If I Had My Own Blue Box:

I may be on a (cranky) roll. But, I’m sick of incorrect shapes when there are some very nice ones available.

First and far-most, 1850s and 60s fashionable straw hats were rarely circular. (This does not count seaside hats, garden hats,  hats for the watercure and such. Those are not fashion hats.) Fashionable hats were ovular. Fashionable hats had curves. I can’t get any more simple that this: (That should say “The Basic Shape of CW Era Straw Hats”)

This is not new news. Take a look at this nice blog post from Crown Heads Millinery from 2013. Don’t miss her example either. We also took some time to look at shapes here back in 2009.

This hat that was up for auction some years ago is excellent for seeing the shape from above. Notice how the crown is oval as well as the brim. The front and back reach much further than the sides.

Here is a page from the September, 1857 Godey’s Lady’s Book. Notice the general shapes.

From http://www.thegracefullady.com (click link for full image)

The images to the right show ladies holding hats that obviously show the shape of the crown and brim.

his painting, Portrait of Mary French, 1862, shows how a shaped, fashionable hat sits on the head. Notice how the brim dips in front of her eyes and in the back. If her head was level, part of her vision was likely blocked.

Looking for a CW era straw fashion hat? The first place you should look is on Pam Robles site. She spent a very, very long time getting her woven straw shapes right. I will also hand make hats on occasion.

I strongly caution you to get a solid second opinion on any hat under $75. Take a close look at the type of straw, the sewing, the thread used and of course the shaping. Handsewing a straw plait hat will take at least 6 hours. They then need to be wired and blocked. Woven straws need extra special attention to the details of shaping in the blocking and wiring process taking time.

Coming soon in another post:

Now that I’ve talked about Fashion Straw Hats, there will of course be people saying “but what about this one”. One word:

Context.

Yes, there were other shape hats…. They all have their place. It is very important to understand the context of these other shapes before you wear one. 

I am quite convinced that certain issues come up in a cycle rotating almost every two years or so.

This post has to deal with one of those issues. I will try to get through it as nicely and politely as possible. 

Lately, there have been some issues with violating Intellectual Property Rights. As such, we will start there.

What is Intellectual Property?

“Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind: inventions; literary and artistic works; and symbols, names and images used in commerce.” (World Intellectual Property Organization.)

What are Intellectual Property Rights?

Intellectual property rights are the rights given to persons over the creations of their minds. They usually give the creator an exclusive right over the use of his/her creation for a certain period of time. (World Trade Organization)

and

Article 27. Section 2 “Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.” (The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.)

Copying and distributing someone’s research without permission violates Intellectual Property Rights. Using someone’s photos from the internet without their written permission violates Intellectual Property Rights. Taking photos of someone’s slideshow and sharing them violates Intellectual Property Rights. This is as much a moral issue as it is a legal issue.

Now, I am not going to address other instances of late as those are other people’s business. I will address part of my end.

I feel I share quite generously that which I am happy to share. This past year, I shared transcribed primary information weekly for millinery and in a variety of series for other social and material culture topics. I have shared a number of how-tos and directions over the years. Besides my blog, I have shared a notable amount of research and information in printed publications.

Frankly, I put a great deal of my time, thought, energy and money into my research and writing. I know there is some delusion oou there that those of us who work in the public school system live a comfortable lifestyle. I assure you, this is not the case. I do not have oodles of extra time and extra cash laying around to toss at a fun little hobby. I take my research seriously and choose to cut other parts of my budget to get what I need to do my research.

I have been asked for particular pieces of research lately.

• I have been asked for up-close photos of the techniques I use in my winter millinery.
• I have been asked for step-by-step images of how I do my straw millinery.
• I have been asked for up-close images of originals in my collection.
• I have been asked for construction details from originals in my collection.

I want to be happy to share these. My gut reaction actually is to share. But, the reality is I have had my millinery work copied and sold. I have had my directions copied and distributed.

There is no way for me to tell if someone asking is doing so for honest reasons of personal enrichment, curiosity and improvement, or if they are looking for some pre-done research they can make a quick profit off of.

I acknowledge some people may not realize they have done this; they may not have malicious intent.

But, it happens.

And, frankly it sucks.

This said…. Yes, I am working on a couple projects. I have one pet one in particular. You will see some of the products resulting from some of the work during this project. You, meaning the general internet public, will not see the details of this project until I have decided the format and venue to properly introduce it.

Please, as take time to consider how you can protect Intellectual Property Rights whether your’s or someone else’s. 

There has been lots of discussion lately about how to make ribbon hairnets. Here is a set of directions I posted on the Sewing Academy back in 2007.

Please be sure to take the time to read To Net or Not to Net and to look at original hairnets before proceeding. This will give you a better idea of appropriate materials, fibers, widths and weight.

Okay, a quick 7 am modern method of making an easy ribbon net….. Let’s see if I can make any sense this morning.

This is for a simple, basic ribbon net with no decorations, made with silk or velvet ribbon cut while woven. There is a way to do it with one long piece of ribbon. I don’t think I am awake enough to describe that clearly. It really is better with pictures.

You are going to want a surface to work on, either something to pin the ribbons to or to hold the ribbon ends. For the first ribbon net I made, I used a large 12 or 14 inch embroidery hoop. A large pillow will work nicely as will a piece of cardboard. Draw a circle 12 to 14 inches in diameter depending on the size of your head and the amount of hair you have when done up. Use a compass or a dinner plate. Now decide how close you want your ribbons to sit. If you have 1/2″ wide ribbon, 1/4″ space is good. If you have 3/4″ ribbon 1/4″ to 1/2″ is good.

Cut two ribbons 2 inches longer than you circle is wide (14″ or 16″). Center them in a + on your circle. Pin each end at the edge of the circle. This marks the center of your net. If you need to mark out a grid for your ribbon placement, just measure your spaces and ribbon width away from center on all 4 sides. Or, you can just eye it. Measure 4 lengths of ribbon for above, below, right and left of the center +. Cut them and lay them down in place, the decided distance from the previous ribbons. Repeat in sets of 4 until you reach the edge of the circle.

Weave the ribbons over & under each other as you would a basket bottom. I like to work from the center out. Adjust your ribbons so they are set your chosen distance apart. Pin each end on the circle. With a matching thread, tack each + point with thread. When all the + points are stitched, work on the edges. Unpin one ribbon end. Turn the end under creating a half inch loop. Stitch the loop securely. Repeat this for every ribbon end.

When all the ends are looped, take a length of ribbon or plain elastic and run it through all of the loops. The elastic will need to be roughly 3 times the diameter (less than the real circle’s circumference) to bring the sides of the net in once the elastic is tied. The ribbon can be 3 to 4 times the width depending on how much ribbon you want to tie the net with.

Chandra M shared photos in the SA thread of her hairnet using these directions with brown velvet. Take a look.

A couple years later, but not much more awake (it has been a long, cold week), I have this idea in my head that one of those round knitting thingies may work nicely as well. It may even make the single strand of ribbon version easily doable. You could weave the ribbon across one direction, then back across weaving, using the little tabs. Sew. Then slide the ends off.

Fanciful Utility: Victorian Sewing Cases and Needle-books is available directly from the publisher, ESC Publishing.

Straw Millinery, Drawn Millinery and Winter Millinery are all available in my Etsy Store.

Handmade Sewing Cases and Needle-books are available in my Etsy Store.

From Field to Fashion and my Quilted Hood Pattern are currently out of print. When they are back in print, they will be available in my Etsy Story.