Miniature Millinery: Soft Crown Regency Bonnet

 

Hi Everyone! In Part 3 of this straw hat topic, we will continue with the series of projects reshaping full-size straw hats into doll-sizes straw hats. In this next demonstration Shari will be introducing you to a bit of historical costuming by using the other half of the brim from her ladies size sun hat to make a Soft Crown Regency Bonnet.

Up until the mid-20th century, ladies wore hats or bonnets outdoors as a matter of course. Aside from sheltering delicate skin from the sun or hair from the elements, hats and bonnets denoted one's class and economic status, as well as one’s marital status. Soft Crown Regency Bonnets were a defining head covering of the Regency period. Jane Austen brought the romantic imagery of the time to life, and one can hardly imagine her simple and unaffected heroines dressed in anything other than these quaint and unpretentious bonnets. The simple elegance of the Soft Crown Regency Bonnet made fashionable head wear easy to achieve for anyone as a lovely hat could be made from the simplest of fabrics and a straw brim. With a little ingenuity and some sumptuous fabric, this simple design could be quite stunning.

Follow along this week as we continue to learn the art of miniature millinery!

Soft Crown Regency Bonnet Tutorial

(As mentioned prior) The new Thimbles and Acorns Three Straw Hats pattern includes the pattern pieces for this project along with the full step by step photos and instruction. We encourage you to download the pattern (use your July coupon code found on the SWC Bonuses page), print out the pattern piece, and follow along as Shari demonstrates how easy it is to create this hat for your 18-inch doll.

If you're interested in resizing this hat to fit a different size doll, check out the How To resize A Hat Pattern For Any Doll post from the Hip, Hip, Beret topic.

 

 

For this project we will be using part of the hat brim to make the visor (the other half). This information showing how to procure & prep your straw hat is posted here, if you haven't done this part yet, you will need to do this first.

 

Looking for the right dress to pair with your new bonnet? Be sure to check out the Regency Era Fashions Collection on Pixie Faire!

 

 

 

 


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