Head Weeks - Part 4

The more Hats and Bonnets I make, the more difficult it gets to store them away...
Not every Item is fitting into a round Hatbox, or it is impossible to find a suitable size, or the asked price is too high - you name it...

So what to do to prevent my treasures from dusting away?

A few weeks ago, when I searched the internet for Bonnet inspiration I came across a most peculiar item:
A Bonnet Bag
I have never seen such a thing before, but I wanted to have one that very minute!

This one:
 An original Bonnet Bag from the mid 19th century.

Museum of fine Arts Boston - Bonnet Bag

I just had to make my own!

Before I get to my Bonnet bag I have to confess, that I have absolutely no talent to indicate fabric contents...

So it happend after the first cut into my chosen fabric (an old tablecloth from grandma) that I realised (a little too late) I just had cut into a vintage SILK tablecloth... Sorry family...
In my defense I have to add that I pulled the fabric from my stash and when we collected all the stuff from grandma's apartment my mother knew that I would use it for sewing.

The damage was done, so I made the best of it:

The bottom was formed by sewing reed to a linen base. I originally planned on adding two lines, but it was so fascinating to watch my sewing machine do all the work without me touching it, I ended up with eight rows.
The bag itself is a rectangle piece of fabric sewn shut on the short edges. The boning channels are constructed in a similar way like a corded petticoat, not filled with cord but reed. The drawstrings are cotton twill-tape.

When not in use the bag can be stored flat

Hmm. Maybe a bit too large for my mid victorian bonnet...

The solution: Two bonnets in one bag!
To protect the silk-lining of my newest bonnet from the raw straw of my oldest one (sill untrimmed...), I put a scrap piece of the same tablecloth between the two bonnets.

 

Hurrah! Two bonnets safely stored instaed of just one!

Watch out - there is more head stuff to come soon!