If I Had My Own Blue Box:

I am also putting together a second video of the Catherine Qualtrough album, from my collection.   It will be available today.

While reading a trio of millinery billheads recently added to my collection, a line stood out:

Assorted Star Spangled Hats

Mr. B. Turk bought 1/2 dozen Assorted Star Spangled Hats, among numerous other items by the dozen from J.T. Davenport, ” importer, manufacturer, and jobber of straw goods, hats, caps, first, umbrellas, & etc..” on May 30th, 1861.  Being a visual person, my mind filled with possibilities for what a star spangled hat might look like. Of course, I was delighted by the coincidence of Independence Day approaching.

An inquiry with Hathitrust trust led me to this passage in Vanity Fair, published June 1st, 1861, just two days following the above purchase.

To my delight, the Letter Patent (1861) contains a May 28, 1861 patent by Samual Hawley of New York with an illustration of the Star Spangled Hat. The illustrated clearly show the hat with it ring of stars circling the top of the crown and brim; 13 stars upon the crown, 34 upon the brim. 

I will confess a level of selfish disappointment in the Star Spangle Hat being embossed felt rather than straw. One of the visions I had for a Star Spangled Hat was a straw embellished with silver or gold stars.

This month’s pocket design is coming up on the 10th. This is a mathematically inspired design. But, don’t let that scare you. You don’t have to do any math. This pocket is a design of scallops that you can embroider, quilt, or even work in patchwork.  I picture the scallops being worked in so many ways: a single color, tones of one color, a rainbow of colors, alternating colors….

Pocket of the Month

I also shared a bonus pocket design in celebration of season 3 of Bridgerton. The bonus pocket is a Butterfly design for Penelope.  (It was supposed to go live with the release of the second half. But, I pressed the buttons to fast. So, it is live now.)

Psst…. the coupon code STRAWWHIMSEY is currently active.

(Let’s call this a “not sale”)

I love boxes and baskets. If you look around my home, I have decorative bandboxes,Shaker style boxes, and an assortment of baskets holding sewing items, ribbons, projects, and even cat toys.

Shaker style boxes appeal to me because of the wood; the many tones, colors, and grains of the wood. They are great for organizing the many small bits I use for various projects. One is currently holding the ribbon bag I was working in at last weekend’s event. Another is holding pieces for walnut bags.

Two weekends ago, while perusing the local fleamarket, I saw this small Shaker style box. It is just the right size for a sewing box as it can hold small tools and pop into a bag or trunk.

I lined it with purple silk taffeta, giving it a divider and velvet pincushion.  Being purple, it needed a lavender sachet.

I used Fanciful Utility techniques for the lining; covering pasteboard. This creates an insert that slides tightly into place without permanent glue. I prefer this method for most projects like this because it doesn’t alter the original piece.

When I listed this, Etsy reminded me it was 2016&17 when I previously offered a few of these lined Shaker style boxes. They were very popular then, as were some lined baskets I made. I feel like making some more if I can find the right materials in the wild. I would like to do some pincushions as well. 

This month’s Patreon Pocket of the Month is an embroidered dogwood design.

Today, I attended the Spring Fashion & Textile Symposium ay the Genesee Country Village and Museum.  This was the third bi-annual fashion symposium.

Curator Brandon Brooks offered a captivating story of Hawaiian Kapa cloth, inspired by a dress in the RMSC collection. Brandon’s talks are always enjoyable. This time, I was so intrigued by how the fibers from a tree were pounded into cloth that I stopped taking notes.

The second speakers was Nellie Ludemann from the Seneca Falls Historical Society. (Nellie was one of the speakers at the Story of Fashion Symposium last Fall.) She spoke about the knitting mill in Seneca Falls, the longest running textile mill in New York. As an employer that hired predominantly women through most of the 20th century, I plan to follow future research. (The mill is now the home of the National Women’s Rights Hall of Fame.)

Lunch brought one of my favorite parts of these symposia: meeting new people. (Psst, I have a particular table I sit at, and see who sits down.) This lunch evolved into a fascinating discussion of math in fiber arts. I suspect if one of us didn’t check the time, we could have carried on exploring the discussion for another hour.

The first speaker after lunch was Angela from Burnley and Trowbridge. She presented part of her ongoing research based on a token book, a log of children that included swatches of their (or their parent’s) clothing for identification purposes. This hour was packed with so much information.

The final presentation of the day was from Rabbit Goody of Thistle Hill Weavers. She took us on a journey through some of her experiences producing and reproducing textiles for sites, cinema, and theater.

The keynote for the Fall Symposium was announced at the end of the sessions. It is someone I know many will be excited to see. 😉

Love how this bergère hat came out. This is one of the designs that became stuck in my head while looking at extant hats and later in an allergen/Benadryl fog. I sewed through Saturday and Sunday to complete it. It is currently in my Etsy shop. 

I worked a fine straw plait over the outer brim in a zigzag. Looped fine plait encircles the crown.

I like how the different straw plaits play against each other, the texture and color of the two natural straws.

This bergère measures 13.5″ in diameter now that it is dry. The crown is just under 5″ across.  I did not wire this brim. Though, it could easily be wired.

After many years of being asked to make 17th and 18th century bergère hats, I have finally made one.

Why did I put off making this style? It came down to two factors: Shipping the brim size and sewing the brim size while keeping it flat.

While making 1850s hats with larger brims, I discovered 2 things: First, A certain library occasionally 14x14x6 inch boxes I can reuse. Second, I can shop said box with a hat for $18-$20 with insurance.  This is notably better than the $40-$60+ for shipping large 1800-1830s bonnets; the price of which makes me cringe.

Last weekend,  I was asked again about a 1770s bergère hat.  This time, I decided to add it to my list, knowing I could fit a 14″ one in a box.

Since then, I started a spreadsheet of extant bergère with what measurements are available to check diameters of brim and crown. In doing so, I noted the types of straw used and couldn’t help notice the straw embellishments. (I know another milliner has been recreating some straw embroidery beautifully.) The loops and figures around the crown and brim caught my eye.

Ideas started churning.

Now, I have several bergère in my imaginations that need to become a reality.

This first bergère hat began at the beginning of the week. Upon reaching the end of the hank, it asked for an artisan edge.

The brim is 14″ across, on the smaller side of bergère hats yet nearly the maximum my countertop can handle. The crown is 5″ across and less than 1″ deep. I did not wire the edge of this brim knowing these brims are often worn curved and tied under the coiffure. This lack of wire feels odd and incomplete to me as I wire the vast majority of my other pieces. (I could wire future brims and shape them to hold an up turned back.)

This particular hat is first being offered to the person who inquired last weekend. If it does not match her needs, it will be available in my shop. I currently have 2 boxes for this size hat. I happen to have 1 more bergère started.

Please do tell me your thoughts about this style. Depending on the response, I will see to acquiring (purchasing) additional boxes. (I find I can ship a 16x16x4 box for the same price. I should be able to do this size brim on my counter. )