BFF Gertrude

Girls at the turn of the century didn't get allowances and most did not work, so when birthdays and Christmas rolled around it took ingenuity and skill to come up with presents for their friends.  Most turned to the needlework and fashion magazines that were prevalent at the time for their gifts.  Here is an example:

Who wouldn't like Gertrude for a friend?

To put this gift in context you must know that coat hangers were not common and the typical closet had hooks around the walls for hanging up the clothes that were not stored in bureaus and chests and trunks.

Here is a clip from the wikipedia article on clothes hangers:  "In 1906 Meyer May, a men's clothier of Grand Rapids, Michigan, became the first retailer to display his wares on his wishbone-inspired hangers. Some of these original hangers can be seen at the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Meyer May House in Grand Rapids."

As I live in Grand Rapids, I have visited this house many times.

Here is another item I have which could fall into the same category.

This is full-size.  It is crocheted out of silk or rayon thin ribbon and is meant to be pinned to the blouse front either as a corsage or at the neck.  It's just beautiful.