If I Had My Own Blue Box:

It is still a beautiful summer, but I know fall will be here sooner than I like. It is time to start thinking about this fall’s FanU Fabric Swaps!

I know swappers have enjoyed each of the swaps over the past year and a half. It is nice to receive pretty fabrics in the mailbox over the course of a week or so. It is fun to play with the fabrics and see who makes what. 

For this fall, I am thinking of a few fun themes:

• “Fallen Leaves” – Period fabrics with a leaf motif
• “All Lined Up in a Row” – Just like a garden, we’ll swap fabrics with motifs all lined up in a row.
• “I Couldn’t Live Without It!” – We’ve all done it. We just had to have that fabric, it just had to come home with us. And, there it sat. Now, is the chance to swap that fabric. (Or, if somehow you don’t have that piece (or just can’t part with it), pick the “it is just too fabulous!” fabric from your fabric shop to swap.
• Bonus Swap – The Greene Swap – For those of us with Susan Greene’s book, Wearable Prints, we will be swapping fabrics similar to those in the pages of her book. You do not have to own the book to participate. You can borrow from a friend or the library. There may also be a few helpful hints online.

For the winter swap, I’m toying with the idea of exploring period colors. What do you think?

Some time has passed since this post. I know how useful some people found it. So, I thought it would be a good time to revisit it.

“Why This is Good…. Looking at Clothing”

There are two files – A smaller printable version and a larger Power Point. Each are attached in as PDFs for easy viewing. (Though it looks like the notes for the PP are not visible.)

Why This is Good Impression Visual Extended Power Point 

You will notice in the smaller file there are specific types of impressions I want to add when I have the right images.

Why This is a Good Impression – Printable Version

If you submitted an image you do not see, this doesn’t necessarily mean it wasn’t up to par. More likely I either haven’t done those slides yet or it duplicates something I’ve already covered. It does seem the more I cover, the more I still need to cover.

If you are in an image you did not submit, feel flattered because someone thought you had a really great impression. If you want it removed, let me know.

With yesterday being the last day of classes, I am running summer thoughts around in my head. (I technically have a week and a half of exams yet.)
Before I talk about summer, I do need to skip ahead to fall. I lost my list of who wants to know about reprints. So,I need to recreate this list.  Please, comment below if you want to be email about reprintings of From Field to Fashion or my Quilted Bonnet/Hood Pattern. While we are at it, also let me know if you want to be emailed about new publications. (Yes, there will be new publications.)
Back to summer….
I have a few summer millinery goals for this summer. They are both personal/artistic and financial/budget based. After all, millinery pays the bills for the summer & early fall.
I have some fun ideas in mind that I think you will like.
I also want to know what you are looking for.
What bonnets & hats do you want to see?
What pieces will meet your needs?

I’ve had a surge of new followers in the last few weeks. First,  thank you!

Second, a little self promotion. I want to make sure you know about

Fanciful Utility: Victorian Sewing Case and Needle-books.

This book is packed full of directions and templates for making housewives, work pockets, rolled sewing cases, structured sewing cases and needle-books.

Fanciful Utility, or FanU as we abbreviate it in blog posts, can be ordered from ESC Publishing.

Here are just a few of the projects you can make with Fanciful Utility: Video

As added fun, I host a FanU Fabric Swaps and I periodically release special templates that go along with Fanciful Utility. These have included a boot needle-book, seashell needle-book and a balloon bag (aka button keep).

I remember when I first heard of “Poison Green” dresses. I found it fascinating. This post helps clear up the realities of dangerous arsenic. I highly recommend reading it:
Drop Dead Gorgeous: A TL;DR Tale of Arsenic in Victorian Life

After you have read the article, hop over to the Fashion Victims: The Pleasures and Perils of Dress in the 19th Century  exhibit at the Bata Shoe Museum.

Okay, cheesey title. I claim multi-day migraine defense.
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.)