If I Had My Own Blue Box:

In celebration of Women’s History Month, each day I will add a new book to this list. The growing list contains favorite books from my book shelf as well as many books from my own wish list. (I annotated these BS and WL in the list.)

You will notice my list focuses on the everyday lives of women, mostly in 19th Century America with a dabbling of further connection.

I hope you find some new additions to your reading list. Each book is available through your local library, book seller, or Amazon.

1. Employments of Women by Virginia Penny (Primary) (BS)
2. Novel Craft: Victorian Domestic Handicraft and Nineteenth-Century Fiction, by Tilia Schaffer (WL)
3. The Dress Diary: Secrets from a Victorian Woman’s Wardrobe by Dr. Kate Strasdin (WL)
4. Female Economy: The Millinery and Dressmaking Trades, 1860-1930, by Wendy Gamber (BS)
5. American Milliners and Their World: Women’s Work from Revolution to Rock and Roll, by Nadine Stewart (WL)
6. An American Girl’s Book, by Eliza Leslie (Primary) (BS)
7. Women in Business, 1700-1850, Nicola Phillips (WL)
8. Eliza’s Story, by Eileen Hook (BS)
9. Maritcha: A Nineteenth-Century American Girl, by Tonya Bolden (WL)
10. Untidy Origins: A Story of Women’s Rights in Antebellum New York, by Lori D Ginzberg (BS)
11. Only the Clothes on Her Back: Clothing and the Hidden History of Power in the
    Nineteenth-Century United States, by Laura F. Edwards. (WL)
12. The Chinese Lady: Afong Moy in Early America, by Nancy E. Davis (WL)
13. All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake, by Tiya Miles (BS)
14. Women and the Law of Property in Early America, by Marylynn Salmon (WL)
15. Face Value: The Consumer Revolution and the Colonizing of America, by Cary Carson (WL)
16. Threads of Life: A History of the World Through the Eye of a Needle, by Clare Hunter (BS)
17. Buying into the World of Goods: Early Consumers in Backcountry Virginia, by Ann
    Smart Martin (WL)
18. Village Life in America, 1852-1872, by Caroline Cowles Richards (Primary) (BS)
19. Material Lives: Women Makers and Consumers in the 18th Century, by Serena Dyer (WL)
20. The Business of Charity: The Woman’s Exchange Movement, 1832-1900, by Kathleen Sander (WL)
21. Bound in Wedlock: Slave and Free Black Marriage in Nineteenth Century, Tera W.
    Hunter (WL)
22. The Wrongs of Woman: Milliners and Dressmakers, by Charlotte Elizabeth (Primary) (BS)
23. An Intimate Economy: Enslaved Women, Work, and America’s Domestic Slave Trade, by Alexandra J. Finley (WL)
24. Mothers and Daughters of Invention: Notes for a Revised History of Technology, by
    Autumn Stanley (BS)
25. Sisters in Spirit: Haudenenosunee Influence on Early American Feminists, by Sally Roesch Wagner (WL)
26. Vanished Arizona, by Martha Summerhayes and Letters of a Homesteader, by Elinore Pruitt Stewart. (Recommendations from Marna Davis.)

In celebration of Women’s History Month, each day I will add a new book to this list. The growing list contains favorite books from my book shelf as well as many books from my own wish list. (I annotated these BS and WL in the list.)

You will notice my list focuses on the everyday lives of women, mostly in 19th Century America with a dabbling of further connection.

I hope you find some new additions to your reading list. Each book is available through your local library, book seller, or Amazon.

1. Employments of Women by Virginia Penny (Primary) (BS)
2. Novel Craft: Victorian Domestic Handicraft and Nineteenth-Century Fiction, by Tilia Schaffer (WL)
3. The Dress Diary: Secrets from a Victorian Woman’s Wardrobe by Dr. Kate Strasdin (WL)
4. Female Economy: The Millinery and Dressmaking Trades, 1860-1930, by Wendy Gamber (BS)
5. American Milliners and Their World: Women’s Work from Revolution to Rock and Roll, by Nadine Stewart (WL)
6. An American Girl’s Book, by Eliza Leslie (Primary) (BS)
7. Women in Business, 1700-1850, Nicola Phillips (WL)
8. Eliza’s Story, by Eileen Hook (BS)
9. Maritcha: A Nineteenth-Century American Girl, by Tonya Bolden (WL)
10. Untidy Origins: A Story of Women’s Rights in Antebellum New York, by Lori D Ginzberg (BS)
11. Only the Clothes on Her Back: Clothing and the Hidden History of Power in the
    Nineteenth-Century United States, by Laura F. Edwards. (WL)
12. The Chinese Lady: Afong Moy in Early America, by Nancy E. Davis (WL)
13. All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake, by Tiya Miles (BS)
14. Women and the Law of Property in Early America, by Marylynn Salmon (WL)
15. Face Value: The Consumer Revolution and the Colonizing of America, by Cary Carson (WL)
16. Threads of Life: A History of the World Through the Eye of a Needle, by Clare Hunter (BS)
17. Buying into the World of Goods: Early Consumers in Backcountry Virginia, by Ann
    Smart Martin (WL)
18. Village Life in America, 1852-1872, by Caroline Cowles Richards (Primary) (BS)
19. Material Lives: Women Makers and Consumers in the 18th Century, by Serena Dyer (WL)
20. The Business of Charity: The Woman’s Exchange Movement, 1832-1900, by Kathleen Sander (WL)
21. Bound in Wedlock: Slave and Free Black Marriage in Nineteenth Century, Tera W.
    Hunter (WL)
22. The Wrongs of Woman: Milliners and Dressmakers, by Charlotte Elizabeth (Primary) (BS)
23. An Intimate Economy: Enslaved Women, Work, and America’s Domestic Slave Trade, by Alexandra J. Finley (WL)
24. Mothers and Daughters of Invention: Notes for a Revised History of Technology, by
    Autumn Stanley (BS)
25. Sisters in Spirit: Haudenenosunee Influence on Early American Feminists, by Sally Roesch Wagner (WL)

I just added a new bonnet to my shop. This bonnet has a beautiful spoon shaped brim.

You can also find this smaller bonnet an adult with a smaller head or child.

I am finishing up another bonnet tonight. EDIT: Finished Saturday morning.

I decided I need to brighten things up for this spring. This means each weekend, I will pick a publication or two for a special weekend price! This weekend, To Not, or Not to Net and In Detail: Frozen Charlotte Pen Wiper are 20% off!

I have two videos for you focusing on cheektabs and bonnet stays, both important features in keeping your 1850s & 1860s Bonnet on your head.

This video looks at how a straw bonnet stays on the head. I talk a little bit about how the cheektabs, ribbon, and inner brim decorations work together in tonight’s video. I plan to do a video that looks further at this. In the meantime, here is information on how a bonnet stay works and helps a bonnet stay on:

This video looks further at cheektabs – what they look like on original bonnets, how they should look on reproduction bonnets, and how they should frame the face.

I added several pieces to my shop this morning. This group includes people millinery and doll millinery

Some anniversaries are easier, some are harder. This one feels harder.

If it wasn’t for my Dad, there likely wouldn’t be a From Field to Fashion. If there wasn’t a FFtF, likely there would be any of the subsequent publications. Dad gave me the money for the first printing of FFtF many years ago.

This morning on the drive in, I decided to do a little something in recognition. From Field to Fashion is half off today, March 17th*.

.

(*and March 18th since Etsy won’t let me do a 1 day sale.)

This was going to be a quick reminder that I have several e-publications available in my Etsy shop. But, then I realized that isn’t really what I want to say. I want to remind people to read and do research before diving into a project or spending money.

This past weekend, I saw a post going around with a YouTube video link. The video was nicely made with a lovely exploration of a particular project. The problem is the video had the incorrect date attached to the video and item; incorrect by over a decade. The person who created the video shared the information they were given, including the incorrect date. There was no citation in the video information. Tracking back the image shared, I found the illustration and directions on Etsy with a more likely date but still no citation. When I watched the video, it had over 21,000 views with a long thread of comments from people eager to make their own. I envisioned oodles of people with this item, over a decade out of place, made with materials and techniques inconsistent with the era prompted in the video.

Sadness.

That brings us back to please read before you spend time or money.

I would love for you to read on of my publications (available in my Etsy shop.)

From Field to Fashion: The Straw Bonnet looks at the types of straw and plait used to make mid-nineteeth century straw bonnets and hats. FFtF is available in my Etsy Shop as an eBook.

Paisley, Plaid, and Purled discusses shawls of the mid-Victorian era, including the styles, sizes, and how they were worn. It also has directions for making your own accurate shawls. PP&P is available in my Etsy Shop as an eBook.

The Wadded Hood Workbook takes a close up look at these winter hoods sometimes called Pumpkin Hoods. This E-publication includes directions for making your own.

To Net, or Not to Net: Revisited is my newest book, diving deep into the hair nets of the Civil War era. This book looks at the types of hair nets, how they were made, and how they were worn. TNNtN is available in my Etsy Shop as an eBook.

This week is a casual Hat Q&A talking about the questions I am asked most often. The focus is on American Civil War hats. I will talk about bonnets in a future video.
How do I wear my hat?
Which is the front?
How do I measure my head?
Where do I put the flowers and ribbon?
How do I keep my hat on my head?

If you have more questions about straw hats or bonnets in the nineteenth century, put them in the comments below. I will do more millinery Q&As in the future.

More details on measuring and fit.

This is where to find me:
Consider Patreon for special content: http://www.patreon.com/AMillinersWhimsy
A Milliner’s Whimsy – If I Had My Own Blue Box (History Blog):www.amillinerswhimsy.com
Don’t Paint the Cat (Crafty Blog): https://dontpaintthecat.wordpress.com
Instagram for If I Had My Own Blue Box: http://www.instagram.com/if.i.had.my.own.blue.box
Instagram for Don’t Paint the Cat: http://www.instagram.com/dont.paint.the.cat

I just learned about the situation with Etsy and the bank collapse on Friday. I am a bit delayed in finding out because I was pretty frazzled about driving home in the snow storm last night, given that it was the anniversary of my truck accident, rolling it three times.

While the concept of “Bank collapse ” is very scary, I have decided I am not going to panic or even get overly worried. It is the weekend, when any sales from after 11pm Thursday don’t get sent until Monday evening anyway. This gives Etsy the weekend to get their financial ducks in order and make an official statement to all of their sellers.

I do not have any finished millinery at the moment to add anyway. I have one high brim 1860s bonnet on the block. I just started a tbd hat about an hour ago.

I do have an idea in mind if there appears to be a lengthier delay in sales deposits for sellers. If this is the case, I will move some e-publications to another platform this coming week. This may be Patreon or something else like Ko-fi 🤔

Please keep in mind situations like this can be very stressful for sellers. Many artists and craftspeople make a substantial portion of their income, their livelihoods, through Etsy. This is how they pay their bills, support themselves and their families. Consider how you may be able to help them if this does last beyond the weekend.

While we wait and see, here is a short video I recorded this morning, part of what I am now calling Straw Musings: