As I've mentioned a multitude of times prior, I can't seem to kick the bug I have for early victorian clothing and the only way to do that is to make something from that era. Since I already spent time making the proper undergarments for an 1840s gown last fall, it made a lot of sense to make a bonnet to wear with the gown I was making for Costume College (although this bonnet was finished ages before the dress).
One of the things I have very little experience with is millinery. Back in 2014, I attended a conference at Colonial Williamsburg where I took a class with the ladies of Burnley and Trowbridge and started a calash bonnet. Several years later, I did finally finish it, but it isn't really the most practical item for the time periods I prefer. So at least I had something to work off of skills-wise. Thankfully there are a number of vendors that specialize in millinery these days that make it easy for a beginner to make something, such as the wonderful ladies at Timely Tresses who carry patterns, kits, and pre-made bonnet forms (buckram and straw) ranging from regency through civil war and are easily accessible via Facebook if you have questions about instructions or sizing. They also sell a rotating selection of pre-decorated bonnets that make will have you drooling.
For the holidays I asked for and received the Ada Gray cottage bonnet deluxe kit (style line 2) which contained a pre-made buckram form with the bonnet pattern, netting, some organdy, and a curved needle to stitch the fabric to the bonnet form. The first step (after cutting all the fabric pieces out) was to cover the form in a light layer of batting both inside and out; I used a cotton quilt batting from JoAnn's and basted it to the form. I only did one layer on the outside and a half layer on the inside, but in reality I should have done a full layer to cover the stiffness of the buckram.
Next step is to start covering the form with the fabric pieces. Many originals bonnets were covered in silk, so I chose a pale grey/purple silk taffeta from Renaissance Fabrics. Starting with the crown, the goal is to stitch the pieces so they lie as flat against the form as possible. For the brim, I pressed the seam allowance under by the crown and pin stitched it in place. For the front of the brim, the fabric is folded around the underside and tacked in place. Now, if you read the pattern correctly, you would have cut the additional length to allow the fabric to cover more of the underside of the brim. Unfortunately on my first go-round of pattern cutting, I cut the wrong view and had to cut it out again. Thankfully one of the methods for lining the bonnet doesn't require a ton of fabric, so my mistake was a historically accurate construction method.
After stitching down the brim fabric, I sewed a curtain on the back, lined with the net from the kit and gathered. The interior lining was done in cotton organdy, with the seam allowances pressed down and neatly sewn to cover the edge of the silk. For decoration, I self trimmed with a cleverly folded piece of silk and stitched on an antique silk flower I found at the millinery shop just outside the LA fabric district. The bonnet ties using self fabric silk ribbons sewn inside the bonnet.
Cheers! Have you done any millinery work?
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