Artisan Showcase: Bonnet Making at Old Sturbridge Village

Randall Decoteau

The Salem Towne House at Old Sturbridge Village is the dwelling of a gentleman farmer. The solid white clapboard Georgian stands proud at the far end of the village green and is host to a number of handicrafts suitable for young ladies of proper lineage. I was greeted by a costumed interpreter as I entered the large central hall with its bold Federal swag wallpaper and Venetian stripe carpet.

Her ruffled cap was striking and very much like those we remember from old Hollywood films like Pride and Prejudice with Greer Garson and That Hamilton Woman with Vivien Leigh. Both of these films featured bonnets with caps under them.

Hats and bonnets in the 1830s
I was in the village to meet Claire Gregoire, who has been making reproduction garments for more than 25 years, and I found her in Salem Towne’s upstairs ballroom where the light for sewing is quite good. “In the 1830’s every man and woman wore a hat of some sort,” she began. “Women put hats and bonnets over their caps; some were very simple and others were more elaborate.” Claire said further that fancy bonnets might be quite expensive for a country woman unless she made one herself. Women could make their own at home because the local country store would stock all the supplies needed.

There wasn’t a milliner shop in Sturbridge in the 1830s, but there was at least one in nearby Southbridge, a somewhat larger town with quite a bit of industrial activity. Shoppers would have found a number of bonnets for sale, as well as models made up in the latest fashion from which orders could be taken. Godey’s Ladies’ Book would have been available for additional ideas in the latest French and English fashions and Ackerman’s could have been perused for popular English fashions.

There were also women in this period that might come into a home like this one to refashion a bonnet for a customer. She could be a young lady who apprenticed herself to a local milliner and later married. It was a respectable profession for a young woman.

Hats of this period tend to have a very forward brim coming out from a crown about three to four inches high. The hat is usually made from buckram, a loosely woven cotton fabric that was heavily sized. Cardboard was also used and millinery wire was sewn all around the edges to help keep its shape. Velvets were worn in winter, and silks and cottons in the warmer seasons, but always hats and bonnets were adorned with more than their share of ribbons, trims, artificial flowers, feathers and plumes.

Making a blue silk bonnet
“Most women would make their own patterns from an old bonnet that was taken apart,” Claire talked as she worked. “So you trace your pattern on the buckram and you measure the head so that the crown fits properly.” There are just three pieces in the average bonnet – the brim, the crown, and the top of the crown. Claire deftly cut out the pieces and wired them, whip stitching the wire around each section.

Each piece is next covered with finish fabric on the outside and lining on the inside. Claire was using powder blue watered silk with a pink silk lining. She explained that the lining color should always flatter the skin. I noted that she used very large stitches. “You want it to hold together, but you want it to be easy to re-do when a lining needs replacement or an update is necessary because of fashion.” She next notches the brim so that it folds over and fits into the crown. At this point, she assembles the pieces, finishing the crown and essentially attaching the brim to the crown.

She explained that decorating the bonnet was not only the most fun, but was intended to cover every area where stitches could be seen. The bonnet would have ribbon ties that were tied in a bow under the chin. There would definitely be plumes or silk flowers and ribbons around the base of the crown. Claire explained that sometimes there was also a little piece called a curtain that hung over and shaded the neck. “A woman’s bonnet,” she told me, “could be a show of wealth, of status or position in the community. It was important.”

The more elaborate the work, the more costly the bonnet became. Fabrics could be pleated, gathered, or fringed. Sometimes ribbons on the inside radiated outside; sometimes there was even lace, bows or flowers on the inside of the brim. Silk flowers and plumes were mostly purchased, but ladies were trained to make all sorts of trim from ribbon. Ribbons could go from very plain to the very ornate and a ribbon could be a handsome gift.

Other bonnets
There were other types of bonnets as well. Straw summer bonnets were popular. These were also decorated and were usually bought rather than made at home. They could be more expensive than those made with buckram. There were quilted bonnets, plain everyday flannel and cotton ones, and much more elaborate silk examples for special occasions.

The cap is the subject of much interest for modern visitors to the village. Married women always wore caps. It was a fashion that extended back to the middle ages and finally went out of fashion later in the nineteenth century. Some caps can be very elaborate. Some are made of silk or linen with lots of white-work embroidery. Mostly caps were intended to be practical. They made it easier to dress one’s hair, and bonnet caps kept the lining of the bonnet clean. Sometimes the frill of the cap added to the charm and decoration of the bonnet.

As Claire put the finishing touches on the bonnet she was making, she remarked that she had been sewing since she came to Old Sturbridge Village 25 years ago. With practice she became good at it. “Recreating historical garments is so interesting,” she smiled. “It just hooked me.” Claire is the sewing trainer here at the village. Her specialties are white-work embroidery, bonnet making, silk embroidery and quilting. “All ladies in period needed to sew whether they enjoyed it or not,” she shrugged. “It’s fortunate for everyone that some of us can like the work; I even enjoy hemming sheets. On the best day, this can be a dull task.”

Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge, MA 01516, (508) 347-3362, www.osv.org.