If I Had My Own Blue Box:

September’s Pocket of the Month is now available for Patreon members. I currently have Pocket of the Month posts scheduled for the 10th of each month.

What is Pocket of the Month?

Each month from mid-2023 through 2024, I am sharing a pocket design with Patreon Patrons.

These designs are as I would create them for myself, maybe a little neater. This means some are hand drawn, and some are digitally created. Most will use original source material such as published fancy work manuals, ladies’ periodicals, original drawings, and original fancy work. Each will be saved as a printable PDF.

Current Pockets include:

• June – Knotwork Design – braidwork or embroidery
• July – Wheat Design – embroidery
• August – Floral Design – embroidery
• September – Grape Design – embroidery
• October – 2 Pocket designs this month: an autumn leaves design and a quilted spiderweb design for Halloween.
• November – tbd possibly applique or quilted
• December – tbd possibly applique or quilted
• January – Already designed
• February – tbd
• March – tbd
• April – tbd
• May – Already designed
• June – tbd

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With this soak-you-to-the-bone weather leading up to and likely through the weekend event, I am thinking about ways to keep dry. As I think through my list, I realize most of them won’t happen because the bits and pieces needed are buried deep in storage. That doesn’t mean I can’t share them with you.
Reenacting events inevitably mean walking, likely through grass or even mud. With wool boots, I find my rubber over-shoes a must. They slip right over my boots covering up to about my ankle. Extant rubber over-shoes were found when the Steamboat Arabia was uncovered. Those made by Tingley seem to be the closest.
Just in case, still pack extra stockings or socks for everybody.
A wool coat can help keep the wet off of most of you. A long paletot gives you great flexibility in the arms while buttoning up the front to keep you dry.
If you don’t have a coat, consider the largest, plain or plaid wool shawl you have. Wrapping this around you will help keep you dry.
We talk a lot about parasols in reenacting but not much about umbrellas. Use an umbrella, a period umbrella of course.
Skip the fashion bonnet. Instead opt for a sunbonnet or for a hood. Water can cause a bonnet to soften, warp and even run.
If you carry a bag, make sure it is water-resistant. You may want to try a pocket instead. A pocket hidden under layers of skirts can usually stay dryer than a bag carried out in the open. If you must carry medicines or modern technology put them inside painted canvas bags or zip-lock bags just incase.
For larger bags, choose one with a heavy carpet and good closure. If it has a leather or painted canvas bottom, even better. Leave the bandbox at ‘home’.
You will be happier with your tent if you have sod-flaps and overlapping doors. Also put down a good water barrier under your flooring. I find a wool rug helps control the moisture better than other fibers.
Inside your tent let wool rule. Wool rugs on the ground help keep the area more comfortable. Put a wool blanket layer over your cot or ticking first. Be sure it drapes almost to the ground on each side. This keeps the moisture from coming up from underneath. Make you bed how you prefer. Then cover it all with a wool quilt or blanket. This will keep the moisture from getting in during the day. If you are sensitive to a moist pillow, wrap it with an extra wool shawl during the day to keep it dry.
Don’t hang your clothes. Put them in a trunk or box with a layer of wool covering them to help keep moisture down. You may consider a layer of wool on the bottom as well.
As you settle in for the evening, light a candle or two (safely). Whether the candles really do help cut the moisture or not, they help psychologically.
What do you do if you do get drenched?
If you can lay or drape your dress flat that will be best. Hanging it can cause it to stretch under the weight of being wet. If you have a trim that can run, be sure to lay the dress so the fabric does not lay back on itself particularly the trim.
If your bonnet get damp, set it up on a hat/bonnet stand. If you don’t have on make-d0 with something like the back of a chair. Do not lay it on its side because it will warp.
If your bonnet gets particularly wet, try to blot the trimmings so there is no running water. If your flowers are pinned in or on, consider removing them so they will not run on the bonnet itself.
If your boots get wet inside, stuff them with newsprint or fabric to absorb the water. Do Not put them near the fire as they can be damaged. (most warranties do not cover fire damage)
If your corset gets wet, layer it inside material to press out any excess moisture. Drape it over the back of a chair to dry.

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

Size

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″

Here is my head with the tape showing where to measure. This is where I wear most CW era hats. This is the circumference of my head. My measurement is 21 1/2″. (Note: this is a full inch smaller than the modern measurement take lower.)

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″)

Shape

It is helpful to know whether your head is more round or more oval.When looking from above, some people have rounder heads while other have more oval heads. I have an average oval head. Very round hats don’t work for me without adding to the lining.

Hat blocks can be more round or more oval with the same circumference. To illustrate: Both of these shapes to the right can have a circumference of 22.5″. Yet, the same hat would fit each head differently.

My straw hats and bonnets are available in my Etsy shop as I finish them: https://www.etsy.com/shop/AnnaWordenBauersmith

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

I am concerned about something I am seeing lately: Inaccurately constructed bonnets posted & promoted on social media.

I theorize this increase in inaccurately made items is due to an upsurge of new people reenacting following the lull the past few years. While new reenactors can be wonderful, they can also be vulnerable and taken advantage of as they try to develop their waredrobes in an accurate yet cost-effective manner.

I fear these inaccurate millinery pieces appeal because they are comparatively less expensive and are often pretty with an ubundance of trim, which are in themselves inaccurate. While these pieces may cost less initially, in the long run, they are more costly as they will need to be replaced.

How do you know a bonnet is inaccurately made?

There are two key parts of a bonnet that are quick to spot and eliminate a piece:

The Tip and the Cheektabs

First, the tip:

The tip is the back part of the crown that sits on the back of your head. For the 1840s through the first half of the 1860s, the tip is round, either a circle or an oval. The circular or oval tip is consistent in extant bonnets and millinery blocks:

If a bonnet has a horseshoe shape tip or a semi-circle tip, eliminate it.

Next, the Cheektabs:

The cheektabs are the part of the bonnet on each side that extend down from the brim. As the 1840s progressed, these became elongated. They continued to thin or narrow in the early 1850s. By the mid 1850s, cheektabs were several inches long and narrow. This continued through the first half of the 1860s. Cheektabs took two primary shapes: either narrow and curvey with a twist or triangular.

If a bonnet does not have cheektabs or has short, nubby tabs, eliminate it.

These two factors will hopefully help you quickly eliminate inaccurately made bonnets whether you see them online or in person.

I have one additional aspect to look out for as you shop. If you are looking at straw bonnets, please be aware of how some mass-produced bonnets are made.

More information on the Anatomy of a Bonnet:

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

My recommendations for a basic hair kit:
● Straight hair pins
● Faux tortoise hair pins
● Plain black elastics
● Hair Pomade
● A Plain net or two
● Faux horn hair comb or two

I am lucky enough to be able to purchase these items in person, includong the straight hairpins during a day trip through the Finger Lakes. Not everyone has similar local resources. With this in mind, I am including two shopping lists: one that can be done online from home and one that can be done mostly in person. The online list supports small businesses, with the exception of one item through Amazon.

Shopping from home for approx $38.00:
Order from Timely Tresses:
~~1 set of faux tortoise hair pins $4.00 or 4 chignon faux tortoise hair pins $5.00
~~1 plain hair net $4.00
~~1 back comb $4.00 or 2 side combs $4.00
Amazon:
~~2 sets of 12 straight hair pins in 2” or 3″ and 2.5” $12.00
Talbott and Co on Etsy:
~~1 tin of pomade $14.00

Shopping mostly in person for approx $25:
Local pharmacy:
~~Plain hairnet $2 for a set of 3
~~Faux tortoise hair pins $3
~~Hair elastics $2
Amish dry goods shop:
~~Straight hair pins 2 sets for $4
Talbott and Co on Etsy:
~~1 tin of pomade $14.00

Sources:

• Timely Tresses http://www.timelytresses.com/store/c20/Hair_Dressings.html
• Talbott and Co. https://etsy.me/3pH7zNH
• Beth Miller Hall https://etsy.me/3pJ1UXb
• LBCC https://etsy.me/3cGXdYB
• Amazon items: 2.5″ Straight hair pins

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

This video was on my holiday recess to-do list. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to sleep or enjoy my last day off without doing the video tonight.

My hope is this video helps give a better understanding of cheektabs – what they look like on original bonnets, how they should look on reproduction bonnets, and how they should frame the face.

I also just had a great question about how a straw bonnet stays on the head. I talk a little bit about how the cheektabs, ribbon, and inner brim decorations work together in tonight’s video. I plan to do a video that looks further at this. In the meantime, here is information on how a bonnet stay works and helps a bonnet stay on:

It isn’t very often I have three different examples of something from the same fabric at the same time.

This week is a casual Hat Q&A talking about the questions I am asked most often. The focus is on American Civil War hats. I will talk about bonnets in a future video.
How do I wear my hat?
Which is the front?
How do I measure my head?
Where do I put the flowers and ribbon?
How do I keep my hat on my head?

If you have more questions about straw hats or bonnets in the nineteenth century, put them in the comments below. I will do more millinery Q&As in the future.

More details on measuring and fit.

This is where to find me:
Consider Patreon for special content: http://www.patreon.com/AMillinersWhimsy
A Milliner’s Whimsy – If I Had My Own Blue Box (History Blog):www.amillinerswhimsy.com
Don’t Paint the Cat (Crafty Blog): https://dontpaintthecat.wordpress.com
Instagram for If I Had My Own Blue Box: http://www.instagram.com/if.i.had.my.own.blue.box
Instagram for Don’t Paint the Cat: http://www.instagram.com/dont.paint.the.cat

It has been a busy morning. Well, I guess it isn’t morning any longer. I have an unboxing video for you…. and a new workbags!

First, the unboxing…

I am very pleased with the ribbons from Bias Bespoke. I am glad I decided to order a sampling of some. Note: I am using the word sampling to mean I ordered a short length of several styles. They do not have “sample” listings. I already have a new wish list of their ribbons.

The shawls…. You likely noticed I was talking in circles in the video. This is because I was so surprised by what I opened and had to mentally derail to find a new course. As I said in the video, I just can’t see turning these into pendants.

The shawl with the borders will join my collection. It is an example of borders being used and a turn-over shawl with the opposite corners. It definitely has a lot of damage. But, as an example of borders being used and this technique, I feel I need to keep it.

The two cut pieces need further thought.

Workbags….

I have several workbags now available in my shop. I had a row of them waiting for drawstrings after I ran out of my preferred cotton sateen. I was being picky looking for the just-right option. What I really envisioned was a silk and cotton blend heavier ribbon that would glide smoothly. I finally settled on a utilitarian cord that came in the first package from the video.

In the batch is a smaller size in a very pretty blue. This one will make a nice reticle to carry for Regency impressions. There is a stripe silk that is larger in that the silk portion is taller and fuller. There is a softer twill with a brown jacquard design.

Clara is now demanding my attention…..

These photos are from 2012 of one of two dresses we found at a theatrical sale. I am bringing them forward because a dress of a possibly similar fabric was recently posted elsewhere. These are not the best photos as they were taken on an air mattress in low light. On my far too long to-do list is to get out the few dresses I own, photograph them, and box them better.