If I Had My Own Blue Box:

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. )

As I was headed out the door this morning, I noticed the level of chill in the air and realized my sense of time of year is still off. Locally, parts of winter felt like spring, completely throwing off my seasonally sensitive internal clock. Now that wet spring is here, the norm of chilly mornings followed by warm afternoons feels off. I even felt it driving home in the sun yesterday. To top off my timey wimey state, I found I have been a full week off in my planner. Good thing I’ve been using pencil.

With all of this time and space scattering here and there, I feel the need to put together a summary of the bits and pieces I’ve been working on lately….

New Short Videos

I recently added a TikTok account. With this, I have created a few reels. I added some to YouTube. 

Book Study

A little bit ago, I started reading articles by Susan Ingalls Lewis who looks at the history of women, business, and employment in the nineteenth-century.  Upon starting her book Unexceptional Women: Female Proprietors in Mid Nineteenth-Century Albany,  New York, 1830-1885, I thought others would be interested in reading it as well. I started a book study group on Facebook. Currently, there isn’t much discussion in the group. I do hope that picks up as I find her research journey and work both fascinating and important to giving everyday women a voice. (Please let me know if you are interested in participating.)

Pockets

Somehow, I went from not having an April Pocket of the Month designed (because I pre-designed & scheduled several months) to creating 3 for this month. First came the embroidered Sun & Moon Pocket, a freehand design by me. I posted it to Patreon at the beginning of the month, so it would be available in time for people to make it for the Solar Eclipse. The pocket I made with the design got a little TV time, appearing in a local news story. Next, came the actual Pocket of the Month design, a Maze Pocket meant to be quilted or embroidered.  This was inspired by the mazes posted in the Time Traveler’s Rabbit Hole. Then, this week, I found myself creating an Owl Pocket as a bonus pocket design.  This is another freehand pocket design. It was inspired by what may have been a gag at work with owl faces coming out of the printer sporadically over a few days. I realize these most recent pocket designs have been freehand designs blending period inspiration and modern twists. I will make a point to include some purely historical pockets soon, possibly some patchwork.

Events

Now for more of the thinking ahead part (this has been muffled by projects at work and big grey area.) I think I need to break this down by month.

• May – I will be doing a program for GCVM’s Civil War Living History.  I will be moving to the Dressmaker’s Shop. My hope is that I will be able to pull off a good program in the midst of Regents planning and field testing without breaking myself.
• June – June is undecided.  I’ve been asked about doing a few things. I am hesitant to commit because I will likely be taking on more additional duties during exams.
• July – This month has multiple programs I am looking forward to, including Independence Day, a women’s clothing program, and a recreational clothing program.

Projects (the self accountability list)

I have several non-millinery projects in various stages, including:

• The silk globes from the Solar Spectacular. I have goals for each of the 4 that are started. I would like them to make a reappearance in October.
• I have slowly been assembling ribbons for a ribbon bag. This will be a bag inspired by an original given to me years ago.
• I keep wanting to make some patchwork cats (or just cushions.)
• I am researching local recreational clothing for a summer program. I have a good idea of what I want to make. I just need to identify which fabric(s) in my collection is the right material(s)

I think that helps for getting a better footing.

I made 2 pocket designs for April!

Hop over to Patreon to get April’s Pocket of the Month, a maze pocket design. This whimsical design can be quilted or embroidered. 

While there, be sure to scroll back to the previous post for my Eclipse themed pocket, a sweet hand drawn sun and moon design.

I am sure by now you have heard Western NY was blanketed in cloud cover for the April 8th solar eclipse. While those of us at GCVM’s Solar Eclipse Spectacular and other regional gatherings did not get to put on our glasses to watch the moon pass in front of the sun, we did get to experience the great darkening with a beautiful show of light and color.

The darkening of the Eclipse settled in as I stood between Hyde and Hamilton houses. While I originally planned to view the Eclipse from the village square, I am glad I was able to see the light and color display around the silhouettes of Hyde house and the Hamilton carriage house. My photos and video do not do justice to the dynamic &vibrant colors.

I spent the day in Hosmer’s Inn, a building I very rarely get to do programs in, working on silk globes based on those sewn by students at the West Town School, a Quaker girls’ school in Pennsylvania. These sewn, inked,  and embroidered globes were a for girls to learn geography.  To my delight, I met two groups of guests familiar with the West Town School, including one guest whose sister taught there.

The silk globes opened a discussion with guests about how girls and women could learn, expand, and express their knowledge through fancy work. We talked about how mathematics and geometry were essential for piece work projects and drafting patterns, and an 1870-1880s genre of fancy work incorporated flora, fauna, and an understanding of ecology. 

I spent part of the morning talking with with Adriana Loh of Spectrum News. She created a nice piece on women in science during the nineteenth century: Party Like it’s 1878. This includes an article and video.

The day prior to the event, I switched my wardrobe plans upon reading an article about the colors green and red appearing brighter and darker, respectively, as the eclipse begins. I previously planned to wear my warmer, grey wool dress. Instead, I opted for my summer, wool challis. I am pretty sure excitement & adrenaline were the only things to keep me going until a fire was built.

Despite mother nature’s change in plan, the day seemed to be enjoyed by all. Guests had the opportunity to celebrate with family & friends while exploring the museum. They could participate in a historic look at the eclipse without being overwhelmed by crowds. I found conversations to be rich as visitors connected with little balls of silk.

A quick video

March is coming to an end. Spring recess has started. I am home from getting my shoulder worked on. (I am trying to keep it relaxed and not pull up on it.) I am feeling pretty relaxed. This is nice.

Today, I had something fun happen. One of my Reels had a huge spike in views on FB this morning. Now that I am home, it looks like the views have slowed. As of nowish, a little over 87,000 people watched my 7 second video over 112,000 times. The vast majority of those were between 7 am and noon. This super short video was just a whim I created from the short video I did on my wool petticoats not being soggy:

That video was just a spur of the moment quick video in response to a comment someone made about petticoats getting soggy.

All in all, I am amused and pretty happy. While 112k is far from technically being viral, it isn’t bad for a little niche video.

It does make me wonder if I should post that boot scraping video from last fall. 🤔

Today marks 2 weeks until the 2024 Eclipse.  Living in the Path of Totality, there is a lot of excitement about the Eclipse locally.  An abundance of events are happening throughout the region, from museums to villages to drive-in theaters and beyond.

I will be spending this historic event at my favorite historic site: The Genesee Country Village and Museum!

Now, of course, this being Western New York, noone really knows what Mother Nature will throw at us. It could be beautiful clear sky. It could be partly cloudy. It could be an incredible spring storm. Either way, guests will have a historic experience at GCVM.

I have special project I’ve been working on for the event. It is a whole world of fancy work I’ve wanted to try my hands at for a while. This happens to be the perfect event for it. (Patreon patrons have had a sneak peek.)

I would love to hear where you are planning to spend the eclipse.

PS… Don’t worry, I plan to be ready for a very slow drive home that night.

I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure how many people I would see today as I crawled out of my complex with the blanket of snow provided by Mother Nature throwing one last winter storm at us. This week was the winteriest winter we’ve had this winter.

To my delight, visitors arrived promptly at opening and stayed steady through the whole day.

I had some excellent questions, including some that will require me to do homework:

• What temperature were most homes kept at during the winter? I am going to look at this as “what temperatures were considered comfortable or acceptable?” as well as “what temperature differences would be expected in a house heated by a fireplace?“
• What kind of floral broach would Lizzie Borden have worn? (Young visitor with fascinating questions.)

My topic today was winter weather wear. This is turning out to be a staple topic that I enjoy talking with visitors about. Today, we also talked about floor coverings & how to keep the feet warm.

Partway through the day, a friend commented about soggy hems. It made me pause because in that moment I realized I wasn’t having that problem despite clearing my car of 5-6″ of snow, stopping at the grocery store, and walking into the village though 6-8″ deep snow.

I found a number of people wanting a this vs that comparison, winter verses summer. This makes me want to try a side-by-side sometime with 2 tables, one with winter wear and one with summer wear.

With the amount of discussion that went into living in the cold, I would like to dress the bedroom for winter sleeping. I would draw from my Keeping Warm in Winter article from years ago, with some updates.

Now that I am home and sitting, this week has caught up, and I may be out cold soon. Though,  I find this to be a very relaxed tired, the kind that comes with accomplishment. 

My next event will be the Eclipse Festival.  I have something extra special in the works for Eclipse day. (Patreon patrons have been getting a sneak peek.)

Did you know I have an assortment of short videos about 1850s & 1860s bonnets?

I do!

I just made another one.

Confession: I made this video because I am frustrated with seeing inaccurately made bonnets mass produced and sold to unknowing reenactors and interpreters. I don’t want you wasting your money or time on something that won’t meet your goals.

Want more videos?

Here is my millinery Playlist.

Or click through these….

Some longer videos: