so many beautiful dresses, it's very hard to pick out a favorite. I really love No. 1774-75. The way the neck closes and drapes is so dainty and pretty!

More beautiful "frocks." 

This page is amazing; it's an actual tutorial for several different dresses! If only there were pattern pieces included.

(Don't you just love the thread-entangled kitty in the corner? I think they used to make thread stronger back then...)

These parasols and fans are so delightful. Such refinement! And the blouses from Bellas Hess & Co. are just beautiful as well!

The very last page in the magazine is this page of jokes called "The Postscript." I started reading and was shocked to see the little sketch at the top about "Veterans of the War of 1961." It is amazing to think how closely they imagined the "little submarine" and "dropping bombs into the city of 'Tokio'." Can you believe how close these little jokes are to what actually happened? I think it's amazing! They were just a little off on the date and the tiny monoplane!

The little sentence on the left is quite cute as well - "A bird in a pot-pie is worth two on a spring bonnet." I'm almost inclined to agree with that! ;)

Which dresses are your favorites?