Aphrodite's Trousseau: 1860s Bonnet - Accessorise Head to Toe Challenge

With a Victorian Field day coming up in mid September I set out to make my very own 'Gone with the Wind' outfit. As no respectable woman would have left the house without a hat I obviously had to make one too! Better still this project fitted in with the Accessorise Head to Toe Challenge I'm taking part in.

Inspiration:

After looking at extant examples from the period online I found 2 fashion plates that I liked and that I decided to base my design on.

Godey's Lady's Book, October 1865

Peterson's Magazine, May 1862

The bonnet is to go with a crinoline dress made from burgundy tweed suiting trimmed in black so the colour scheme of the bonnet will be in similar colours (Image with completed bonnet below).

Materials:

Dupioni Silk in black and gold
Buckram
Millinery wire
Cotton flannel
various ribbons, lace & silk flowers

packing paper
scissors, stabler, needle & threat
glue

The Making of ...

As I didn't have a pattern or template I started off by cutting a rough shape from paper and tried my 'bonnet'. I cut, stabled and adjusted it until it looked roughly like the bonnet shape I was after and took it in stride from there. I have never been afraid about improvising and usually go by the premise 'as long as it looks good it doesn't matter how you got there'

Once I achieved the desired look I cut the shape from the buckram and covered one side with cotton flannel (the buckram has a 'iron fabric on' side). I basted the back centre seam together and then sewed millinery wire along all edges to give it shape and stability.

Following this I covered the outside with cotton flannel, the only time I used glue along the edges to secure the overlapping fabric.The flannel creates a smooth surface and a certain softness allowing the covering fabric to lay smoothly across the buckram body.

The next step is the production of the bonnet cover with black silk on the outside and gold fabric pleated on the inside and a black trim along the sedge (see image). I attached the black silk over the outside, leaving the inner fabric unattached to allow me to sew on the trimmings and hiding the threat under the inner lining.

I experimented a little with various trims until I felt happy with the look.Finally I attached the lining fabric and the basic bonnet was finished. I sewed 2 tied from the black silk with fringing at the end to match the dress, and attached these.