This weekend, I was invited to talk about Regency era millinery with a focus on Jane Austen’s Emma. As it turns out, Austen does not talk about millinery much in Emma. Given this, I decided to try to pull from the various Emma movies while showing a sampling of pieces from the era. If you don’t know, the Regency era had a wide variety of millinery.
This bonnet was inspired by Miss Smith’s bonnet in the latest 2020 Emma. She wears a black straw bonnet edged with a decorative brown edge on the brim. I inverted the colors, opting for a walnut brown crown and brim with a black edge. As I worked, I decided to step it up a little by adding the
I used this event as an excuse to make a soft crown style. This is a style we often see in Jane Austen and other Regency period movies. It is fairly easy to make, and, more importantly, easy to fit and wear for actresses. My soft crown bonnet has a natural wheat brim and a yellow plaid silk taffeta crown. It is trimmed in cream silk ribbon and velvet pansies. This bonnet is available in my shop as of Sunday night. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1064689945/regency-era-bonnet-hand-sewn-by-anna
I find making the head hugging capote de pailles fun and challenging. I love the curves in the straw that developes into the shape. This is a shallow crowned capote with a curved brim for framing the face. It is trimmed with a vine of pink silk lilies entwined in a silk ribbon. This bonnet is available in my Etsy shop as of Sunday evening. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1064688391/regency-era-bonnet-hand-sewn-by-anna
I worked on a taped crown hat based on an 1805 fashion plate. It has a medium tall taped crown and a narrow brim. This piece is currently drying and will be available Monday in my Etsy shop.
Reflection
The event itself felt relaxed. Visitors were able to stay and chat, asking a wide variety of questions without being hurried. I found I was off my game between being on day 4 of a migraine Saturday morning and not being ready for the heat. I felt like I was tripping over my words and stumbling though much of that I was saying Saturday morning. I recorded this little video Sunday midday. Afterwards, I started thinking “Wow. I used to do this five and seven days a week like it was nothing.” Now, a day is tiring. Two days kicks my butt. I feel so very out of shape with myself.
I am pretty happy with my “I’m tired and sweaty” complexion though. Filter free.
July proved to be a month of time travel, hoping eras nearly each week.
1810s for Independence Day
1830s for Chocolate Weekend
1860s for the Civil War Living History
Millinery
My goal for the summer is to sew (and sell) 16 millinery pieces each month. This July’s pieces include:
Projects
I put a seat on the $4 stool I picked up last month at a yardsale. This is my first adventure with making a tape seat. I could not find the proper nails, so, of course, I just sewed the tapes on. Despite the puckers that will hopefully relax, I am pleased with the result. I do think I will add a little stain or polish to the tops of the spindles because they look odd to me.
I made a bag in a day. A conversation with a friend reminded me I had the materials of one of the duffle style bags. When I woke up in the morning, I decided to make a bag. This one is made from memory, having made one years ago with the Shooting Star directions, using a circle and a straight edge. I didn’t bother measuring a thing. It is entirely handsewn, first basted together, then back stitched. It is about 150% the size of my previous bag, which is closer to the “Plaid shawl cover” size from Godey’s 1871.
Pocket Fairy
Following the Chocolate Weekend, I talked with the Pocket Fairy to relay that there were several in want of pockets. She got busy making some simple pockets.
Looking Ahead
I am busily working on Regency millinery for Novel Weekend when the center of the village will be honoring Jane Austen’s Emma.
If timing falls together with school right, I will also appearing for Fiber Week later in August.
Of course, I am looking forward to the Agricultural Society Fair as fall arrives. This year will have far fewer entries unless I get my act together soon.
Patreon Patrons
Thank you to all of my Patreon Patrons. Your support allows me to do more and add original pieces like this to my collection. Thank you to:
This block is what I bought with my sudden “Bonnet Sale” last week. Thank you to those who made a purchase and otherwise supported the sale. I was worried one of the 14 people watching the block would pick it up while I waited to make enough sales to do the purchase. After making the purchase, I was nervous I might be wrong even though I was really sure I was right.
This beautiful block is likely from the later 1840 to early 1850s. It has a circular brim, a straight rise from the crown to the brim edge, and a flat round brim tip. The shape of the cheektabs are not indicated. This block is shallower than my block I call Galaxy, which also has a round brim but a deep, round crown.
Here is the new block, right, next to Galaxy on the left. This side-by-side makes me think poor Galaxy needs a polish. The new block will need a name soon.
For several years now, I have wanted to take a deeper look at what the millinery industry meant for women. Behind each of the beautiful confections for the head, are an assortment of women; some earning a little extra money, some supporting their families, some exhausting themselves for the spring fashion season.
This past weekend, the Genesee Country Village and Museum provided the platform for this approach as their latest event focused on the lives of the women, children, and men of Western New York during the Civil War. This living history format invited visitors to take more time with each of the interpretations and presentations, while interpreters and reenactors were able to get more in depth with their topics. Based on our experiences in the millinery and what I could see from my porch steps on the square, visitors embraced the opportunity.
Today’s video starts with a rainy wet Saturday morning, then takes a look at the two interpretive approaches used with most visitors.
Notes for the Video:
Images in the Straw Plait Box: Left – Three milliners CDV, Anna’s Collection. Center Top – “The Milliner” Stereoview, Anna’s Collection. Center Bottom – Plait School Illustration http://www.thestrawplaiters.com. Right – Corning Milliners CDV, Ron Coddington’s collection.
The flowers in the box are from M&S Schmalberg in NYC. http://www.customfabricflowers.com The Leaf die is one of a trio of leaf dies I was lucky enough to find at a price I could afford. The smaller ones are harder to see and sharper, so left out. The silk petals were free cut as I don’t yet have a petal die.
This is the recommended reading list set out for visitors to photograph: PDF
I remember each summer Grandma would tuck a new lavender wand, or two, or three, here and there around the house. These fragrant, woven bouquets were quintessential tokens of summer in the historic village.
For each wand, you will want:
An odd number of lavender stalks (9, 11, 13) of about the same length and size head
I didn’t know until I wrote it that this is going to be a new series. It won’t be a regularly scheduled series or necessarily a long series. It will be a series though. I hope to share my straw sewing with people while exploring the various aspects of straw millinery. I hope you enjoy.
New Bonnets in Shop
I also have new bonnets in the shop. I anticipate the bonnet from the video being finished later today (Monday)
If you’ve been watching or reading for a while, you may get a giggle out of today’s video. Midday I came home from my errands and hit a giant, fluffy pillow of “nope” “na” “done”. I suspect this delayed summer crashing was finally triggered by last night’s printer incident. Finally, sometime around noon I found myself not wanting to sew, stretched out on the couch enjoying an audiobook.
June Reflections:
Looking back to the beginning of June, I released my newest kit: A Corded Ball Pin Cushion. I think this makes my third kit (parasol pen wipe and embroidered velvet needle-book being the first and second.) There was a nice response with all but 5 kits being sold quickly.
Patreon supporters received a special edition of In Detail on one of my favorites from An American Girls Book.
In the fog of what was June, I seem to have made several millinery pieces:
Coming up in July:
Independence Day at GCVM: This event brings be back to my first volunteer experiences at the museum with the parade and picnicking. I will be dressing in Regency attire (assuming I finish my bonnet and my dress still fits.)
Chocolate Day at GCVM: Bonnie the BonBon doll will be in attendance again. I will be doing a tbd chocolate themed demonstration. I will be dressing in 1830s attire.
Civil War Living History at GCVM: I will be presenting on women’s employment through the millinery industry, both ways women earned money away from the home and from home.
Millinery: My goal is to make 4 pieces each week, hopefully with one decorated piece.
If I Had My Own Blue Box: 