Quilted Winter Bonnet

I have decided to share select pieces from my winter hood/bonnet collection. Every few days, I will post a new piece. My collection currently spans most of the 19th century, though lightly at the very beginning and end. The pieces I share will be from the early and mid-Victorian eras, roughly 1830s through the 1870s. All but one of my pieces originate from the United States.

This adult size winter bonnet is a quilted piece, ca. 1840s-1870s. The exterior is a brown silk which has some staining. The interior is a cotton in a slightly lighter shade of brown on the brim and bavolet, while the crown has a darker polished cotton. The batting is not visible at any point, leaving it undetermined, likely a wool.

The bonnet is constructed of three main pieces, typical of many winter hoods of this era. These pieces include the crown, brim, and bavolet. The brim was cut on the bias, while the bavolet was cut on the grain. The shape and construction could classify this as a winter bonnet rather than a hood.

The quilting is is by hand with a running stitch. The front most edge around the brim having a narrower and slightly thicker section. The quilted rows appear to be done by eye rather than being fully traced out. This can be seen in the cheek area (below) as the rows curve and narrow imperfectly.

There is evidence that this piece was either made from fabric taken from a previous garment or the quilting was redone. In this photo you can faintly see the holes from former threads.

The gathered seam along top of the bavolet where it meets the crown.

The interior seams are treated in multiple ways. The neck edge where the bavolet is gathered to a gathered crown, the seam is covered with a darker fabric. This may or may not have been a later addition/change. Often this neckline has a channel for drawstring to assist with fit. The seam where the bavolet meets the brim is turned under. The seam where the brim and crown meet was trimmed and overcast

Note 1 – Additional Winter Millinery can be found in posts from September though November, 2019 using the search term: Winter Millinery Series or clicking here.