If I Had My Own Blue Box:

As part of the 5 year anniversary for Fanciful Utility I created these goodies for the workbox. These are “Fill Your Case” useful PDFs you can print and put in your sewing case.

Basic Sewing Booklet from Eliza Leslie’s Lady’s House-Book 1850

Mini Quick Reference Booklets

Mini Booklet Sewing Guide

Mini Booklet Gather Gauge Button Guide

Directions for folding the two mini booklets:

Needle Packet Labels

These are scanned from antique packets in my collection I’ve included directions for the two ways these packets are folded as well as label and packet measurements.

*note: These are direct scans. Some were on the packets angled.

Construction:

Each of these packets can be made of black paper slightly lighter than writing paper and the label printed on white paper.

• Print your labels on white printer paper. Cut them to the size indicated on the print out.
• Cut the black paper using the dimensions accompanying each label – 3 times the width and 3 times the length. ie – if the folded packet is 1″x1.5″, cut the black paper 3″x4.5″
• Fold the black paper in thirds lengthwise. Fold the paper in thirds width wise.
• Looking at the placement chart and the notes with each label, glue the label in the corresponding location on the exterior. Use either a brush or small glue stick for the best control.
• You can also cut a second piece of black paper, slightly smaller to fit inside the outer paper to help hold your needles.

Looking for your own copy of Fanciful Utility?

Click HERE to go ESC Publishing.

Wearing nineteenth century clothes, we find they fit differently than our modern clothes. The waist is in a different spot. The bust sits differently. Seams are used to accent or de-accent parts of the body. The fit feels different and moving in the clothes is different. The same is true for hats and bonnets. In previous posts I’ve talked about bonnets and perch. Here, we are going to look at how a hat was worn and how it “fits”.

In the 1850s and 1860s, hats were worn much higher on the head than we are accustom to in the twenty-first century. Think about when you wear your modern beach or garden hat. You know that line across your forehead where it sits after a long hot day? You do Not want that. A mid-nineteenth century hat sat higher, at the top of your forehead, at your hair line, or even higher. Take a look at these fashion illustrations from 1860-1862. Notice where each hat sit. In a few illustrations, the front hairline is obviously below the crown line. In others, the crown sits just at this line. The hat sits atop the head, not encompassing it. The curve of the brim is what dips to the eye line, not the hat itself.

What does this mean for you when picking a size?

There are two factors for finding a comfortable fit: Size and shape.

The difference in wear or placement means we measure for a mid-nineteenth century had differently than we do for a twentieth or twenty-first century hat. The modern hat is measured just above the eyebrow. (This is also where many of us measure for bonnets. We want to keep you on your toes.) For mid-nineteenth century, we measure higher, at the hair line. In this illustration, we can see the difference between where the two measurements would be.

These higher, hairline measurements are often smaller than those taken at the eyebrow. A hat worn at this point can be slightly smaller to slightly larger for comfort. So, add and subtract an inch to your hairline measure.

For example: I am 22.5″ around at my eyebrows and 21.5″ at my hairline. The vast land of the internet tells me that the average woman’s head measures 22.5″ to 22 5/8″ around at the modern measuring point. So, I am about average. I comfortably wear a mid-nineteenth century hat that is 19.5″ to 21.5″

General guidelines I use:

• Small = Less than 21″ at the hairline (crown less than 20″)
• Average = 21″-22.5″ at the hairline (crown 20-21.5″)
• Large = Greater than 22.5″ at the hairline (crown greater than 22″)

Just like every head measures a bit differently, they are each shaped a bit differently.

When looking from above, some people have rounder heads while other have more oval heads. Both of these shapes to the right can have a circumference of 22.5″. Yet, the same hat would fit each head differently.

I will try to indicate which hats have rounder crowns or more oval crowns. I am in the process of naming the crowns. Hopefully, that will help.

Are you one of the many readers enjoying my millinery blog posts?

Consider becoming a Patreon patron. Doing so helps support my work and helps me write more useful articles.

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I am reposting favorite helpful posts each Monday throughout March, April, and May.

I have written a couple posts in the past about caring for or storing our bonnets. Lately, a few specifics “uh-oh” fixes have been asked of me. So, I thought it would be good to put together a more detailed article on millinery care and first aid. Here I will be talking about Straw millinery only.

Preventative Care Your Bonnet

The best prevention is to store a bonnet or hat on an archival stand, under a glass dome with its own security system. ….. A dream, right?

(If I could have all the storage space in the world and start over – I would attach two stands to the inside of the lid of a tote (I think they are the 15 or 20 gallon totes) With the lid as the bottom, the tote becomes the top. I could then place a bonnet on each stand with the ribbons rolled up. No wrinkles, no dust, no issues. Again, that is my dream.)

I’m going to boil this down to my list of dos and don’ts:

Do – Keep you hats and bonnets on stands

Do Not – Use foam heads for storage. These will release chemicals that will discolor your bonnets. Even covered with other fabric this can happen.

Do – Cover your bonnets some how to keep dust off of them. Yes, a box is best.

Do Not – Store in overly moist or overly dry areas. Moisture can cause mildew, mold and color issues. Dryness can cause silks to shatter.

Do Not – Store a bonnet on its face, side or bavolet. This will cause crushing, wrinkling and misshaping.

In Case of Mishaps

Rain – A gentle sprinkle can usually be okay with a gentle drying while on the bonnet stand. If you find you were stuck in a heavier rain with your bonnet on, first remove all flowers and ribbons from your bonnet. Hang your flowers upside down. I have this awesome stand from Wilton that was meant for cake making that works great. You may want to use clothes pins to hang them from a clothes hanger. Lay the ribbons flat to dry on a paper towel or old towel as not all ribbons are color fast. You may find you want to remove the bavolet as well. Lay it flat, net side up. Most bavolets can be pressed with the aid of a pressing cloth once dry.

For the bonnet itself, press any mishapings out with your hands gently against the counter if need be. Take a roll of paper towel. Unroll it to about the size of the tip of your bonnet. Place the bonnet face down on top of the upright paper towel. If you left the bavolet attached, let it lay open but not touching the bonnet. Arrange the pleats and work out any wrinkles carefully with you hands. Allow it to dry completely. In the case of a hat, you may need to shape the top of the paper towel roll to reflect the curve of the crown and lay a layer or two of towels over it to make a smooth surface.

Reattach the ribbons and flowers.

Wrinkled ribbons – Ribbons get wrinkled and crinkled when tied and untied. Bonnets should be stored untied with the ribbons neatly rolled into a coil. (I even roll some of mine around little ribbon pillows I’ve made.) Rolling the ribbons will help coax the fibers that were inside in the bow to relax back where they should be while keeping additional wrinkles from forming.

If you find your ribbons to be holding their wrinkles, you can steam them to help relax the wrinkles then roll the ribbon. You can also try pressing the ribbon with an iron using a pressing cloth. (Most silk ribbons are vintage with older fibers, while newer ribbons, even high quality ribbons are a combination of rayon, polyester and nylon. A low temperature and pressing cloth is safer than ending up with your ribbon stuck to your iron or breaking.)

Squashed Flowers – a Flowers can become squashed during wear or storage (or oopses). For velvet flowers, I find a light spraying of spray starch and reshaping with my fingers works best. Spray just a small area at a time, 1 or 2 square inches at most. The petals should be barely damp, not wet. Gently work the damp petals and leaves back into shape. Allow them to dry fully. If you have removed them from the bonnet or hat, clip the flowers to something so they stand up to dry.

For organza or other faux silk flowers, a light steaming may work to help coax the fibers in the petals to be manipulated and reshaped. Allow them to dry fully as well.

Crushed Frill – a A slightly crushed frill can be steamed and reshaped with the aid or a bodkin or hair pin. A severely crushed frill needs to be removed and pressed with an iron. Silk organza or cotton organdy should be able to be pressed on the designated setting. Lace should be pressed on a low setting with the aid of a pressing cloth. I try to press the frill while it is still pleated. (un-pleating and re-pleating is timely.)

Crushed or Shattered Straw – This is a though one. I’ve had a couple people ask me about bonnets that have been sat on or crushed in baggage. If the straw is not completely broken just misshapen, I suggest removing the flowers, ribbons, etc. Dampen the area(s) that have misshapened. Reshape the area(s) with your hands. Use objects in your kitchen for support if need be. Allow the straw to dry fully. If needed, mix some millinery gelatin or white glue & water (1:1) and brush it on the area for firmness and strength.

If a single or only a couple straws have been broken, it may be possible to replace or support those areas with additional plait if a matching plait can be found. To support, clean the break with fine scissors or nail clippers so the cut is along the diagonal of the plait. Unpick the stitches connecting that row of plait to those adjacent. Cut a piece of straw 2 or 3 inches long with diagonal cuts. Slide the piece into the fracture. Line it up carefully. Sew the piece into place catching the layers and the broken strips.

If multiple rows of plait are broken or it is a woven straw, the best chance is to realign the straw (dampened) and support it from the back with sinway or a piece of woven straw. The front of the straw will need the aid of a bodkin and/or tweezers to get the right look. You will want to use millinery gelatin or a glue solution to firm up the realigned straw. I would only recommend this if purchasing a new one is out of the question as it will be very intensive.

Dust or Cobwebs – If you store your bonnet or hat on a stand, you may get cobwebs. My favorite solution is a can of spray air, like the kind used for computers. Spray gently and at an angle.

Squashed Bavolet– A bavolet can get squashed during storage. If this happens, Turn the bonnet upside down. If need be, tie the functional ties together and hang the bonnet from the loop. Steam the bavolet encouraging it to flop over the tip and sides of the bonnet. Steam both the silk side and the net side. Smooth out tough wrinkles with your hands. Once the bavolet is back in shape, let it dry fully and spray with spray starch.

Are you one of the many readers enjoying my millinery blog posts?

Consider becoming a Patreon patron. Doing so helps support my work and helps me write more useful articles.

https://www.patreon.com/AMillinersWhimsy

Recently, with my focus on hats, I have been asked a several times “where can I wear that hat?”

This is an excellent question. I love that people are asking. It means they are thinking about when and where they can appropriately wear a particular hat. It also means I don’t have to worry as much about one of my hats appearing in an inappropriate scenario. (Yes, I worry about such things.)

I want to cover the background to the answer(s) rather than just the answer.

First, where do we look to find out what situations are appropriate for different types of hats? We need to look at visual references for context. This will include context based photographs (cdvs, sterioviews), illustrations and paintings. This will show us the scene, the type of hat, the wearer and the clothing it accompanies. We should also include textual references, keeping in mind the written descriptions can misinterpreted due to various reasons.

Second, we need to keep in mind the chronology and geography of references. What was common in the 50s may not have been common in the 60s. What may have been common in an urban area may not have been common in a rural area. What may have been common in New England may not have been common on the Gulf coast.

Let’s look at some images. (Just as start. I’ll try to come back and add more.)

This pair of images I recently found after completing the violet velvet hat. These women are from a family photo that I lack citation details on. The daughter is holding a croquet mallet, indicating a recreational situation. Both women are wearing straw hats with brims that curve down all the way around, providing some sun protection. The hats appear to be simply decorated with ribbon. The clothing suggests a date between 1860 and 1863/4.(the link provided does not agree, estimating the photo is just post-war.) I estimate the girl to be in her young to mid teens, the mother in her 40s.

Continuing with the recreational scenario, this shot from a Lily Martin Spencer painting depicts a picnic on the 4th of July. The hat is a larger hat. It has a wide brim that would shade the face. The crown is shallow, maybe 2″ high. It is simply decorated with a ribbon and possibly a ribbon or flower arrangement in the front, bow in the back.

This stereoview, A Charming spot for a Country Home,  shows what appears to be a small town or rural garden of a comfortable family. Dated 1865, this image is from New Jersey. We can see a woman seated in the chair with her back to us, wearing what appears to be an undecorated straw hat (with little blocking in my opinion.) This hat reminds me of this description of a well worn, favorite garden hat. Near the fence is a pre-teen girl in a wide brim, low-ish crown hat with a simple bow. Hats to do seem to fairly common in photos of people in the yards or gardens (upper working class, leisure class homes.)

This next stereoview, View of grounds at Newport, is estimated to be 1860, taken in Herkimer, NY. This can also be considered a recreational image as the woman stands in a field alongside a haystack. Her hat is smaller, with a very shallow crown and brim that reaches just about the depth of her face. (meaning the brim comes about as far forward as her nose.) This is a fashionable shape for a hat that I believe would be appropriate for a walk in a village as well. Compare it to the hats to the right from June of 1850, which have significantly larger brims.

One can not mention recreation without touching on seaside. I don’t think many of us truely get to do impressions that spend time seaside. I think large, shady hats often come to mind when thinking seaside recreation. But, as we see in these late and post war paintings (English), smaller hats were worn seaside.

As a general rule of thumb, formal occasions were not appropriate for fashionable or casual hats. This includes church. This stereoview clip suggest there were some exceptions, in this case a baptism. (I’ll see if I have the whole scan saved elsewhere.)

Scenario Specific Hats (I really ought to find time to write more about):

• Coarse hats
• Southern made hats
• Reform hats
• Riding hats
• Sporting hats (archery)
• Resort/Watercure hats
• TBD

More hats in context:

• https://www.pinterest.com/pin/177751516521341143/
• https://www.pinterest.com/pin/93309023502827866/
• http://artnc.org/works-of-art/musicale-barber-shop-trenton-falls-new-york (look through the door.)
• http://www.the-athenaeum.org/art/full.php?ID=13049

A favorite blog post from 2014

A CDV recently appeared that brought up how women wore their bonnets perched on the backs of their heads from 58ish to 63/4ish. (I want said cdv & will be bidding. Fingers crossed.) Here is a close-up:

See how the bonnet sit further back on her head? Her interior flowers land almost at her mid-line.
The question I am hearing is “how did they do that?’
There as a few aspects that help:
– A bonnet stay. This is a ribbon, strip or even wire inside the bonnet, positioned to act like a headband holding the bonnet in place. (These need to be fitted to the wearer.)
– The frill and interior decoration. The placement and fullness of these act like a catch or a band to help hold the bonnet.
– Balance. The front to back balance of the bonnet needs to put more weight in the brim and forward crown area of the bonnet rather than the back.
The placement of the hair can also be a contributing factor.

This is my first straw bonnet, years & years ago. While it has some early issues, it shows what a stay can do. These photos were taken after a parade marching into 40 mph winds that ended in a hail storm. During this walk, the force of the winds actually snapped a bone in my cage. But, the bonnet stayed put.

Here is Lily in the same bonnet. It sits further back on her. But, stays pretty well. (It finally got to retire after this.)

This next bonnet is a different shape, drawn. Instead of a stay, it holds put thanks to the frill and flowers. The frill is gathered like ruching in this one. The back edge sorta stands fluffed, holding against my hair.

This is my bonnet from last year. (How awful is my facial expression?) I think you can see the position of this one. This stays with the work of the frill and my hair.

Here is how I often wear my hair:

Now, Lily’s bonnet from last year does need a stay as she does have some issue with I staying put. Granted, se is also showing kids how o play with games including stilts much of the time. She also has far better posture than I do. Now that I think about it more, she has less hair in the back too.

Here is a photo of both of us from last month with the same two bonnets. (different ribbon on mine) This shows the fullness of the frill pretty well.

Tomorrow, I’ll be wearing my new soft crown. It has the ruched frill but no stay. Of course, the weight will be at the top. I will likely be wearing my veil turned back over the bonnet most of the day. I will report back on how well it stays.

Betsy Connolly sent me some beautiful photos showing excellent perch. (The photos are so pretty, I’m not going to crop them.) She says some have stays, some do not. She agrees that staying put is about balance.

Here is Lisa Springstube Lindsey in a mourning bonnet with the full frill helping hold it and a Marie Stuart:

Here is Beth Chamberlain with two good examples:

If you have a good ‘perch’ photo & would like to share it, please let me know (I think if you link it in the comments, I can grab it. Otherwise, email or message me.)

Do you have your Wadded Hood Workbook yet?

Order and download your today!

What is a Pumpkin Hood?

A “Pumpkin” hood or bonnet is a wadded bonnet, most commonly made of silk on the exterior and polished cotton, cotton or silk on the interior. Wide, full channels are filled to a full loft with wool batting either lightly or densely. The channels are separated by smaller channels, single or multiple, that are drawn in by cord or ribbon. The front brim may or may not have a decorative ruffle, attached or tucked from the base exterior fabric. These usually have a petite to moderate bavolet either lightly filled with batting or without batting.

Some other terms that seem to apply: Wadded bonnet/hood, “Ugly”, a “Kiss-me-quick”.

How early were these worn?

Most museums seem to start their dating of wadded, pumpkin style hoods in the second quarter of the century. Some do push earlier, as far as the late 1700s/early 1800s, such as this example from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

As domestically made winter hoods were a utilitarian garment rather than a fashionable one, their appearances in fashion literature is limited. I see one set of passages referencing a wadded hood or bonnet, drawn in, worn close to the face that may help us give wadded hoods drawn close to the latter 1830s:

In the Ladies Pocket Magazine, of 1838, London, we see a mention of wadded bonnets as a fashionable item. Of English fashions – “Wadded bonnets which before were very much in vogue, are now almost the only ones adopted in promenade dress, and it must be confessed nothing could be better calculated for the season, particularly when they are worn, as in often the case, over a blond morning cap of the demi-cornette form.” (In this passage, wadded pelisses and wadded mantles are also mentioned.) Of Paris fashions “Winter has set in with all its rigour, but that is of little consequence to our elegantes, who, occupied with the grand dinners, balls, and fetes that are always given in the commencement of winter, have deserted the promenades. Novelty in out-door costume is consequently out of the question, velvet or satin mantles, which are trimmed and sometimes lined in fur, that their busts are defended by a large fur palatine, their hands doubly shielded by fur cuffs, and a muff, and their pretty faces guarded by a large wadded bonnet, which completely meets under the chin, we have said all that can be said of out-door dress.” The year prior, the same publication tells us: “We may cite with confidence, among the new bonnets will be very fashionable, the capotes a conlisse ouatees, or wadded drawn bonnets; the are a most comfortable head-dress, composed of satin or pou de soie, lightly wadded, and simply trimmed with ribbon. They differ a little in shape from the other bonnets, sitting closer round the face.” This may or may not be the beginning point of the wadded, pumpkin style bonnet. Neither publication includes an illustration of this practical winter wear in the midst of the popular large bonnets of the era.

In that same time period, we see wadded and quilted hoods/bonnets constructed for children in The Workwoman’s Guide. The illustrations suggest the quilted versions have larger crowns that are volumous in some cases. It is important to note the difference between this shape and the Pumpkin shape. I believe this is the construction that evolves through the rest of the century as the quilted bonnet.

Blackwood‘s suggested I should look at “quilted wadded capotes” as well as “bonnets” and “hoods”. Though, this February and March 1843 Peterson‘s suggest capotes were quilted, rather than wadded with loft.

One of only photographs clearly depicting a wadded “pumpkin” style bonnet/hood is a bit of tease. While taken in 1897, the photograph does not show contemporary/current wear, rather historical costume wear. This photograph is held by Deerfield.

Were they worn during the Civil War?

Yes, evidence suggest wadded hoods were worn in the 1860s. The 1860 painting, School Girls, by George Augustus Baker, shows the girl on the left in what could be a red silk wadded pumpkin bonnet. The artist did several studies for this painting, including Little Girl in a Red Bonnet, which is undated.

Museum examples:

• LACMA circa 1850
• MET circa 1840s
• MET “early 19th century”
• MFA Late 18th to early 19th century
• Wayne State University Libraries, circa 1820-1850
• Wayne State University Libraries, 1840-49

It certainly is a COLD winter so far for most of us. We’ve been seeing single digits for days with days to come. Some have it much harsher with double digit negatives. I hope everyone is doing their best to stay warm and keeping their fur and feather friends warm as well.

With it being so cold, it is a good time to talk about the nitty gritty of wine get bonnets or hoods. Well, some of it. I need to save so e stuff for the up coming book.

Let’s talk about silk verses wool. One of the most common questions I get about winter hoods is if silk is better than wool or wool better than silk. The answer is “Yes”. 

Both silk and wool are found in original bonnets from 1840 through the 1860s. Without tallying up those I’ve surveyed, including my personal collection, roughly 65%-70% of extant hoods have silk on the exterior and roughly 35%-40% have wool exteriors. Other materials show up as well.

Silk is nice for wet snow. Think about how an umbrella made of silk protects against the rain. In a wet snow, silk will hold up against the wet for a while. Eventually, the water will soak through. This happened then as it will now. Water marks can be seen on some originals. (There is a difference in water staining for when a bonnet was worn verses damage in storage.)

Wool helps with moisture for an extended time as well as providing insulation. Wool needs to be a smooth, tight weave though. A fuzzy wool, such as flannel, will act like a snow magnet, inviting it to cling to the fuzzy bits. Wool also needs to be very light weight. Thick or heavyweight wools are not regularly found on original hoods.

Left: Original hood with a solid color silk exterior. Right: Original wool hood with a plaid wool exterior. 

Moving on to the inside, the batting or wadding – The vast majority of originals use some type of wool for the wadding or batting. A significant number are natural, just cleaned and combed off the sheep. I’ve seen a nice mix of colors inside some hoods. Some originals are lightly filled, while others are quite densely filled. Some thinner hoods have a thin batting more similar to 100% cotton quilt batting. Yet a couple others have a layer of fulled wool inside, completely covered (not as a visible lining.) Wool batting is by far the warmest option, over cotton batting. I have not yet determined if the thicker, fluffier, lighter wadding is warmer or less warm then the denser, tighter wadding/batting. I can tell more wool does seem to be more warm. There is also a point where there can be too much warm.

Left: Original wadded silk hood with fluffy wool wadding. This is sometimes called a pumpkin bonnet/hood. Right: Original silk quilted hood with wool batting. 

I am going to leave the lining for the upcoming book. Linings are just too varied and fascinating for a single post.

How about wind? Some of us live in areas with amazing winter winds. There is a quasi-local event each February that sees frigid, harsh winds coming off Lake Erie and picking up some extra speed off a frozen pond before walloping us on the overlooking porch. For this type of event, I want both warmth and wind protection. A deep brim that reaches in front of the face with minimal rise will help keep the wind off the face. A long bavolet will help protect the neck. Another help can be longer sides or the long, lappet like sides.

Left: Original wool and silk hood with long lappet like sides. Right: Original silk and silk hood with long lappet like sides. 

I will be working on some new hoods soon-ish. In the meanwhile, you are welcome to make your own hood from one of my patterns. They are available for instant download through my Etsy shop. 

I am going to get a head start on one of my 2018 blogging goals: A Monthly Update post.

This was inspired by a favorite blogger I follow, Victoria Elizabeth Barnes. Her blog meanders beautifully between stunning antique finds and adorable foster kitties. I enjoy the way any one of her posts can have a little of both, as well as what is happening in her life, projects she is working on, what she is reading and such. My monthly update posts may fall just about anywhere in the month.

So, what have I been up to this December???

I have discovered the art of lazy couch laying. This is incredibly new to me. I don’t think I’ve ever come home from work for three consecutive evenings to lay upon the couch to do nothing other than sit, cat cuddle and doze off. It is delightful. It is strange. It is pretty cool.  

In and around my experiments with lazy, I’ve made a few things. I started the month with ribbon pin cushions, weaving ribbons together. These were lots of fun. I still have more ribbon to make more. I designed a bird ornament to make with my techniques from Fanciful Utility. This involved some adventures in wool fulling. Oh-so-soft. I stopped into my local quilt shop during our Hometown Holidays festivities to learn a new-to-me paper piecing technique. I loved the little ornament I made. Then the week following, I stumbled upon a way too similar pin cushion. So, I had to make that up as well. Then I found another sorta-similar. Stay tuned for that at some point.

The shop had a nice December. After a crazy year, I was of two hearts on the shop going into December. Part of me wanted to stock it with all sorts of goodies. Part of me was in dire need of down time. See above to figure out which won.

I finally ordered more archival boxes. I wanted to get those ordered before the snow fell. Luckily, it turned out Gaylord Archival had a great sale. I dedicated a chunk of last Saturday to getting the summer and fall arrivals properly re-wrapped and boxed. Once again, I didn’t order quite enough. I miss counted. Okay, I plum forgot about a couple extant hoods that I bought while in the hospital. I need to order some deeper boxes next time too. I was able to coax the original shape further back into a few of the wired and and caned than I had planned. I anticipate a major photographing session this winter or spring.

I am closing the Etsy shop today for the season. E-books and e-patterns will still be available. I will reopen the shop some time after the new year. 

A huge Thank You to all who have supported me and listened to me whine through this past year. It was quite the adventure. Please enjoy this holiday season. I wish you all safe time with friends and family. 

​Sara Gonzalez, from Ensembles of the Past, share a wonderful announcement. She will be exclusively producing the beautiful 19th century reproduction buckles created by Jeremy Richardson, the owner of JR&Co., who has ceased his production. Ensembles of the Past will be the sole manufacturer of these wonderful, high quality buckles. Sara says “I will be continuing the fabrication of Jeremy Richardson’s fabulous buckles, with additional styles to be added in the future. It is my hope that I will do justice to the endeavor Jeremy Richardson began, and I look forward to serving each of you through this new channel of my growing company in the coming days!”

Ensembles of the Past is currently offering the last of Jeremy’s buckles stock and pre-order buckles through the Etsy shop for $12 each. After, buckles will be $15 per buckle. Sara anticipates the first shipment towards the end of December. 

 
I own one of each. Yes, all six buckles between Lily and I. I love them. I find the quality to be exceptional, and the ease of wear wonderful. Having worked with Sara on fabric selections for my hoods, I expect she will continue the fine offerings Jeremy started. 

Please take a moment to visit Ensembles of the Past to purchase yours today.