Little House on the Prairie: Straw Hats & First Thoughts

As the first season of Netflix’s new Little House on the Prairie reaches audiences, I want to say thank you to everyone who brought this beloved story to life for the 21st century audience. Bringing a cherished story to the screen requires the talents of countless people: writers, actors, directors, craftspeople, costumers, and so many others whose work is often unseen but deeply felt. I am especially thankful to the costume department for inviting my hand-sewn straw millinery to become a small part of that collaborative effort. It has been a privilege to see historically inspired craftsmanship woven into a production created with such care, and I am honored that my hats found a place in telling this new version of the Ingalls family’s story.

Straw Hats

I have already had many questions about which hats are mine, including some incorrect assumptions about bonnets being mine. To make it easier, I’m sharing some notes.

I sent 4 hat styles for season 1. The top left is the style Emily is wearing. The top right is the style Caroline is wearing. The bottom two I did not see in the show on the first viewing. (I think I may have seen the top of the bottom right in the audience during Founders Day. ) The many other bonnets and hats in the season were not created by me.

Emily’s hat is a tapered crown style made specially for Barrett Doss. The brim is stylishly shaped with a dip in front and back. A ring of vining straw circles mid-brim.

I am thrilled with how amazing this hat looks on Emily. She is wearing it perfectly!!!! If anyone is ever looking for an example of how to wear this style hat, this is how.

Caroline’s hat is a perfect pairing in my mind. The curves of the straw vining in the crown & brim work so well with her curly red hair. But, it is more than that. I love the way Caroline and this hat compliment each other, bringing out each other’s beauty and personality.

I will have a post coming up that takes a closer look at how I made Caroline’s hat.

First Thoughts

Warning: Potential Spoilers ⚠️

I watched the whole of season 1 as the sun rose on premiere day. More precisely, I started at 3:02 am, after fussing with Netflix to refresh, and finished at 10:20 am. There were several points in the show I felt personal connection with and details I appreciated.

Something that stood out for me was a sense of texture. Texture in materials selected. Texture in finishing details. Texture in natural elements. I do not know if this was intentional or purely my interpretation. It may have started with seeing the vining in Caroline’s hat on screen. It continued with seeing the carving in the backboard of the wagon, the bark on the assorted trees used for the cabin, the placement of items in the general store, the choice of lace for collars. I look forward to hearing if others saw this.

The opening scene of the first episode was on the edge of kinesthetic memory for me. I’ve had the privilege of being able to camp under the open stars in both 19th and 20th century comfort. This time around a campfire with family and friends is something I cherish. I found myself wondering how many people watching have had this opportunity and how many never will as time moves forward.

Caroline and Charlie building the cabin also triggered physical memory for me. Caroline picking up logs for the cabin, literally flashed me to picking up rails for building a fence. I can only imagine how much heavier the fresh cut full logs were. I cringed at the sound of the crack, with pain shooting through my own foot where a wood pole with metal spike came down one summer. Very well done!

I have so many thoughts on ‘a way out’ and ‘follow you anywhere’ but I am not ready to share those personal feelings publicly.

There were several pieces of material culture I appreciated. Among them: the workbox or writing slope behind Caroline & Charles in the tent, the dolls in the general store, the many pieces of dark flow-blue, the well selected folding chair. I was giddy over the dolls on the chairs in the window on Founders Day.

That’s all for now. I need a nap.