If I Had My Own Blue Box:

January

Fig 1 Opera hat of puffed white crape; each puff being separated by a row of large black beads; scarlet and black flowers, with loops of scarlet ribbon, replace the cape. The inside trimmings is of scarlet and black flowers and scarlet ribbon.(Godey’s Lady’s Book, January 1865)

Fig 2 White evening bonnet, with falling crown, covered with lilies of the valley and daisies.(Godey’s Lady’s Book, January 1865)

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Fig 3 Opera bonnet of blue crape, trimmed with pink roses.(Godey’s Lady’s Book, January 1865)

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February

Fig 1 is one of the most novel bonnets that has been produced this season. The front is very narrow, and is composed of a row of pink satin boullions, behind which is a bandeau of black velvet, fluted at the top, and continued from the ears to form the strings; the front edge of the pink satin is trimmed with narrow black lace. There is really neither crown nor curtain, their place being supplied by two rows of broad black lace, the upper row falling a little over the under one at the top of which are a pink rose, and a bow and streamers of black velvet. The cap is trimmed with roses and bows of black velvet.(Godey’s Lady’s Book, February 1865)

Fig 2 – Dress bonnet of Ponceau velvet spotted with small jet ornaments, the front edge is covered by a row of boullions of black thulle. The curtain is nothing but a flounce of black lace, headed by a grelot fringe, which fringe is continued on to the ears. At the back are loops and streamers of Ponceau velvet, and the strings are of the same. The cap is trimmed with fancy clowers of Ponceau velvet.(Godey’s Lady’s Book, February 1865)

Fig 3 Bonnet composed of a foundation of white silk, covered with a close network of very narrow blue velvet. The curtain is of white lace, ornamented with loops of blue velvet, and having streamers of the same underneath. The crown is nearly covered by a broad brown and blue feather, and a plume of similar feathers is placed on the right side. The strings are of blue ribbon, and the trimmings in the cap are brown feathers and a few blue flowers.(Godey’s Lady’s Book, February 1865)

March

 Fig 1 is a bonnet composed of narrow fullings of violet velvet; at the back, instead of a curtain, are two rows of black lace, set foot to foot with jet trimming between; at the left side an ornament of cock’s feathers and jet pendants; loops and long ends of velvet flowers and tufts of feathers; broad violet strings.(Godey’s Lady’s Book, March 1865)

Fig 2 is a dress bonnet at the top front flutings of black velvet; the crown and sides of front folds of white satin in bias; over the crown fall two rows of black lace; bird of Paradise with long white feathers on the left side; no curtain; strings of broad white satin ribbon brought from the top of crown; blonde cap, with bows of velvet and rosebuds. (Godey’s Lady’s Book, March 1865)

Fig 3 Bonnet of black velvet, the front covered plain. The crown is fulled and finished at the back by a bow and streamers of blue velvet ribbon; no curtain; folds of blue velvet cross the bonnet. (Godey’s Lady’s Book, March 1865)

Fig 4 Black velvet bonnet. The folds in bias; a fall of black laca at the back instead of curtain; very large pink feather on the left side, edged with jet. (Godey’s Lady’s Book, March 1865)

Fig 5 White silk bonnet, with puffed front and falling crown, which is covered with long green crape leaves. A fall of blonde takes the place of a curtain. An illusion scarf is laid in folds over the bonnet, and ties under the chin. The inside trimming is of white and scarlet flowers. (Godey’s Lady’s Book, March 1865)

I lack a name for this winter bonnet.

Let me talk about the original I worked from first*.

The

original is smaller than most winter bonnets, eithe for a smaller adult or older child. It is plaid, a small but not tiny, colorful plaid. The channels are a half inch wide and firmly, very firmly wadded. I increased the size to that of a green bonnet I have of very similar shaping. Getting the measurements over the full channels was fiddly. I uses a string to go over each curve. The crown is actually the direct measurements from the green bonnet that was set nearly the same as the plaid. The bavolet is actuall two curves. Odd little bavolet.

I made one inch channels instead of the half inch channels, with cording inbetween. Those inch wide channels are a challenge enough to get wadded firmly and evenly. It will be more so for the half inch channels.

I finished quilting the crown on Friday. I basted it into the brim…. and promptly hated it. It was so incredibly full through the top of the crown it looked more like a late 30s or early 40 day cap crown than what I thought it should look like. It is a good thing I slept on it, because I was ready to make a whole different back that fit what we are used to seeing. I went back to the original and realized it was how I gathered the crown and basted it in. Set in right, like the original, I like it; it allows lots of space for hair and is comfy.

*I have been holding back on sharing the originals for a couple reasons. First, I am using them in a bigger project. This will either reach the public eye in a conference presentation format or book format. Second, I’ve had a few cases lately of people ‘borrowing’ my research and designs. This makes me hesitant.

A soft silk in frosty blue, lined brown in polished cotton and batted with wool. (I’ll add more about this bonnet asap.)

The crown is full for those with larger hair arrangements.

I stumbled across the painting Saturday Afternoon by Enoch Wood Perry, and was just captivated by the way the woman was reading.

Her feet are right up next to the fire. The book inches from her face.

The painting has so much more to offer though.

There are two different versions in terms of brightness online. This brighter one is easier to see.

While this one has a richness to the color:

Either way, this painting is packed full of great pieces to look at and talk about.

Then I saw this, Women Weaving, by the same artist:

How I wish I knew where this was taken from. Several of the other pieces say New York.

with many people in a deep freeze and many others planning for winter events, here is a post from a little while back.

It is that time of year when we think about what we’ve accomplished as we wrap up the current year and about what we want to accomplish in the coming year.

I’d describe my current state as one of a bowl of thought soup churning around not yet sure of what is what.

In 2014….

• When the year started, I decided I wanted to try to sew a bonnet a week minus two weeks for Christmas, 50 bonnets. Just as Thanksgiving week wrapped up, I passed my goal.
• That same week I made a new blog daily view record and broke a comment milestone.
• I developed my millinery impression’s pieces a bit more with a ribbon holder, bonnets stands, a ledger/journal and an colorful interactive.
• In the fall, I had dual workshop day for the museum’s Domestic Arts Symposium.
• I, um, broke the planned plan, developed a bigger collection and had to buy more archival boxes.
• I ran a few series on the blog this year, one surveying the millinery of 1864, another looking newspaper articles written by rural people for rural readers, and “Their Life, Their Words” looking at the every day life of women.
• We had two sets of Fanciful Utility Swaps, one in the spring and one in the fall that has just sort of kept on going.

In 2015…. I don’t so much have any “New Year’s Resolutions”. I have “things I would like to do”:

• My big millinery goal is to get the planned plan on paper, in fabric, in film and finally in print or in a lecture hall.
• As it was such a nice goal, again I am going to set the 5o goal.
• I want to spend more time in the village and at a couple historic sites.
• I want to hold another millinery sewing day. (I’d like to eventually hold a millinery retreat.)
• I want to do an afternoon excursion Canandaigua Lady for a small bunch of us in historic attire. Something relaxing, low-key and pleasant. The Canandaigua steamboats seem to be used for daily commuting into the city and along the lake, allowing us to wear day attire and enjoy each others’ company without stressing before hand.
• I want to do a few workshops at some point.
• I have been procrastinating reorganizing, okay flat out re-doing the millinery ribbon blog. Part of me wants to move it again to have a better url. Part of me has no idea when I will find the time. I have a stack, large stack, of posts for that blog I have not done.

What everyone is looking for…. The projects:

• I am going to hook a rug. Actually, I am going to make a sewn rug (earlier method) and hopefully a hooked version of the same. I really like the idea of doing one in a Baltimore album quilt square style with jewely greens and reds. I sorta started a pinboard.
• The multiple pieces that go with the above mentioned planned project.
• I will make one of the coats. I have the black wool and the ivory wool/silk just waiting and waiting. *(though, it would be a good idea to use the black wool for a hood workshop. The slightly felted flannel would make a snuggly warm hood.)
• I will make something for me. *(This has been lacking in the recent years compared to further previous; one dress a year verses many wardrobe additions.)