The first hats of 2025 are finally available!
I will be releasing millinery, both hats and bonnets, in groups this year. My goal is to offer new batches of hats and bonnets twice a month, most likely on Saturdays or Sundays, with the occasional adjustment due to my work and program scheduling. Each batch of new millinery will be announced here, on WordPress first. You can subscribe to my blog to receive new posts and new millinery via email or WordPress alerts.
The first hats of the year are all Bergère hats appropriate for the 18th Century. Each of these hats are made with a finer 5-6mm plait, with 4mm plait used for the braid. The brims are lightly wired for reshaping if desired. Shop
One of the reasons for this change is space. The space I photograph hats and bonnets in is the same space I use for repairing damaged originals. (This is where the light and turn tablenis.) I need to minimize how often I move the original pieces. Another reason is I need to find some balance for my hands. Despite resting my hands for several months, I find they are not as strong as I would like and the occasional vulgar hissing escapes when sharp pain shoots through. I am hoping a variety of sewing and breaks for writing will help. All this said, it is going to take a bit of self control to hold on to some of the pieces for the bi-monthly releases.
You will notice a second change I am trying for this year. To meet Etsy’s recommendations and hopefully increase search visibility, shipping will be $6 for the vast majority of items, both millinery and sewing cases. I am absorbing the true cost of Priority Mail and insurance, which is usually $14-$19 for hats & bonnets or $10-15 for sewing cases. I am not sure how well this will work in terms of dollars, but it should stop the alerts about my shipping being too high.
One final note – I do not know what is going to happen with the price of straw. Hanks already doubled in price compared to when I first started buying them. At the same time, the variety has significantly decreased with some of my favorites disappearing. I am nearly out of the “standard” 8mm width plait. I do have a small stash of fine and ultra-fine straw (what I would use for doll items) and a very limited amount of artisan plaits. I am going to do as much as I can with what I can get my hands on, for as long as I can. A lot will be determined by budget and what my hands can do.
If I Had My Own Blue Box: 
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