If I Had My Own Blue Box:

Veil Light Study

What does one do on a sunny, cool morning when a hat isn’t dry? A veil light study of course.

My uber scientific method includes a straw bonnet with a deep brim, a stand, camera and assorted original and reproduction veils. Put bonnet on stand. Drape bonnet with veil. Slide camera up underneath. Take photos. While this doesn’t give an exact reflection of what light control the wearer feels,it is a start.

The backyard without a veil.

Original hat veil. Fiber undetermined.

Black silk gauze, made by me

White silk gauze, made by Bevin.

Original silk net with light dots.

Silk net trimmed in lace made by me.

When I unwrapped the one antique veil, I realized I have another somewhere in the house.I don’t know where. Hopefully, I was good and put it in one of the archival boxes with the winter bonnets. When I find it, I will try to replicate the photos, but the sun will be different.

Another in would have liked to photograph through is Bevin’s green silk gauze veil.

Personal Observations

So far, I think I prefer the black silk gauze. I will have to wear both the gauze and the net a few more times to be sure. The gauze seems to soften the light more. The net seems to be a shade for the light. The white gauze softens some in low sun light. But, in bright sunlight it creates glare. The silk net has notably more body than the original, which is nearly as soft as the gauze. I was much more aware of it feel wise when I first put it on, compared to the gauze. The net was less disturbed, moved by the wind when I walked.

The photos suggest more obscuring of vision than I find to be the case when wearing them.

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on July 20, 2016 at 9:26 am Comments (4)

Today’s Millinery

This was a popular, fashionable hat on display this weekend. It has a flatter crown with a curved brim.

Find it in my Etsy shop.

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on July 18, 2016 at 1:23 pm Comments (1)

A Weekend in the Millinery

If I was to give this event one word, it would be “relief”.

This time last year I was in horrible pain, with the worst sun reaction and migraine i can recall, to the point where I was literally hitting my head against the wall and packing my head in ice packs. I was quite certain I might have to be done with historical events. The thought was horribly depressing. I spent the whole year with the fear that I might have a repeat physical event.

As I stood at the mirror this morning, doing my hair, I almost cried. It was Sunday. I was good. I ended Saturday feeling great. I was good. I didnt even need to resort to my backup , can lace lighter dress. (Actually, I found I laced closed! Alterations coming.) I hoped into the sewing room and pulled out one of my favorite dresses, from a fabric a far away friend gave me. I was good.

So, here I am. Proof I made it to Sunday.

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This weekend, I set the millinery up in the Insurance Office. A big thank you to Deanna and Melanie for arranging this space for me. It was close to Ward Hovey, just in case, and a shorter walk to the gallery for my talk. It has a lovely breeze and nice shade. It also is right on the village square insuring lots of visitors. Saturday, I pretty much started talking at eleven and didn’t stop until six. (The morning was quite)

My little sister, Lily, helped out in the millinery the whole weekend. She talked with visitors while I was away at the gallery and while I was consulting on millinery questions. She did a very nice job. She also followed the small ice cream handed child around the room guarding the pieces.

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A myriad of thoughts:

Our most unique visitors were either the well loved plush bunny or the real live rooster.

All guests during the battle must be watered. Roosters included.

While I wasn’t sure which project to bring, I ended up being busy wirh sewing the whole of Saturday and I to Sunday .

I actually got to talk about the dynamics of women’s employment.

Sunday, two young men had an excellent vignette on my porch. They were gambling, for stamps. As they played, they pulled visitors in. I know some expected me to shoo them off. But, it was such and excellent interaction , I just listened from inside.

I never once got to do the story I developed behind my unfinished sign. But, I did determine i must have one.

I got quarantined for a couple hours. Weirdness was theme

I got to see the most amazing original fichu and a lovely net needlework.

I was gifted some wonderful surprises. I am grateful and blessed by each. Thank you.

Now, sleep. There may be more added tomorrow

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on July 17, 2016 at 7:22 pm Comments (2)

Milliner Shop

In a short hour or so, the Milliner Shop was set up, all ready for the Genesee Country Village’s Civil War event. A big thank you to Anneliese and Lily for their assistance.

Let’s start with a fun “What’s wrong with this picture?”

In all the preparation for transforming an Insurance Office into a Millinery – bonnet stands , band boxes, appropriate paint, appropriate papers, ribbons, bonnets, hats, veils – somehow I did not think about sitting down …. in a cage… in these three lovely, matching chairs.

Ooops. Slight problem, especially since each of my chairs were home awaiting their much needed tlc.

Luckily, I got the okay to borrow two chairs from Hosmer’s .

Much better.

This even gave us a chance to color check the paint colors. The hat stands are a shade lighter than the chair. Peter tells me Prussian blue had a range of shades, depending on how much white was added. So, mine just has more white.

Looking around the room:

Here are the three fashionable bonnets on display. Each is one one of the new stands. The one one the left is the batwing soft crown with the blue and plaid silk. The one on the right is my personal bonnet, a soft crown with sheer check organza. Below is a bonnet with a decorative brim using antique straw threads. In the basket below are my slippers and a box of fabric scraps that would make some cute doll clothes or such. I plan not to bring that box back home.

To the right, is a stack of my recovered band boxes, and my personal bonnet box. This one came from a local stationary shop. It is perfect for holding my bonnet. Atop the boxes is one of my yardsale find stands holding a wide brim hat. This hat is appropriate for a recreational scenario or a dress reform impression. Draped on the hat is an antique lace that may or may not be considered a veil. (Digging deeper into this.)

In the corner, is a little table filled with assorted bonnets and hats. As we were setting up, I started to think I should have brought my second table and more stands. The top most, on the boxes is a cottage bonnet draped in my newest veil, one I made with silk net and lace. (Coming soon, I will have a post comparing the light control of different veils.) In the center is a coarse straw bonnet that would be worn by a poorer or institutionalized woman. On the left is my example of a woven straw bonnet, by Vivian ! Murphy. The two hats on the stands are children size. The one resting on the table is a large crown fashion bonnet. The top box is the one I made, sewing a heavy pasteboard. The other two are recovered.

I am tickled that the ribbons filled this mantle. I think it looks pretty”in use” rather than just display. Lily did a nice job. Can you tell which rolls are real and which are fake?

I forgot to get a photo of the sign. As the lettering was a fail, and despite sanding off the black paint, the tracing depressions show through the new ground coats, it looks very much like the “work in progress” it is. I’ve decided to say the young man who was painting it for me took off to enlist as the trips came near. But, as we expect this fighting to be over by the end of the summer, he can finish it soon enough.

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on July 15, 2016 at 9:19 pm Leave a Comment

Millinery for the Millinery at GCV this weekend

I have an assortment of millinery I am bring with me to display a the the Genesee Country Village this week for their Civil War event, where I will be setting up a millinery in the insurance office.

A wide brim hat appropriate for recreational or dress reform impressions.(shown with a lace veil)
A larger crown fashion hat.
A smaller fashion hat that may also fit a child.
A decorated soft crown, fancy plait bonnet.
A fashionable bonnet with decorative plait.
A plain spoon bonnet.
A cottage bonnet.

Each of these millinery pieces will be available following the event. I have yet to decide which I will be decorating during the event.

I will be dressing the shop in all sorts of millinery goods, band boxes, ribbons, veils, veil pins, etc. I’ll be available for millinery consultations.

I will also give a talk in the Gallery on millinery selections from the Susan Greene collection. Time to be determined.

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on July 11, 2016 at 8:12 pm Comments (1)

Today’s Millinery -A Cottage Bonnet

You knew I could not hold out with the bonnet block tempting me.

Last night, I went out to the kitchen to block this cottage style bonnet by hand with my own blocks. There it was, on the washer just crying out for attention. I wasn’t sure it it would work, being so many years apart. But, I gave it a try. I am glad I did. This gave a nice roomy tip and pretty round brim.

Find it in my Etsy shop.

*Keep in mind next week I’ll need to pull several pieces for the demonstration at the museum.

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on July 6, 2016 at 5:57 pm Leave a Comment

Today’s Millinery – Chapeaux de Paille

This particular hat was a bit of a challenge. I met a woman at the GCV Jane Austen/1812 event who wanted to see me make a shape she called a “capote”. I have to admit, from My mid-nineteenth century perspective I had quite a bit of trouble wrapping my head around this shape that encompassed the back of the head with no brim.

Of course, I had to look a little further. Looking at fashion plates and originals, I saw a few things. First, the word capote being used for soft bonnets in several shapes, often cap like, but not in straw. 😦 Next, originals in the shape she described made out of fancy straw plaits, an inch to two inches wide. Not the plait that is easily acquired, nor tried on a new shape. I also saw a few plates with similar shapes in straw. These were each called Chapeaux de Paille.

From The Museum of London.

Working from the fashion plates, this is the bonnet/hat I created. As I started working with the straw, the illustration with the flared brim and green spray is where I leaned for the brim and front of the crown, while looking more towards the two with blue ribbons for the crown and tip. I used my new block to get the shape of the crown as I learned from the test block that it fit the head very nicely.

I see this lined through the brim with a flattering color silk taffeta and a spray of greenery or blossoms around the flare. (I’m eyeing a champagne silk for the inside.)

I will get this listed soon.

Here is the shop listing. (Sold)

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on July 5, 2016 at 5:50 pm Comments (9)

I Shall Call Her Galaxy

Yes, Galaxy.
Why?

Because, when my new, original bonnet block arrived Clara was instantly fascinated. She kept trying to lick it. So, I covered it with a blanket. Next thing I knew, she was curled up with it; guarding it.

…..Guardian….. Guardians of the Galaxy…..

Thus, Galaxy.

Now, what you really want to know is about the block.

At first, the seller’s photos didn’t tell much. We could tell it was a bonnet block.(I asked a trusted millinery friend.) We thought is might be an 1820s block.

Once I had it out of the box, it was saying 1840s. This 1840s plate of bonnets came to mind. The shape of the crown and brim seemed like a near match. The tip was what was different, round verses flat.

I have to admit, I was a bit bonkers, kid in a candy candy shop the first few days it was here. I really wanted to test it out. Since I don’t work with woven straw, I didn’t have a straw hood laying around to block. Luckily, when I went to order more color straw, she had a closeout Toyo hood for me to test on.

If you think watching paint dry takes a while, watching Toyo takes longer. Here are the untrimmed results.

After cutting, Clara inspected.

At first, I thought it was small. I laughed thinking my luck was to get a child’s bonnet block. Then I out it on. Small was not the case.

The plait version will get rows of plait around the bottom edge. It is taking tremendous self control not to jump into making a bunch of bonnets with the block right Now. But, I really have to focus on the pieces for the CW event that weekend after next.

Btw – I am discovering I can block a few other shapes on this block.

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