If I Had My Own Blue Box:

Or Bonnet?

I am asked regularly about storing and displaying hats and bonnets at home between events.

I talked about some of the stands and boxes I use for millinery during the Community Cast Day 8. For some reason, I did not include the larger band boxes I use for my personal millinery.

I use fabric heads for most working millinery pieces as they get ready to go to their new homes.

I use far more stands when setting up my millinery display than I do at home. I would love to have a couple dozen original wood stands, but that would be very costly. Instead, I have taken to making my own stands.

This is a sampling of the band boxes I use:

Here is a miniature version of me sewing a bandbox: https://annaworden.wordpress.com/2016/04/08/a-week-of-sewing-cases-4/

Here is a previous post on storing bonnets: https://annaworden.wordpress.com/2015/04/15/how-do-i-store-my-bonnets/

A bit on bonnet baskets that I still haven’t tried: https://annaworden.wordpress.com/2015/04/08/bonnet-baskets/

Thank you for considering my work for your next straw or hat. I appreciate your patronage. Even, if you are unable to purchase a piece at this time, I appreciate your support of my work and research.

Straw millinery is simultaneously a fascinating research and interpretation subject, as well as a way to relax and calm my mind.

This year is full of questions and uncertainties for all of us, especially those involved in public programming and education. My millinery goal is to meet the needs of interpreters, costumer, et al. as best as possible while maintaining accurate construction and exploring new, period techniques. As for the latter, I have some plans up my sleeve.

“How Do I Buy a Hat or Bonnet?”

I sell all of my straw millinery through my Etsy shop.

During the school year, I will try to sew and offer at least one new piece each week. I am going to attempt to create a new routine of posting newly finished pieces on Saturday. There will be exceptions such as occasions where I need to be elsewhere on Saturday.

Pieces can sell quickly…. Sometimes that is days…. Sometimes that is hours…. Sometimes that is minutes……

Be The First To Know

The best way to know new millinery is available is to subscribe to this blog.

I post pieces here as I post them on Etsy. To subscribe and receive emails for each new post, look under my photo to the right for the subscribe box that says “enter your email address” and a button that says “Follow My Blog.” If you are on your phone, you will find this at the bottom. Enter your email if you want email notifications. Click “Follow My Blog” if you want WordPress notifications. Yes, you can do both.

Know Your Size

It is a good idea to know what size and style you want ahead of time so you don’t second guess yourself. Take a look at my post on hat sizes and measure your head. Then browse my blog to look at the different styles I offer.

When you see a piece you like, click on the orange Etsy button, also found under my photo, or the link in each description.

About My Millinery

I focus on two types of millinery: straw plait millinery and quilted/wadded winter millinery. All of my straw pieces are hand sewn using historic techniques. I use both original bonnet and hat blocks, as well as hand carved blocks for blocking my pieces. I use two different millinery sizings. While I primarily offer straw forms, I occasionally offer fully decorated pieces. When I do, I use appropriate techniques and as accurate trimmings as possible. Given the likelihood that antique silk ribbons will shatter or fracture, I strongly prefer not to use them in pieces to be worn. I want you to be able to wear your millinery for years.

Please take a moment to visit my yearly Galleries to the right (computers) or below (mobile devices.)

I currently offer:

• 1400-1600s – Researching
• Late 1700 – Starting to look at
• Regency era – Developing additional appropriate styles.
• 1820s-1830s – Dabbling.
• 1840s – Working off an original block.
• 1850s through 1864 – Making a variety of bonnets and hats
• Bustle era – Expanding to new styles using reproduction blocks.

Working with original blocks, I find these bonnets and hats feel “average” to “small” for most modern women. Most of my pieces are average to small. I do try to regularly make average to large pieces as well. Each Etsy listing will have measurements.

• Small is 19.5″- 21″ (for a 21″ to 22″ head)
• Average is from 21″-22.5″ (for a 22″ to 23″ head)
• Large is 23″-23.5″, maybe 24″ (for a 23″ to 24″ head)

Pricing

I do my best to keep millinery pieces as affordable as possible. Please, keep in mind each piece is entirely hand crafted, that I hand sew each row of straw, and I hand select each trim used. With the current cost of straw, necessary materials and shipping, undecorated straw forms will start at $125. Variations in straw, style, and (brim) will influence the price.

Custom Orders

I am currently not taking requests or commissions or orders. I find if I take requests, I am quickly working too many months out. I don’t like keeping people waiting.

I will not do sales outside of Etsy because Etsy is also how I keep track of sales.

Winter Millinery

I offer winter millinery, quilted bonnets and wadded hoods, seasonally. This usually is from November through January.

I’ve been watching the various videos of Irving Finkel, a curator at the British Museum, because he is delightful to listen to. His programs make for excellent background sanity keeping. Today, I learned about his Great Diary Project. Needless to say, I want to jump on a plane and go spend the next year reading diaries. Check out the Great Diary Project.

Here is the video that popped up in the feed, catching my attention: https://youtu.be/X0hi2Q3TAK8

The first 5 or so minutes of today’s video is my car drama. Then, I share the next steps for our woven ribbon pin cushions. There was a video oops as my dinner alarm went off. Oh, this was recorded Tuesday.

Please take a moment to read my thoughts on One Year Later.

To wrap up this stretch of Millinery Monday looking at winter hoods, I thought it would be fun to look back at the pieces I unboxed this past year or so. Starting next week, Millinery Monday will be looking forward to spring.

I opened several additions to my winter bonnet and hood collection over the past year. While it is nice to have pristine or exceptional examples, I prefer pieces that allow me to explore how they were made, the details of construction. Some pieces show piecing or little make-dos. Others show wear patterns. Fractured silk can allow a look inside. While some are fairly clear puzzle pieces falling into place, others are little oddities, offering more questions than answers…..

Plaid silk wadded

Lots tbd..

Black silk

Plaid wool hood

Doll size wadded silk hood

Quilted silk hood/bonnet

From the Winter Millinery series I started but got distracted from:

Black silk quilked hood

Today we start making a woven pin cushion. I also show you Clara’s bird and my birthday gift to myself.

Materials for woven pin cushion:

• 4″×4″ lining fabric – muslin, scrap print
• 2 3″×4″ backing fabrics – silk, pretty print
• Ribbon 1/4″ to 3/4″ would be best. The narrower the ribbon, the more you will need. For 1/2″ ribbon, 1 yard of 2 different colors will work.
• Wadding/batting or cut up cabbage
• Needle and thread

In the next video, we will tack down the loose ends and attach the backing.

Today’s winter hood is a child’s size, ca 1840s-1880s. The exterior is a solid brown wool. The exterior is quilted with sets of three narrow rows. These narrow channels may have cording in them, tbd. The seam between the crown and brim is piped. The seam connecting the crown and bavolet may have the cord applied on top. I need to look closer. The brim folds back to show a plaid which is constructed from ribbon.

This may also be made from two pieces – a single brim and bavolet, with a crown piece. I need to look closer to see if I can find a seam connecting the bavolet to the brim, because I did not see one at first looks.

Notice there is no easily visable seam along the bavolet area. It may be skillfully hidden in the quilting. Or, there may not be one.

The interior is made with two solid fabrics, tbd. The whole of the brim and bavolet are lined with the pieced plaid silk ribbon.

I am pointing to the only seam along the bavolet I’ve found. This is nearly center back. (there is a bias piecing seam towards the front.)

Today’s video is a little scattered with a scattering of tidbits.

This March, I challenge you to make a Pocket. Your pocket can be seperate or attached to any garment. It can be from any era, to meet the needs of your impression and region.

How to participate:

Join the Facebook Group: 2021 Pockets Challenge. There will be questions to answer so I know you are a real person.

We will begin discussion officially January 1st.

What to do:

Make a pocket and share you progress. Your pocket can be seperate or attached to a garment. It can be from any era and any region.

Share your progress. This can include: pattern, directions, or inspiration piece, your material choices, and steps as you sew.

Rules:

This is for fun. Each person will choose their own goals for this project. I ask that we support each other in those goals. Participants may choose to do any era, region, and size pocket. I also welcome those who wish to make doll scale.