An 1860's Bonnet: Part 1

A verrry long time ago I started tearing apart a straw bonnet that didn't have the right shape, got frustrated, and didn't think about bonnets again until the beginning of this year. While gearing up for Gettysburg, I simply needed a bonnet. I've never really made a bonnet before but of course I decided to make my first a hard one.

I got bit by the drawn-bonnet-bug after seeing a grad student/friend of mine make an absolutely lovely reproduction of a bonnet she found tucked away in the hat boxes at the theater department. Her reproduction was stunning. She used a silver shot taffeta and wire frame.

From seeing her process, I became really intrigued with making one, but first I had to see whether or not a drawn bonnet would be appropriate for the American Civil War years (1860-1865). In my research (and people, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) it seems that the drawn bonnet style was definitely more popular before the 1860s, and isn't as widespread up through 1865. That was kind of a bummer, but I dug a little deeper. I searched through fashion plates, seeing one occasionally, and would randomly come across a cute bonnet from museum sites only to find out that it's a child's bonnet or some other such nonsense.

Look how precious! But it's a child's bonnet :(

A little bit about Civil War Era Bonnets:  Bonnet styles progress like any other type of fashion, some years they're in, some years they're out, some years they're round, some years they're not. Specifically, from 1860-65 the "spoon bonnet" became popular. The "spoon" refers to the profile view of the bonnet looking like a spoon, having a gentle curved and slightly pronounced brim at the top; and from the front view it has an egg like shape, much like a spoon. Also, during these years, the caul of the bonnet was somewhat shallow and had a pretty steep grade from brim to crown. 

After having so much trouble finding an okay bonnet with the correct shape and being a drawn bonnet (that I like and want to reproduce) I was forced to use Pinterest. LE GASP! Now, I will say this with a disclaimer:
PINTEREST IS NOT A FULLPROOF SEARCH TOOL AND NOT EVERYTHING ON PINTEREST IS WHAT IT SAYS IT IS. ANYTHING YOU SEE ON PINTEREST COULD BE A FRAUD AND IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO RESEARCH SAID PHOTO TO VERIFY IT'S AUTHENTICITY.
So, in essence, everything on Pinterest must be taken with a grain of salt. Pinterest can be a great search tool as there are so many photos linked with great websites. Unfortunately it is not always the case. I encourage any person who finds an intriguing photo from Pinterest to find out its original source and give said source due credit. End Rant.

*swoon*

The bonnet I found is from Time Traveler's Antiques. It is a drawn bonnet, which isn't altogether shocking, but the shape of it is definitely of the 1860s. You can see in the photo how high the top of the brim is, it is not round like most of the drawn bonnets from the 1850s, definitely spoon shaped. Now, the caul of the bonnet doesn't have a very steep grade, but the trimmings are concentrated at the top of the head, which also point to the 1860s.

So, this is the bonnet I am to recreate, just with a different color scheme. The next post shall be about the construction!

Photo Friday

© Bridgeman Art Library / Rafael Valls Gallery, London, UK
Painted by J. Mulnier

Today's Photo Friday is going of an 18th century woman with a ridiculously huge hat.... but I want it.

Have a great weekend!

Photo Friday!

Before the wedding started, I promised to have "Photo Fridays" then didnt deliver. I'm making an active effort now, and planning ahead!

This week's photo is one of my favorites of all time! It's a photo from the mid 1880's and she's holding a puppy. A TERRIER PUPPY! Adorbs.

Photo snatched from FeefeeRN

The Hat

 My absolute ultimate, ultimate-ultimate favorite project for the Margaret Hunter Millinery Shop was recreating a hat from a painting. This painting, to be exact:

Lady Edward Bentinck,
Painted by George Romney
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!!

The portrait is of Lady Edward Bentinck. The date on the painting, I could not find, although it would have had to have been after 1780 because Miss Elizabeth Cumberland married Lord Edward in 1780, thus taking his name and reference in the painting. The story on the portrait itself is that Lady Bentinck was trying on hats and picked up this "old fashioned one." The painter, George Romney, saw her put it on and had to paint her portrait. Still, I cannot find the exact date.

The hat in the portrait seems to hint that it was a straw hat to begin with (seeing the slight ridges along the brim) and covered tightly with white silk, bunched silk gauze at the crown then finished with a lovely, large blue bow.

Working on the straw

I can't tell you how much fun I had on this project. It always seemed to make me hungry. I always got comments that it looked like a wonderful dessert. It really does look like meringue...

That is a wool cherry ;)

mmmmmm..."Food" Porn.

The hat was lined with a changable blue silk which was also used for the bow at the side as well as the ties. I love it because it's a surprise when you see the underside, the rest of the hat is so very white!

The lovely blue lining, all my stitches too!

Here it is finished, sigh. I'm definitely going to make another very similar. It now belongs to Doris, the Journeywoman Mantua Maker and Milliner, at the shop!

"The Lady Bentinck"

I'll model it for you...

What do you think? I think it turned out pretty well ;)

Bad News Bears.

Hello all! Again, I am so sorry about not getting around to blogging. Things are busy here in Williamsburg and it seems I could never get the chance. And now, there's a new wrinkle in the fabric...

My computer CRASHED. That's right. It crashed. Last weekend I had managed to accidentally unplug it from its power source and it went haywire from there. I'm writing this post using a friend's computer, so unfortunately I most likely won't be able to blog about the things I've made until I get back to Athens; when I either can get my computer fixed or get a new one.

To give you all a taste of what I will be blogging about; While interning here I've made a ton of items including a cap, petticoat, kerchief, mitts, and various parts of gowns and am currently working on a hat. :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D  It's a really pretty hat too. :)

Well, I hope you all are having a glorious summer! I'm having a blast here in Williamsburg and can't wait to fill you in on my wonderful summer!

Stash Hats

#1

The past few weeks (well, months, really) I've been on a crocheting kick. It started mid-December with a long overdue project a student in my choir has been bugging me about for the last 2 years. She has told me over and over again that she would like a hat.... A pointy one. It's her senior year and her last year in the group, so I figured I would give in to her pleas.

This is what I made her: 

A very pointy hat.

It took only a few hours to do because it's a relatively simple idea. I chose the purple Caron Eco-Friendly yarn I had in my stash to go with her coat and I think that purple is a good color to describe her; happy, funky, and original. The hat is my own design and is about 2 feet in length. I think she looks adorable in it. Don't you?! She's such a tiny little thing; so it looks all the cuter on her :)

Just chillin' with my gnomies

#2

Then my friend Travis came back to Athens for his Christmas Break and told me "You still owe me a hat". I completely didn't know what he was talking about and he informed me that it was mentioned a long time ago that he wanted me to make him this hat:

Jayne Cobb, from the TV Series: Firefly

That hat is knitted of course; and alas, I cannot knit at the moment. So I compromised and made a hat kinda similar to a knit look with the help of a pattern on the internet that I cannot re-find for the life of me.

Cunning? Very.

It was all done the very evening he "reminded" me of it; with scrounged up yarn I had in my stash. I made it while watching the BBC Version of North and South,a GREAT miniseries, and gave it to him the next day with his Christmas present. I think someone had an awesome Christmas... wouldn't you say? ;)


 #3
 Last week I was inspired by a lone piece of ribbon and decided to whip up a hat for myself! Yay! The ribbon has some really wonderful blue and green hues and couldn't get idea out of my head. So, I looked through my stash and found some yarns that would go beautifully with that very lovely ribbon.

:) Smile, Amber! C'mon,
we know you can do it!

Altogether it's 4 different colors and 3 different types/weights of yarn; bamboo fibers (the blue, and ohhhh so soft), Caron 'simply soft' (the dark green, very soft as well), Red Heart Super Saver yarn (the 2 lighter greens, itchy and scratchy and stiff) and the Ribbon of Inspiration (which can be seen in the 3rd photo)

This is how I normally wear it

I was a little nervous at first working with yarns that I've never put together before but I think it worked! I started with the middlemost spiral then switched yarns and stitches when needed. It consists of alternating single crochets, double crochets and puff stitches in different rows to get most of the effects.

The back... a "hipster snail" as one of my friends
called it

In 6 hours I had a fabulous new hat!!! Now that the basic bit is done I kinda feel like I should add some more things to it. Hmmm... Maybe some more ribbon? Beads? Embroidery? I don't know. It needs a little something to give it some"pizazz".....Or maybe I'll just wear it like this?

...like a Crown!