February | 2016 | If I Had My Own Blue Box:

First Millinery of 2016

I am excited to say I just listed my first millinery pieces of 2016.

As you can see, these pieces each have something special. Yes, this year, I am going to do a few pieces with something extra. I have both purchased decorative plait and hand-sculpted decorative plait that I will be adding to a few special millinery pieces.

Oh, I also carved some new hat blocks in average and larger sizes. These have the curved top. I also did a flatter top.

First, here is a scallop edge on a hat worked in a narrow plait of a beautiful natural gold.

Next, is a looped edge on a hat in a lighter gold natural plait.

I also added a small toque style hat that I forgot about. This little lady needs someone to finish and show it off. I listed it at a low price so it can have a quick home.

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on February 17, 2016 at 12:18 pm Leave a Comment

Looking at the Cost of Millinery

I just photographed the first millinery pieces of the year. As there currently is discussion in at least one Facebook group about the cost of attire and what historic artisans make, I thought it would be a good idea to revisit the cost of millinery.

This has been a topic I have addressed a few times in the past. I wrote “Why are Bonnets so Much” in 2014, sharing again in 2015. Prior to that, I created a chart “The Cost of Authenticity” in 2010.

This time, I will focus on straw millinery, as that is what I will be focusing on this year.

One significant factor in the cost of straw millinery is the availability of straw. Suitable straw plait is becoming more and more difficult to find. Modern trends have shifted to cellulose and plastic materials. Vintage straws have the risk of being dried out. The growing doll fascination is finding narrow plaits to be sold by the yard, which just is not plausible for millinery pieces that take several dozen yards. With one of my trustworthy suppliers, a hank I used to buy for $16 is now $22 plus shipping, which has also increased quite a bit over the years.

Straw Bonnet and Hat forms

Straw plait ($20-$55 a skein depending on origin, plait and color)
Millinery wire ($20/coil)
Thread
Needles
Sizing/blocking ingredients

Straw Bonnet Finishing

Lining ($10-$15/yard)
Facing ($10-$20/yard)
Organza, net or lace for frill ($10-$30/yard)
Bavolet net ($32/yard)
Silk or Ribbon for Bavolet ($5/length to $60/length)
Ribbon for functional ties ($2.80)
Fashionable Ribbon ($4-$60/yard)
Flowers ($10-$75)
thread, needles, etc

Straw Hats Finishing

Lining ($10-$15/yard)
Ribbons ($2-$30/yard) (narrower)
Flowersf ($10-$40)
thread, sizing, etc

I hand sew all my millinery. Some straw is easy to work with. Other straw is very tough on the hands, both the skin and the muscles & joints. Some milliners have permanent wear, even damage to their hands. We need really good moisturizers and muscle rubs to keep the hands going.

Depending on the millinery piece and the straw, it can take from 6 hours to 18 hours to hand sew a form. This includes row after row of plait (the narrower the plait, the more rows), edging, wiring, binding and blocking.

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on February 17, 2016 at 11:22 am Comments (2)

Work Bags from the 1st Sew Along

Now that the final directions for the first 2016 Sew Along have been shared, photos of finished work bags are coming in. Here are just a few of the bags made in the past month and a half.

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on February 12, 2016 at 6:00 am Comments (10)

Alas, no home

These poor bonnets never did find a home last year. Each is waiting for the right time and person.

The first is one of my favorites from last year. I just love the combination of the velvet calla lilies and pink & green silk.

This is a smaller straw hat. (It fits my head perching forward.) It would be good for an adult with a smaller to average head or a child. Find it on Etsy.

This little hat is ideal for a late war to post war impression. Light weight, made of fine hemp-straw and silk, it sits back over the hair as it begins to rise. The inspiration for this bonnet comes from this 1865 wedding bonnet at the National Trust Collections (below) Find it on Etsy.

**Note: I am going to make a point to share my millinery work here first as the listings are complete. This means, to get the first look and chance at pieces, subscribe to my blog. You can opt to have the new posts go to a feed or your email.**

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on February 10, 2016 at 2:30 pm Leave a Comment

A “I want that”

You know those times when you see an outfit in a photo, painting or illustration? This is one of those times. In this case, it is all Kitty Calash’s fault for mentioning The Yale Center for British Art in her Frivolous Friday post.

This ensemble in the center of Wilkie’s The Pedler instantly caught my attention. Often, when I see clothes, I envision how they would feel to wear them. This looks all too comfy to me.

I see a shorter red wool or linen skirt with what may be a deep hem/hem-backing or another shade of red as a trim or a tuck, a long sacque style bodice closing at a high waist with a belt, from under the bodice hangs low a key and scissors, a kerchief with a border drapes around her neck, peeking out of the bodice/sacque is a white collar. As I know much less of this era, I am not quite sure what that white collar is. A chemisette?

For warmth, I would work the skirt/petti in wool and the bodice/sacque also in wool. For comfort in warmer weather, I would work the skirt in wool or linen with the sacque/bodice in something lighter. cotton? light linen?

(close-up) The Pedler, by Sir Davie Wilkie at The Yale Center for British Art.

Kneeling in the forefront, we have a back view of similarly tempting, comfy clothing.

We can see the side slit in her skirt. Her sacque style bodice is shorter, gathering in at a more natural location with the aid of the string/cord holding the blue cloth style apron in place. She has a smaller kerchief showing at her neck that almost appears to reach down the front of her, held under the blue cloth. I do like how that shade of blue is brought out by the golden color. (Lydia Jane, I think this is an outfit you will want to see.)

(close-up) The Pedler, by Sir Davie Wilkie at The Yale Center for British Art.

While visiting The Yale Center, be sure to look at First Class – The Meeting and Second Class – The Parting. Also, take a peek at Strange Faces. A story comes to mind for me. Besides that, she has a nice example of a turn over shawl and a bonnet.

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