If I Had My Own Blue Box:

Sometimes, the process of making lemonade out of lemons is a very slow one. Bringing this original 1850s-1860s black straw mourning bonnet back to life is one of those times.

This beautiful straw mourning bonnet was shipped in a soft mailer without any protection. It arrived nearly flat with a fracture down the center top and a crushed crown tip. Given my plans to have this bonnet accompany me for spring millinery presentations, I felt as crushed as the bonnet when I took it from it’s poly-mailer.

Trying to make the most of the situation and not wanting to give up on the piece,  I’ve been experimenting with techniques for stabilizing the bonnet.

I had to make a difficult decision when it came to the support. Ideally, I would remove the trims and lining, then add the support. But, with the extent of the damage I knew picking out all the stitches would likely cause more damage and potentially cause the whole bonnet to fall apart. I decided to place the support over the lining and work through it. Sadly, this covered the maker number tag inside.

It still needs some work, including another spa session on a millinery block, steaming the crepe frill back to shape and carving an archival foam support.

I’ve had a couple messages about Civil War events this May, particularly GCVM’s Muster in Mumford and a Civil War encampment at Sonnenberg Gardens.

I will not be attending either event this year.

This decision came about for multiple personal reasons and should not be seen as a change in support for either museum or their programming.

As with many, my financial state is precarious. As such, I need to focus my time on paid engagements rather than volunteer. What many people don’t see is the amount of planning time behind a single interpretation. Even an interpretation done many times before needs preparation & planning (assembling display items, creating new pieces, printing, packing, set-up.)

At the same time, my responsibilities at work are demanding this time of year. I would last May, doing both full days for GCVM’s event in the midst of Regents planning, AP exams, and Field Testing was far too much.

There is a sentimental aspect to saying no to the event at Sonnenberg. I have a strong sensory memory of the gardens from my childhood. Each time I visit, I feel a connection to my Grandma and Grandpa. As much as I would love to do a dressed picnic there, I do not want to do that with an encampment on site.

Do you want to make your own 1850s or 1860s straw bonnet? Here is a list of what you will need:

• Straw Bonnet Workbook (currently, you can get From Field to Fashion essentially for FREE)

• 1 hank of 6mm to 9mm straw plait. (May be enough to share or make a second.)
• 2 yards of 19 gauge millinery wire
• Straw millinery needles, straw color thread, millinery sizing or Elmer’s glue, paint brush

To line and decorate:

• Fat half yard of open weave white or natural sheer cotton – cotton voile will work
• 1/8th yard cotton net
• 1/8th yard 60″wide silk bobbinette
• 2 yards 1″ cotton sateen ribbon
• 3 yards 4″ fashion ribbon plus any wanted for decoration
• Floral stems as desired (and feather plume if desired.)
• Stay: 1/2 yard 3/4″ wide velvet ribbon -or- 1/2 yard 22 gauge millinery ribbon and 1/2 yard 1″ velvet ribbon to match straw or hair.

On sale now:

Buy my Straw Bonnet Workbook & From Field to Fashion

Save 40%

Basically, get FFtF FREE

This is me talking myself out of using wavey braid in a straw brim.

Where it is seen:

• Decorative insertion work on undergarments. White cotton.
• Decorative insertion on straw plait baskets. Color cotton.

Where it is Not seen:

• On dresses or outerwear garments

What is seen inserted in brims:

• Other color straw plaits
• Other natural fiber braids – other grass-like fibers, wool braids in single and multiple colors
• Horsehair braids
• Bias cut silk (textual documentation)

Everything is on Sale through May 7th!
Buy 2 items & Save 20%
Buy 3 items & Save 30%

Pin cushions,  E-publications,  Workbooks

https://amillinerswhimsy.etsy.com

This ca 1840-1860s style bonnet is either a small child’s bonnet or a large doll bonnet. If the latter, it may date from later.

Arriving nearly flat, likely how it was stored, it will take some gradual coaxing to get it closer to its original shape. I already started adjusting the wired neck edge, which feels like it only has one break.

The brim is drawn on narrow cane’s. I estimate they are at most 2mm thick. These appear to all be intact. There doesn’t appear to be any decent on the sides of the brim, nor shaping for cheek tabs. But, with the amount of compression and possible up-shifting of the cane’s, this shaping may not be in place. Hopefully, when more depth is restored, the shape will be clearer.

The interior shows a stiffened, loose weave cotton in the crown as well as an organza like material with a shimmer to what I think is dried, aged stiffening agent. The silk crown lining was originally gathered into the crown. A band at the top of the brim has bows of narrow ribbon.

The bavolet is deep. It needs to relax before an accurate measure can be taken. It is set on the grain rather than on the bias as was common in the mid-nineteenth century. The bavolet is lined with a very thin silk organza. There is a fold line parallel to the lower edge evident in one area that may or may not be a former hem fold.

Conservation plans: Slowly restore depth with support with archival tissue. Hopefully, I have enough archival foam left from straw bonnets to make a small support for this bonnet. Relay the shifted layers. Re-gather the crown lining. Re-tack the loose section of the band inside the brim.

I needed to make a feel-good piece, something from my creative artistic side. This hat celebrates the straw.

This is a small album of mostly cdvs. A note at the front says Charles H Dearing. All but one page is filled. The cards are in the pages tigh enough that I don’t want to remove them to check the backs.

There is some moisture damage to the bottom of the album, causing the pages and cards to thicken and the cover to tear at the folds.

Each year, I find I reflect on the time and money I put into creating millinery pieces. My hope is to help others understand what it takes to go from a hank of straw to bonnet or hat, and the prices I place on my work. This year, I am going to try to let the numbers speak.

Straw Bonnets ca 1840-1860s

• Original bonnet block – approx $80 to $200 each
• Straw hank – $23-45 (generally enough for 2 ca 1840-1860s bonnets)
• Approx 10 to 12 hours of hand-sewing, blocking, & wiring depending on plait width

Straw Bonnets ca 1800-1830s

• Straw hank – $23-45 (generally enough for 1 larger bonnet)
• Approx 10 to 16 hours of hand-sewing,  blocking, & wiring depending on plait width – over multiple days depending on bonnet shaping needs.
• Reproduction millinery blocks – $50-$150 (in some cases 2 are needed)

Straw Hats ca 1850s-1880s

• Straw hank $23-$45 (generally enough for 2 hats)
• Approx 8 hours to 12 hours of hand-sewing,  blocking, & wiring depending on plait width – over multiple days depending on shaping needs.
• Original and reproduction millinery blocks – $25-$150 each

Additional Costs:

• Sizing
• Wire
• Brushes
• Needles
• Thread
• Plastic wrap
• Massages to keep hands functional
• Pain patches and creams for hands
• Research – Original straw millinery
• Research  – Original images, photos, ephemera

I did a little breakdown of a $100 item at the beginning of the year for myself. It looks like this:

$100 Item
10% discount 80+% of buyers use – $10
Shipping beyond $6 – $4-$10
Etsy fees 6.5% + 3% +.20  – $13
Shipping materials  – $1
Item materials  – $20

Total –  $48 to $54
Remains – $46 to $52 –>At 10 hours = $4.60 to $5.20/ hour

(If I actually paid myself a living wage of $25/hour, this $100 item would need to be closer to $250 to $326.)

For those who don’t know, straw millinery was meant to be a hobby. Instead, it became a financial necessity as an Etsy business following my full-time day job. After a full day of work, I put in 3 to 5 hours of sewing, blocking, photographing, packing, etc, each week evening with an additional 10-12 hour days on the weekends.

I just added new hats & bonnet to my Etsy shop.

Four ultra fine woven straw bonnets suitable for the 1850s into the 1860s.

Two Bergère hats,  including a plain one and my new favorite with double braided bands around the crown and brim.

My shop has a few other items available: