If I Had My Own Blue Box:

Today’s winter bonnet is a plaid silk adult size bonnet. The structure of this piece classifies it as a bonnet rather than a hood. This piece loosely dates between  the 1840s and 1870s, though the small crown tip and shape of the wide cheektabs with the shorter bavolet makes me think it is an 1840s example. A single plaid silk fabric is used throughout for the exterior as well as the interior and for ties. The plaid is asymmetrical in one direction and symmetrical in the other. The entire bonnet is handsewn. Channels of puffs and cord alternate through the brim. While the majority of these are evenly spaced, a couple alter slightly to follow the shape of the bonnet. One in particular, the eighth from the front, widens at the bottom to accommodate the curve transition from the cheektab to the neck edge.

Wire, cane, cord, and buckram are used to support this bonnet. Wire is found around the front edge, around the cheektabs and even along the edge of the bonnet. Cane is found in the channels immediately behind the brim edge puff and through the front section of the brim. Further back, the narrow channels between the body puffs are a dense, exceptionally firm cord. At first, I thought these channels also had cane, as other bonnets have. But, I can feel a diagonal ridge indicating a twist in cord. Buckram lines the interior crown tip of this bonnet.

Compare the left side of the bonnet above with the right side of the bonnet. You can see where the brim wire has been bent. This brings attention to what can happen to wired and caned millinery during storage. The vast majority of winter bonnets I have seen have the wires and canes bent or broken from being stored flat. This bonnet was lucky. Or, actually, has such a firm “batting” that it made it difficult to store flat. This brings me to the interior. Normally, I use words like “batting” or “wadding” to discuss what is inside a bonnet or hood. Instead of using wool batting, this bonnet is filled with what appears to be bundles of cotton/wool* string. This area where the silk has worn away shows just how densely the string has been packed inside. This is Not something I see commonly. The bavolet is filled as fully as the brim of the bonnet creating a triple tier bavolet rippling around the neck. (Notice you can see the cane, wire, and buckram (which may be willow) in this photo. The back bow is made from the same silk as the bonnet.)

I have to spend some time with the ties and bow on this bonnet. I find they are remarkably unfrayed for what looks like faux ribbon cut from the silk.

This detail of the cheektab interior shows the wire along the edge and the cane.

This Wednesday’s video has a brief look at types of bodkins and what they can be useful for.

The Pocket Guides: These are nice for keeping in the pocket or sewing workbox.

Mid-day Edit: It is official….. winter cabin fever has settled in early. Normally, mid-February I get antsy and cranky and critical and miserable. Well, I didn’t quite make it through January. I am antsy and cranky and critical and miserable. Snow = grrr. Serged seams = grrr. Hot glue guns = grrrrrrrrrr.

The solution? I must sew straw now!!!! Straw relaxes me. Straw calms me. Straw lulls me.

Small, not so small problem… I must get other things done first! The wadded hood pattern must be finished. The numbers from the shop and

Today’s winter hood combines the construction of a wadded hood in the crown and a lappet style in the brim. This piece is slightly smaller, either for a youth or a smaller head.

The whole of the exterior is constructed of a dark green silk taffeta with a hue of blue. Six wadded channels create the crown that wraps the head softly as a wadded hood would. Added to the front is a lappet brim. This portion is quilted on the diagonal. The edge of the lappet brim is edged with a black velvet. This trim continues around the edge of the bavolet as well.

This hood is a bit of a problem child. Why? Because it has an odor that limits the time I can spend with it. I had planned to examine the silk under magnification to answer questions I have about how the color of the crown and brim appear. I find I must delay that. This piece arrived with an odor that was evident as I opened it. It has spent well over a month in the freezer, possibly two as I’ve lost track of time. With in moments of unwrapping it for photos, the odor was still strongly present. I was thankful my little photo studio is set up in the second bathroom, as it has a fan. This hood is bound for a stay in an activated charcoal box, as soon as I have the right plastic box in hand. Even after an extended stay, I don’t know if this piece will join the same boxes as my pieces. Note: I do not blame the seller for the odor. It has been with this piece for some time I suspect. If I recall correctly it was found at an estate sale.

My 2021 planner arrived with its calming green leafy cover. I find the leaves serene. Leaves are both a soft
natural bed to lay my head upon and earth given pages to gently turn to reveal possibilities.

There are 5 areas I want to focus one in addition to my millinery goals. These are:

Monthly Challenges – Continuing from this past summer, each month we are challenging each other to take on particular project. These challenges are open to all eras and all regions, with your goals your focus. The goal is to come together in an inclusive and supportive environment. We started out with sunbonnets and aprons. Our current challenge is winter hoods, which is extending to cover two months. Next, we are focusing on pockets.

Whimsy Wednesday – I found my Community Cast became a personally vital part of my lockdown days, I wanted to continue with a regular video series. Whimsy Wednesday is an uncut, recorded as I am series that includes a dabbling of smaller sewing projects, random updates, and visits from the camera loving Clara. Sometimes I get these up in the evening, while other times I record early and have them up for the morning.

Millinery Monday – I’ve been wanting to do a full Millinery Monday series for a while now. This year, I am determined to offer a millinery post each Monday. This will be a mix of collection items and tbd as the year rolls on.

In Detail – This is my somewhat quarterly e-publication that I enjoy writing. My goal this year is to stick closer to the quarters. But, I am a bit nervous about this because this publication is very much reliant on me finding an inspiring small item to acquire and write about. Yet, I find I am not finding the just right inspiring pieces as of late. Let’s hope that happens soon.

Patreon – I confess I am still having a hard time with Patreon. Part of it is because I have a hard time monetizing what I want to be able to give everyone regardless of their ability to pay. I am going to spend some more time there giving updates. For those that don’t know, the upper tiers of support receive my In Detail publications as they are released, and maybe in advance when I have all my ducks in a row.

Beyond these focus areas, I have little things that pop into my head and mull around. These Current Mullings include….

Some “big” things:
● Finish the Wadded Hood Pattern
● 5 Pieces (shhhh)
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Some extra little fun things:
● Hair danglies
● Mini-bricks
● Fabric “snood” for my lazy susan
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Garments I’m pondering:
● 1830s stays (which could lead to an assortment of WWG projects)
● Linen Chemise
● Early stays from that pretty silk in the bag in the hall
● 1827-1837 dress – something for straw working in.

I should probably call this video “Clara’s Whimsy Wednesday.” There are a couple updates with lots of Clara.

Here is what my narrow pattern weights are made from and the purchased weights I use:

This Millinery Monday, I share some of the original straw ornaments or straw motifs in my display collection. These pieces date to the early 20th century from Italy. The designs range from those found on millinery pieces from the nineteenth century through the early twentieth century. Each are made with straw, whole or split, and straw threads. Thes motifs or ornaments would be used to embellish hats and bonnets. Some, similar and often much smaller ornaments were worked directly on the woven or lace-work straw bonnet or hat.

My goal or hope is to develope the skill to recreate some of these well enough to do them justice. Creating these motifs is a type of straw skill that takes years, or even decades to develop.

If you look closely at the materials in antique straw ornaments, you discover just how much the length of straw has changed. The wheat and rye cultivated for the millinery industry produced shafts that were quite long between the elbows. If you walk a modern day wheat field, you know the wheat has been engineered to be much shorter with larger heads for grain production.

I was determined to record a video today.

This child’s winter hood is quilted is a sweet heart motif. Hearts circle the brim and center the back of the crown, while scallops fill the bavolet and a double circle motif finish the brim. The green silk taffeta is nearly tissue taffeta soft. While not being overly dry, it has numerous wear spots from storage the pink interior is a medium weight solid cotton.

Construction deviates from the most common brim, crown, and bavolet by using a two piece crown considting of a central horseshoe shape and a crescent arch connecting it to the brim. This creates a nicely shaped crown with less bulk. This also shows off the quilted hearts in the back.

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This lappet style hood is the newest addition to my collection. The exterior uses two different brown stripe silks: one for the brim and bavolet, one for the crown. The lining is a bright blue solid silk taffeta. The ties and back bow are made from the brown stripe silk and the blue lining.