To all who mourn in Israel, He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory. Isaiah 61:3

Friday, October 24, 2014

Autumn in Cranford: Just a Wee Little Bonnet

Oooook....so maybe I told a little white lie in the title of this post.  This bonnet is not wee in any sense of the word.  It is HUGE!!  It is so very 1830s in its HUGENESS!  And totally fun!  I used Lynn McMasters 1830s Romantic Period Bonnet and modified it a bit.  I wasn't overly fond of the brim so cut it down a bit (or it would have been truly massive!) and had to enlarge the whole thing as my noggin is a bit on the bigger side.  I really wanted a straw bonnet that wasn't just regular plait straw.  I drew inspiration from these sources:  Fashion PlateAugusta AuctionThe MET, and The MET.  My straw is by no means era correct, but I reeeeaaalllly love the lacy look of it.  I sewed it to rusty orange dupioni silk covered buckram.  I knew that a using this straw braid for a bonnet of this proportion would more than likely fail miserable because of how wimpy it is, so the sewing it to buckram was my solution.  I was hoping that mounting it over the silk covered buckram would give the illusion of the bonnet being lined like these examples:  silk lined straw (I couldn't find the link to the original image :-( ), silk lined straw (I know this is an earlier bonnet, but you can see the silk peeking through the straw).  I had some incredible antique ribbon and ostrich feathers in my stash that I hoped would work really well with the color scheme of the bonnet and I think they do.  Oh!!  And hello wheat spray!  I have had this for years waiting for the perfect hat to put it on and I am happy that it has found its new home!  All I have left to do to finish the bonnet, is find some closely shaded ribbon for the ties.

So....here is the wee little 1830s bonnet with the 1830s day cap on my Emma head form...can't wait to get my bangs all curled up so I can wear this bonnet!











Next week is dedicated to making a Revolutionary War Patriot costume then after that I get to start on sleeve supports for the dress!

Be blessed my friends!

g

26 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you so very much Gabriela!
      Blessings!
      g

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  2. I am *in love* with this bonnet. The texture of the straw is really unique! Are those antique plumes? They look amazing. This is really inspiring!

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    1. Thank you so much for your wonderful compliments Lauren! Yes, those plumes are antique. I was told once by a master milliner that to get the look and feel of an antique hat in a new one, I should make every effort to use antique/vintage feathers and trim. That would go a very long way in causing the hat to look like it was made during the era I am trying to emulate. So, that is what I try to do!
      Blessings!
      g

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  3. Love the straw! And it's so perfect on the silk color! Beautiful work!

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    1. Thank you Jeanette! I purchase vintage hats with this straw "patter/weave" and take them apart and keep it handy for projects where I know it will look awesome!
      Blessings!
      g

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  4. Really loving this bonnet, Gina!! It has a great color scheme with perfectly paired decorations AND it looks fabulous with your ruffly cap! So happy to see your Cranford outfit coming together - each piece is just so pretty!!
    Anneliese :)

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    1. Oh thank you so much Anneliese! This is turning out to be a super fun project. I can't wait until it's complete so I can see it all together!
      Blessings!
      g

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  5. I'm really enjoying watching this outfit come together! All your accessories are lovely, and this bonnet especially. I love the way you lined the straw in silk. So pretty!

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    1. Thank you so much Aubry! I am happy with how good the shade of silk looks with the straw...did a lot of draping and pinning before I decided that "Yes! This will be good!"
      Blessings!
      g

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  6. Such a beautiful bonnet! The feather plumes really give it that Cranford feel.

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    1. Thank you so much Glennis! I adore antique ostrich plumes!
      Blessings!
      g

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  7. Gorgeous! The feathers, the wheat, the straw... so many lovely elements and the colors go together in a lovely 1830s way. I want to steal this from your closet!!! :)

    Best,
    Quinn

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    1. Oh thank you Quinn! The textures in this bonnet really make me happy. You can borrow it any time you want! Just know I have a rather large head! hahahahaha!
      Blessings!
      g

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  8. Ahhhh!!!! So gorgeous I could die!!!!

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    1. Ha!! "It's so fluffy I'm gonna die!!!" Although you are not allowed to die! I need to meet you!! And of course all the other things that need to happen with you in this world! But thank you!
      Blessings!
      g

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  9. Now THAT'S a bonnet! Wow! Haha hugeness is a good word indeed! Still, it's very lovely!

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    1. I know! Crazy huge! Thank you Eleonora!!
      Blessings!
      g

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  10. What a gorgeous bonnet, Gina. It looks so much like autumn. :)

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    1. Thank you so much Nessa!! Autumn was the look and color scheme I was wishing to achieve!! I LOVE Autumn!!!
      Blessings!
      g

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  11. Wow, it's magnificent! I have no idea how you invisibly sewed the lacy straw onto a finished bonnet, but it's genius!

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    1. Thank you Kat dear! I actually used thread the exact same color as the straw and sewed it on in the direction of the straw that was nearest the needle insertion point...
      Blessings!
      g

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  12. Replies
    1. Thank you so much Tiffany Jane!
      Blessings!
      g

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