Slat Bonnets (HSF Accessorize Challenge)

My newest slat bonnet, entered in the Historical Sew Fortnightly


The perfect 19th century slat bonnet continues to elude me. I have made four so far, and am trying to come up with a pattern that has just the right proportions and looks nice. There has been much trial-and-error. My first few slat bonnets all have the same problem: the brim does not extend far enough down the side of the face. When wearing them, I discovered that the curtain will fly upward if the top edge of the curtain is higher than the chin. It seems that it works best when the brim ends exactly at the jawline. Also, the curtain should be long enough to lay on the shoulders, or at least touch the shoulders. Here are some pictures of my first three slat bonnets:





 

All of these bonnets are different. I have experimented with shapes and sizes of the pieces, and have at least discovered what works best for the brim and curtain. I plan to write a future blog post concerning construction details. 

My latest endeavor is this white and purple flowered slat bonnet, for which I over-compensated and made it too big! The worst part is the crown, which is much, much larger than it should be. It looks somewhat like a chef's cap turned sideways. Not the look I was going for. The brim is nearly perfect; I like how it ends at the jawline and the slats are relatively wide. I think it's just a tad too long; I want the brim to be able to shade the face without acting as a blinder. I am also pleased with the way the curtain looks. I think it is a reasonable width and length, and the excess gathers in the back make it lay nicely over the back and shoulders. Though this bonnet looks ridiculous, it will suffice for now, and I learned a lot from it.







Here are the details for the Historical Sew Fortnightly (http://thedreamstress.com/the-historical-sew-fortnightly/), as this bonnet is my entry for Challenge #7: Accessorize, due April 8th.

The Challenge: #7: Accessorize -- a 19th century slat bonnet

Fabric: 100% cotton calico

Pattern: my own

Year: mid 19th century

Notions: thread

How historically accurate is it? Very accurate; it is completely hand-sewn with cotton thread using historic stitching techniques. I have done a lot of research about work bonnets, and have aspired to meet the standards of what I have learned through my research.

Hours to complete: perhaps 10

First worn: hopefully next weekend

Total cost: free--the fabric was given to me

Comments

  1. Scene in the PastApril 1, 2013 at 12:21 PM

    This one looks really good to me! It doesn't look too poofy in the crown at all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. esoraleak; KaelaApril 1, 2013 at 2:58 PM

      Really?! Thanks! The excess space in the crown makes the bonnet slip forward on my head, so I really want to remedy the problem even if it looks okay. I appreciate your compliment!

      Delete
    2. Scene in the PastApril 2, 2013 at 7:10 AM

      I never thought of that happening! :p Maybe it would help when you have your hair up in back. I have a corded sheer bonnet, and my hair kind of anchors it where it ties at the base of the crown. Also, Elizabeth Stewart Clark has a PDF handout on her website on making a slat bonnet; maybe she has some tips. But honestly, it looks very good! If you want, you can make the curtain even longer next time. Sometimes they were extremely long, almost to the elbow. It makes sense when you realize how much a dress fades on the shoulders and back, and the bonnet protects right there.

      Delete
    3. esoraleak; KaelaApril 3, 2013 at 8:52 PM

      Thank you very much for the feedback and advice! I would like to try making a longer curtain, now that you've suggested it.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

18th Century Hunting Shirt

Image
This hunting shirt is the first that I've tried to make. It went very well because I had help from an expert, but there were some small issues that I'd like to record for future reference. I entered this project in the Historical Sew Monthly ( http://thedreamstress.com/the-historical-sew-monthly-2015/ )  for September, so I'll start with the information for the challenge. The Challenge: Color Challenge Brown Fabric:100% linen, unbleached tow linen shirting Pattern: None--I used Neal Hurst's thesis, "Kind of armour, being peculiar to America: The American Hunting Shirt" (https://www.academia.edu/3336557/_kind_of_armour_being_peculiar_to_America_The_American_Hunting_Shirt), images including "The Surrender of General Burgoyne" by John Trumbull (http://www.aoc.gov/capitol-hill/historic-rotunda-paintings/surrender-general-burgoyne), and input from my sewing advisor. Year: 1770's, though it can be used for about 1750-1800 ...
Read more

Schuylkill Arsenal Infantry Jacket

Image
This project was definitely a procrastination item, so I'm entering it in the Historical Sew Monthly Procrastination challenge. What the item is: Schuylkill Arsenal Infantry Jacket The Challenge: January 2016, Procrastination Material: wool broadcloth, linsey woolsey lining, cotton lining, cotton batting interlining Pattern: County Cloth Chas. R. Childs Year: 1863? Notions: silk buttonhole thread, cotton thread, buttons, japanned steel hook and eye How historically accurate is it? Great, except I machine sewed the interior seams. The Schuylkill Arsenal contracted out these garments to individuals who rarely owned sewing machines. Hours to complete: 30 First worn: January 2016 Total cost: Maybe $100 U.S. for the materials My friend for whom I made this coat gave me this commission and one other, a sack coat, two years ago. I started making this infantry jacket last spring. It went very, very slowly as I didn't know what I was doing and kept anticipating major problems ...
Read more

Inserting gussets on a chemise

Image
I'm currently making a 19th century chemise to use for reenacting. I just set gussets into it and want to show exactly how I did it for future reference and also to open discussion for different methods. Maybe there is a way that is easier or more effective. I welcome input! First, I cut these triangular gussets. They are four inches on each side. The lines mark the seam half an inch from each edge, wide enough to fell the seam to hide raw edges. Lines aren't necessary, but make it easier to align the gusset perfectly and also show exactly how I did this process. This is the slit into which I am inserting the gussets, cut along the grain. Notice how it is a cut slit, not an open seam. That made the process slightly more challenging since the raw edges of the slit were facing toward the gusset, in contrast to a seam, where there would be a folded edge facing the gusset. I set the gusset piece like so, right sides facing, and stitched...
Read more