If I Had My Own Blue Box:

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The first hats of 2025 are finally available!

I will be releasing millinery,  both hats and bonnets, in groups this year. My goal is to offer new batches of hats and bonnets twice a month, most likely on Saturdays or Sundays, with the occasional adjustment due to my work and program scheduling.  Each batch of new millinery will be announced here, on WordPress first. You can subscribe to my blog to receive new posts and new millinery via email or WordPress alerts.

The first hats of the year are all Bergère hats appropriate for the 18th Century. Each of these hats are made with a finer 5-6mm plait, with 4mm plait used for the braid. The brims are lightly wired for reshaping if desired. Shop

One of the reasons for this change is space. The space I photograph hats and bonnets in is the same space I use for repairing damaged originals. (This is where the light and turn tablenis.) I need to minimize how often I move the original pieces. Another reason is I need to find some balance for my hands. Despite resting my hands for several months, I find they are not as strong as I would like and the occasional vulgar hissing escapes when sharp pain shoots through. I am hoping a variety of sewing and breaks for writing will help. All this said, it is going to take a bit of self control to hold on to some of the pieces for the bi-monthly releases.

You will notice a second change I am trying for this year. To meet Etsy’s recommendations and hopefully increase search visibility,  shipping will be $6 for the vast majority of items, both millinery and sewing cases. I am absorbing the true cost of Priority Mail and insurance, which is usually $14-$19 for hats & bonnets or $10-15 for sewing cases. I am not sure how well this will work in terms of dollars, but it should stop the alerts about my shipping being too high.

One final note – I do not know what is going to happen with the price of straw. Hanks already doubled in price compared to when I first started buying them. At the same time, the variety has significantly decreased with some of my favorites disappearing. I am nearly out of the “standard” 8mm width plait. I do have a small stash of fine and ultra-fine straw (what I would use for doll items) and a very limited amount of artisan plaits. I am going to do as much as I can with what I can get my hands on, for as long as I can. A lot will be determined by budget and what my hands can do.

It has been a full month since I posted about creating an ensemble for the 250th. Since then, I have found I have endless questions. I am questioning fabrics, fibers, fit, fashion, seam details, and even myself.

I forgot what it was like to start a new time period. While, this technically is not a new time period for me, it feels like it is because my mindset is different than it was nearly 30 years ago when I last dressed for this era. (I am floored I can say nearly 30 years ago.)

One of my big hurdles is direction. I usually have a defined purpose or roll I develop a set of clothing for. In this case, all I have is “I know I will regret having it if I don’t have it.” I find this is hard for me. I need a vision, an end goal to focus on. That doesn’t exist yet.

No goal. No drive or motivation.

I am hoping that by the time I get a full set of under layers – new shift, petticoats, stays, stockings. Together, I will have a clearer vision to focus on.

What I have done is dig through my stash to identify materials that can be used for this project.

You may notice the pallette is pretty blaaaaaa bland. Or, maybe I am just seeing it that way because of what I said above

Here is what I have, some with purpose:

• 3 yards of 3.7oz white linen – new shift
• 5 yards of 5.3oz white linen – petticoats
• 7+yards of heavy weight light grey linen/cotton blend (45″wide) – petticoats (or gown) (I have this weird desire to make a petticoat and jacket out of this and paint it.)
• Misc linen of different med-heavy weights – stays
• Dress length of pale green windowpane check wool – maybe gown
• Pink print on heavy cotton upholstery-esque OSV reproduction  – can I use this for stays? Pretty
• Reproduction OSV print on heavy cotton upholstery-esque – trade
• Off white cashmere/wool – not sure why I pulled this out
• 2 yards small scale plaid I thought was wool but turns out to be a cotton shirting – apron or trade
• Cotton voile – caps

Somewhere in my stash (hoping the big totes) should be a blue on white larger scale floral border print. That may be the right fabric for a gown that will motivate me.

(I thought I posted this last week but find I did not.)

One of my goals this year is to make and offer more sewing cases. In the years immediately following the release of Fanciful Utility, I was making an assortment of sewing cases, boxes, and accessories regularly.  When I started focusing on straw millinery, I began neglecting this branch of interest. I found going back and forth between the two types of sewing difficult and managing the very different materials was messy. Now, I am hoping rotating between sewing straw and sewing fabric will give my hands a break. (And I will figure out the organized mess.)

Anyway. I created a sewing case each week/weekend this month. Each is made with silk interiors and upcycled leather exteriors. They are bound with cotton sateen ribbon. Two have pasteboard boxes. Two have “book” style pincushions with layers of wool and cotton inside. The wool needle pages are pinked on my antique pinking machines and lightly embroidered. 

I tried to price these sewing cases at a point that was affordable. Each one took 9-11 hours to make, working by hand.

You will notice three of these are photographed in a different spot in my home. This is because I have an original straw bonnet set up in my regular photo space. I need the bright light as I very slowly stitch the fractured straw back together.

I’ve lost track of how many people have asked for a soft wool hood. I finally have one for you!

This pattern is drafted by hand with the original child’s size and 2 adult sizes drafted up with some reshaping for fit. It can be trimmed with self-fabric ruche or other period appropriate trims.

This wool hood can be made from a half yard of 54″ wide wool, plus the equivalent lining. You will also need ribbon for ties and cord or tape for a draw string.

This draped Wool Winter Hood Pattern is drafted from an original red wool flannel hood in my collection.

I developed a disdain for this winter hood as I pressured myself to complete it during holiday recess. Lesson learned. As such, I listed it at an “I am cranky and don’t like you” price tonight. I may change it tomorrow or the next day.

I find myself in a bit of a dichotomy.

On one hand, I feel as though I need a break from my own historical costuming, dressing for events, and making clothes in general. I’ve even envisioned selling off a good portion of fabric/materials stash. (This thought is in conflict with knowing the cost of replacing it later.)

On the other hand, 2026 and America 250, as emails from museum associations keep telling me, is right around the corner. I know I would regret not having a proper set of clothing a year from now.

An 1770’s ensemble it is.

This journey to the 18th century will be the first in well over 2 decades if I recall correctly. I may have last been attired in clothing appropriate for the American Revolution in my early 20s for one of Missy Clark’s fashion shows as a tavern wench. (While I can recall the feel of my clothing and the post-show reaction from my then heart-interest, I cannot recall the details of the clothing beyond Missy saying I wore everything I owned and everything I owned I stole. I suspect that was for the theatrics of the show.) Given that a few years have passed since then, this will need to be an entire ensemble from the skin out, encompassing not only the garments but also the accessories. At the same time, the 18th century has not been an area of my focus, which makes this endeavor both exciting and daunting. As such, I will be relying heavily on the guidance of trusted friends more versed in the time period.

This ensemble will also need to be zero budget – therefore, entirely from the stash or bartered from the stash.

I am picturing something middling, working class, not fancy at all but also not working attire. My current list of garments and accessories includes*:

• Linen Shift – I have one. Would be more comfortable with a second. Don’t think I have appropriate linen
• Pair of Stays – I really, really hope I have what I need in the stash because I need to start by making this. Otherwise, the rest is pointless.
• Stockings – Have them somewhere
• Pockets – The one thing I know I can handle no problem.
• Shoes – Not sure yet how I will pull these off as I don’t foresee pulling them out of the stash.
• Petticoats – Guessing linen or wool. Hoping I have something in the stash
• Gown- Hopefully, I have a wool in the stash that will work.
• or Bed Gown and Petticoat
• Linens – Handkerchief, cap – I think I have cotton voile or lawn in the stash. (Learned Handkerchief not kerchief or fichu.)
• Straw bergère hat of course
• Accessories – blank slate
• Adding – Apron

*Off suggestions for what else in need in the comments please.

Edit – Things I Anticipate Needing to Barter For (or in the case of patterns, sell some stash to pay for):

• Stays pattern – Currently thinking RedThreaded pattern B. I have to check what materials I have. I may have a suitable cotton twill. I have an assortment of bones. But, I may use cane.
• Gown pattern – potentially Larkin & Smith either 45-47 or 49-51 bust depending on stays.
• Shoes

Biggest Wins of 2024

☆ Not completing everything on my goal list. While I am struggling financially from
not meeting my sewing & sales goals for the latter part of the year, I am still okay with not pushing myself to focus on the sales and sewing to-do list through the whole of the year. Something happened this summer during my summer assignment that is hard for me to explain. I worked hard all day at tasks that had a very clear, physical start>do>complete process with no loose ends or flux due to being pulled this way or that. The result surprised me: I finished each day feeling accomplished and found I no longer had the strong need to “make” when I got home. That need to make was replaced by the want to do, to be outside, to wander, to see, to people. This was a feeling I had not felt like this, let alone for weeks, in a very long time. It was nice. This also meant I made significantly less through the summer – less shop stuff, less project stuff.

☆ One of my favorite making parts of this year was finally venturing into  making Bergère hats. It took me too long to embrace making these 18th-century hats.  Between a lack of confidence for maintaining the smooth flat brim and thinking the market was fulfilled by the mass-market, machine sewing hats out there, I pushed off making this style for years. After making the first couple, I quickly found I enjoy making them. This is great news because as we enter 2025, we are rolling into America250 preparations. My plan is to make Bergère hats each month this coming year, both plain and decorative.

☆ My other creative/making win of the year is patchwork. Fancy patchwork, aka “crazy quilt” patchwork, is something I flat out rejected for years. Why? I have no idea. Making a patchwork cat last year sparked my fondness for the process. Now, I find the freehand (unplanned) process of piecing silk scraps and embroidering as the whim flows to be a calming form of process art. In a way, this is my personal Victorian version of the modern, mindfulness slow-stitch trend.

☆ Speaking at Symposium – Of course, speaking at GCVM’s Fall Fashion & Textile Symposium is on the top of my list. (It only sits at the bottom chronologically.) This “win” is doubly important. First, I’ve wanted to do another conference or symposium, ever since speaking at the Genteel Arts Conference in 2010. Opportunity and ability finally aligned this year. Many thanks to those of you who requested a talk from me in the spring. Following the Symposium, I have had requests for smaller speaking engagements quasi-locally in the coming year. Stay tuned for information on those. (PS – I do have a dream vision of displaying a large assortment of my original winter hoods alongside a presentation on the styles of hoods.) Second, the research rabbit hole of looking for rural milliners through various documents is ….. Incredible? Amazing? Fascinating? Basically, it is one I am very glad to be on. I find I really enjoy trying to uncover the stories of women who would have otherwise been forgotten.

Regrets of 2024

♤ I flat out regret the Recreational Dress from this summer. I don’t recall ever having such disdain for a project. As I write this, I am not even sure where I stuffed that outfit. The whole process from research to making felt forced. When I displayed it for the intended event, the layout was visually appealing. But, that is where the positive ended for me. The whole day felt disconnected with little engagement.  I never even wore it.

♤ My biggest not-doing regret of the year is not pushing myself to participate in a particular exhibit I was asked about doing. I really dropped the ball on that one. (Yes, I am leaving that cryptic.)

♤ While I am not sure I can count my epic face plant fall in the school parking lot as a regret as I didn’t choose to do or not to do it, that moment had a significant negative impact on the latter part of the year. The injury itself kept me from sewing for many weeks. I still haven’t sewn a hat or bonnet since October because my thumbs just aren’t there yet. (Knees keep swelling too.). Not being able to sew going into the holiday season left me about $4,000 behind in sales compared to last year. Mentally, I find I am extra cautious about every step and how I hold things. I dislike this.

Foggy Bits

I am not sure what to call this section. These are things I tried, but I can’t really say whether they are successes or failures, or I am just perplexed by them.

◇ Given last year’s response to doll millinery, I thought it was a brilliant idea to invest in doll scale blocks for hats and bonnets. Afterall, I do have hanks of narrow straw plait on hand. Then, doll items just sat there.  I have theories on why – Determining size and fit virtually, view time for new customers. Going forward, I need to decide whether to make more or box the doll millinery blocks up.

◇ Along the same lines is Clara’s Corner – I had this idea of making a bunch of cat themed items for that section of the shop to help pay for Clara’s rent and Chewy order. I didn’t get as far on the making of cat themed items beyond the bookmarks. (The bookmarks did really well last holiday season. Then stopped.)

◇ I have a lot of hope for my Digital Whimsy shop section. I love the idea of offering smaller, nearly free projects throughout the year. I am not sure if people love it as much as I do. I have my fingers crossed that it will be successful in the coming year.

It looks like that brings me to thinking about 2025.

What do I have in mind for 2025?

♡ More presentation style programs

♡ Focusing late 18th century straw millinery in preparation for United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026

♡ More writing

♡ More Fanciful Utility sewing cases

♡ Less chaos in the sewing/millinery room

Visual Year in Review

20 people have my new One-Piece Quilted Winter Hood Pattern in their cart.

What questions can I answer?

♤ How long does this winter hood take? It took me about 12 hours, in one day, to hand sew the entire hood from cutting to finishing. This was with light hand quilting that took 9-10 of those 12 hours.

☆ How big is this hood? I forgot to mention in my original posting & listing that I included 2 sizes for this hood: the original hood size and an enlarged size. The original fits my average to small head. The enlarged size will better fit an average to larger head. Of course, size up or down as needed.

♡ How much fabric is needed? This hood can be made with 2/3rds of  yard of 60″ silk taffeta.  It can also be made with a different silk inside and out, with a 24″×30″ piece for each. You will also need batting, pieced bias, and ribbon.

◇ Is piecing okay? Absolutely! The original hood was created using piecing. So was my pink example. (It was a triangle of silk taffeta.)

♤ What paper does the pattern print on? The pattern is laid out to print on standard 8.5″×11″ paper rather than one large sheet. (I assumed most people don’t have a large printer at home.) It prints on 8 pages that tape together.  This is a hand drawn pattern rather than a machine drawn one.

♧ Is this the one you made in fleece? Yup. I made a modern fleece hood using this pattern and a $3 red plaid fleece blanket from my local Dollar General. Tip: Use the larger size template because of the thickness of fleece.

Not sure which winter hood fits your 19th-century needs?

Think about the potential weather conditions for your event. Is is going to be cold? Very cold? Snowy? Windy? Might there be freezing rain? 🥶 ☃️ ❄️

Also, think about what you will be doing. Do you need to see what is happening around you? Are you doing farm chores? Do you need to keep an eye on children? Will there be traffic?

A wool wadded hood is the warmest hood. It also hugs the face, allowing you to see around you. This also means it won’t protect your face from wind or freezing rain.

A lappet style hood has the best protection for the face, shielding you from wind, driving snow, and freezing rain. This means it also limits your vision. The thinner batting layers provide light warmth.

A quilted hood can be made with wool batting, providing moderate warmth.  If the brim is turned forward,  it can provide some protection of the face.

My newest, one-piece quilted hood is the fastest and easiest to make. When made up as the original with light batting, it provides light warmth. Turn the brim forward for some protection of the face. If made in the larger size with denser wool batting,  it could provide moderate warmth.