Anna’s Millinery | If I Had My Own Blue Box:

Green Mini-Check Silk Drawn Bonnet.

The form for this bonnet has been sitting on the work table since mid-summer, with the silk patiently waiting.

I played with the shaping of the buckram form to get the brim to flare up into a high fashionable shape. This is a shape that will want a bonnet stay. (Yes, I will get to taking some photos of stays asap.)

For this piece, I wanted to play with the texture created by placing the drawn canes evenly together, following the curving shape of the brim. I used the thicker of the canes to play off the tiny check. I found this really emphasizes the curve of the brim and visually elongates it. I love how that works.

The decorative ribbon is the German moire I like in white. It makes for a nice, wide ribbon that ties beautifully and lasts. The functional ties are silk satin, in ivory.

I set the organza frill high and slightly asymmetrically. Part of me wants to fill in the sides all the way through the cheektabs. But, this placement is supposed to emphasize the vertical line and height.

Now the flowers. As I worked with the silk, I knew it really wanted purple. I found a pair of pretty purple velvet roses and delicate white lilies whose edges have just a hint of purple. The spray of velvet blossoms add to the height. I went with a small bouquet set asymmetrically.

Almost forgot. This bonnet is available on Etsy.

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on September 25, 2014 at 4:02 pm Leave a Comment
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Black & White on Straw

I’ve been delayed in sharing this bonnet. I actually thought I had.

This straw for a local client who was inspired by the black and white drawn bonnet.

The straw form is made of the French plait I’ve come to like so much. It has a flattering brim height and shape. The bonnet’s shape and size fit her perfectly.

Inside the brim is an organza frill and colorful assortment of flowers.

This bonnet took a whole lot’a ribbon. The bavolet is pieced bias cut sections of the ribbon. The fashion ties are a full yard long each. Then a full, four loop bow decorates the exterior.

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on August 28, 2014 at 2:15 pm Comments (2)
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Late War Bonnet

This is my first late war straw bonnet. It is a special request for the spring of 1865. We wanted a respectful look in an appropriate shape and style while suiting the wearer in shape and color. I am happy with how this came together.

Overall, the bonnet is smaller than the early war bonnets. This one has a gentle rise to the brim retaining the flattering spoon shape. The drop from the back sides to the cheektabs is more angular and abrupt. It is hard to see the shape of the sides and back with the ribbon wrapping around. Underneath that ribbon is a raised tip which is a semi-circle. The neckline transitions in a flat line from the tip to the sides rather than with the curve we see earlier in the war years. This was the hardest area for me to wrap my mind around because I like those gentle curves.

The straw is the black plait from England I like. The ribbon is a 5″ wide antique moire. This ribbon has some pleasing characteristics. It is rather flat in terms of light reflection, which means it would suit a mourning bonnet if need be, or in this case looks lovely while being respectful. When held up to the light, it shows itself to be semi-sheer. Because it is so fine, I was really worried about it wrinkling and holding the wrinkles. But, it bounces back nicely. (I did suggest the new owner to stuff the puffs in the back with tissue paper for storage. I sent it along to her with those packing airbags tucked inside each.)

The frill is silk organza, a double layer in box pleats. I do like how this can show the nice ripples or be fluffed for fullness. The flowers include petite white roses, blue roses, buds of each and little red berries.

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on August 7, 2014 at 12:20 pm Leave a Comment
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Brown Stripes Drawn

This is a bonnet that I really wanted to keep. I actually pouted as taped its box closed. I just love how the little ruffles and drawn canes worked together with the little stripe. It is the texture, the color, the technique.

The new owner will be adding her own flowers and decoration.

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on July 30, 2014 at 4:26 pm Comments (1)
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Straw with a Most Incredible Ribbon

This straw bonnet with beautiful blue and green ribbons is a special request for a client.

When I opened the box and bag that had this dark blue satin ribbon inside, I swooned the ribbon felt so nice. I knew it just had to have something special done with it.

I highlighted the blue with a beautiful green to make this large ribbon placed asymmetrically on the bonnet’s crown. The bavolet is made of bias cuts of the ribbon.

The interior flowers were also set asymmetrically to emphasize the bow placement. The full organza frill balances the large bow the ribbon makes.

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on July 29, 2014 at 8:58 pm Comments (3)
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New Millinery Folio

This is a little better than the version a couple weeks ago.

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on July 22, 2014 at 8:00 am Leave a Comment
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Yellow Silk Soft Crown Bonnet

When this silk arrived, it really wanted to be made up … It didn’t want to wait. So, I obliged. This pale shade of yellow reminds me of the soft yellow of some blossoms, very light and delicate. The brim is drawn on cane over buckram in the fashionable Marie Stuart shape, while the crown is soft draped over net with the center drawn on canes vertically. Inside the brim is a full organza frill that can be fluffed out as desired. The decorative ties are wide regal blue satin while the functional ties are a white silk taffeta. Atop the brim, in the Marie Stuart dip is a cluster of purple flowers and a bow of the same ribbon as the ties, just in a narrower width. This bonnet had a new home even before it was finished. I understand it will meet the world at a special occasion.

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on July 21, 2014 at 5:45 pm Leave a Comment
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Loving Checks!

aka New Drawn Bonnets!!!

If you read the post a few weeks ago on Drawn Bonnets, you may have noticed a black and white check and a blue and white check. There was just something about these bonnets that screamed “make me!”

The black and white is a taffeta silk with approx 1/6″ checks. The silk is drawn on cane over a light weight wired buckram. The slightly flared brim is prettily flounced. The fashion ties are a high quality double faced satin and the functional/utility ties are a silk taffeta. It is lined in cotton voile. The frill is a silk organza. The interior decoration pulls directly from the inspirational original that was done in ribbon and lace. This one has handmade ribbon petals and delicate white violets set on a wire and tacked into the bonnet. I really was quite giddy when I finished the exterior of this bonnet. I was so please with how it came out.

Since my silk merchant had a blue check in a shade that nearly matched an original blue check, I just had to make that one as well. This check is a tissue taffeta with a tiny check. It is also drawn on cane over a buckram bonnet, with one drawn section over a wire. The interior is cotton voile lawn with an organza frill. On the inside are blue paper flowers. On the outside is a garland of small velvet blue blossoms. The utility ties are an ivory silk taffeta and the fashion ties are a German moire.

I had just enough of the black check taffeta left. It really wanted to be a soft crown.

This is a straw plait brim with the black and white silk taffeta soft crown. The interior is lined and has an organza frill. The fashion ribbon is a black German moire while the utility/functional ties are a narrow black silk taffeta. I was so very tempted last night to trim this out in peacock feathers and black velvet berries. I wasn’t sure that people would like that, so I held off.

Here is a sampling of checked drawn bonnets:

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on June 30, 2014 at 12:22 pm Leave a Comment
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Post-War Transitional in White

I’ve been having so much fun sharing the millinery pieces from this spring with you, I decided to share this little bonnet. This really has been a forgotten about bonnet. It made it as far as some so-so photos for Etsy, then got tucked away to the back of the display table.

In the middle of the 1860s we see a transition from the fashionable spoon and cottage bonnet shapes to the hat and smaller bonnet shapes. There were a speckling of styles that show the transition from one millinery era to the next. My bonnet pulls mostly from this first example. The crown drastically shrinks, flattening out, while the cheektabs try various positions framing the sides of the face rather than coming down to the jaw line.

As you can see, the decorations and ribbon tend to encircle the crown and fall down along the remains of the cheektab.

I used the last of my hemp plait for this bonnet over the winter. The box pleating encircling the crown is a silk ribbon slightly narrower than the silk ribbon used for the ties. Just under the brim is a frill of fine net.

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on June 5, 2014 at 6:00 am Comments (1)
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My Blue Scallops

I finally finished my scallop brim straw bonnet. I’m rather pleased with how it came out.

The straw is the French straw plait with that beautiful golden straw. This is the first scallop edge I did. There have been several since then with a more refined, smooth connection. The shaped and scalloped straw edges from the 1850s and 60s are quite decorative, often with very fine straw. This is the simplest of scallop. I look forward to creating more.

The soft crown is a white and ivory windowpane check silk organza (This is the left overs from the drawn organza I share a week ago. This gives you an idea of how long I was working on each of these.) The bavolet is lined with cotton English net.