Trimming a Straw Regency Bonnet

 My goodness, it has been a month of Sundays since my last blog post!  Fear not, the blog has not been entirely abandoned, as I do still believe long-form content to have its place and value - especially for teaching new sewists and even as a reference for those with decade(s) of experience.  Though, I confess my updates will continue to be more regular over on my Instagram @youngsewphisticate and Facebook Page - so if you don't already, you might consider following there to stay up to date with the latest adventures and projects.

For my few, but dedicated blog followers, today I have two posts planned.  The first is the one you are currently reading on the trimming on a Regency Era straw bonnet, and the second will include a tutorial on making Romantic Era tucked petticoats.  I am attempting to document projects from 2024 at least, which include a few more catch-up posts and some exciting plans ahead.  As always, thanks for reading - and I hope you enjoy today's blog posts: 

I spent this past Easter weekend taking in the sites of New York City - from museums to the Broadway stage with Chelsea - to strolling down Fifth Avenue with Cheyney and her crew during the annual Easter Parade!  While I may not have had time to make a whole new outfit, I absolutely needed an Easter bonnet for the parade, and evening's Easter Egg Strut, hosted by the one and only Dandy Wellington & his band!

Years ago, I had commissioned another friend and straw milliner, Anna Worden, of the blog: If I Had My Own Blue Box and her shop: A Milliner's Whimsy, to reproduce a specific style of Regency Era poke bonnet that I fondly refer to as my "mailbox."  Anna painstakingly handstitched, wired, and blocked this straw beauty - which I newly trimmed for the NYC trip.

Historical Inspiration

Again, I fell in love with this 1810s to early 1820s style poke bonnet, of which there are several extant examples to study, including this one which was sold at auction: 

Poke bonnet, c.1810 - 1815.
Meg Andrews auction website, sold.

While the images are not the best, the accompanying description is a little more helpful: "with deep crown and upturned brim, all in a narrow plaited straw, the brim edge of crin (horsehair) and straw, lined with palest eau de nil silk the brim area covering a card support, the wide ribbons in shades of rose pink with brown and gold plaid, edged with silk tufts, crown 6 3/4 or 7 cm deep; ribbon 6 in or 15 cm."  I followed suit with pleating ivory silk along the brim of mine, and attaching wide ribbon ties inside at ear-level. 

Here's another example of the style, dated 1815 - 1820 from the Snowshill Wade Costume Collection, National Trust:  I just love the curve of the brim, and took note of the ribbon placements as well. 

Poke bonnet, c.1815 - 1820.
Snowshill Wade Costume Collection, National Trust: 1349493

Construction Details

Do you want to know a (not so secret) secret about me?  While I certainly can - and have done millinery in the past, I much prefer to purchase blanks (or completed pieces) pieces from my talented friends, like Anna Worden!  Plus, it's just nice to be able to support their business, and thoroughly enjoy wearing a bespoke original.  I took a few pictures of the straw blank before decorating it to admire its curves - and the way that Anna shapes and stitches straw into beautiful period pieces never ceases to amaze me: 

Hand-sewn straw poke bonnet, made by Anna Worden.
Find her custom historical hats and bonnets at: A Millinery's Whimsy

Anna made the crown very deep to fit over all of my hair -
all of those circular rows of straw are mesmerizing!

And this is where I stopped taking in-progress pictures, unfortunately...the next step was to cover or line the brim.  I pleated and stitched a rectangle of ivory silk taffeta along the brim and a couple inches into the crown to act as a facing.  I might go back and add a full lining too, to keep the straw from snagging on my hair.

Ivory silk taffeta pleated along the brim and interior facing.

With my deadline quickly approaching, there was no time to order new millinery flowers or ribbons, so I decorated with what I could find in the stash.  Starting with a wide, royal purple moiré ribbon, I pleated and tacked a length along the outer crown like the extant examples, and made a few big bows for the sides and center back.  I twisted together a wreath of various vintage silk and velvet flowers, and covered the wire stems with floral tape.  Once everything was secured in place, I added long moiré ribbon ties to the inside.  

All of the trimmings - vintage moiré ribbon and silk and velvet millinery flowers - came from the stash.

Completed Project Pictures

With a full trimmed bonnet, I was ready for the NYC Easter Parade! 

And a few more wearing my bonnet with my Easter OOTD (outfit of the day) - there are lot more pictures on my social media from both events (morning parade and Easter Egg Strutt) too! 

Thanks again, Cheyney, for inviting me along for a truly NYC Easter experience!

My parade look, complete with American Duchess "Emma" boots
& borrowed golden cloak from Cheyney!

My look for the Easter Egg Strut, including new accessories for a favorite Regency dress.
Now that I know the dress code - I want to step it up for next year!

Thank you for reading & special thanks to our generous patrons! 

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"Purled" or Ruched Ribbon Trim

Making decorative trim is like frosting on a cake!  A delight for the eyes, frilly, and fun, ribbon trimming can be the perfect finishing touch for any special project - and it only takes a few, simple and quick stitches to whip up a length. 

In today's blog post, I'll be sharing one of my favorite techniques for ruched, "purled," or "shell" trimming.  Ruching is another term for "gathering," and in this application, large running stitches across the length of a ribbon create a distinct and dimensional swirling pattern:

"Purled" or Ruched Ribbon Trimming

While I was familiar previously with a range of ruched trimmings, I was introduced to this particular style during a college "special topics" class in theatrical millinery.  Referred to as "purled ribbon" trimming, the following is an excerpt from the 1922 edition of Ribbon Trimmings: A Course in Six Parts by the Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences, Department of Millinery (see the 1992 reprint by Sloane Publications): 

In a later, 1934 edition of Decorative Stitches and Trimmings, also by the Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences, the technique appears as "shell trimming."  (Access the digital copy from Cornell University through HathiTrust.)  Interestingly, notice the use of an almost identical image (Fig. 5 above; Fig. 4 below) in both texts:

Now for directions on how to make "purled" trim for your own projects!

First, gather your supplies.  These include the length of ribbon, a sturdy thread to match (I was using a glazed hand-quilting thread), and a sharp needle.  Consider the scale of your project when selecting the ribbon - a narrow 1"-2" width would make for a delicate edge, while a wider 6"-8" width would make a more dramatic, swooping trim.  The length of ribbon required varies depending on how densely you wish to draw the gathers; I found that 2-3 times the desired finished length was sufficient.  

Cut (or use a continuous) length of thread, and secure it to the edge of the ribbon with a few stitches or a pin.  Using a loose running stitch, work a line of diagonal stitches from the top edge to the bottom edge, and another in the other direction (bottom to top).  Continue stitching across the ribbon in a zig-zag pattern like this:

Running stitches in a zig-zag pattern

If you want to ensure that the gathers are evenly spaced, you can measure and mark the bias (as described in the vintage millinery manuals above), or simply "eyeball" the spacing as the gathers can be adjusted later...speaking of adjusting, I like to begin gathering the trim as I stitch.  

To gather the ribbon, simply pull on the thread gently to form the folds.  Experiment with the tightness of the gathers until pleasing - I preferred the look of denser gathers, which billow into a soft, yet structural scallop; while a looser gather retains more of the curvy zig-zag shape.  

Gently pull on the thread to ruche or gather the ribbon

When you've reached the desired length of trim, secure the threads at both ends of the ribbon to prevent the stitches from coming undone.  Fluff, redistribute, and arrange the gathers as needed.  

Arrange the gathers and secure the threads at both ends

And now your ruched ribbon trim is finished and ready to be added to the project of choice!

Finished sample of "purled" or ruched ribbon trim

Here's what the finished trim looks like added on top of another gathered frill on a cotton cap: doesn't it look like a confection?  The more trimmings, the merrier!

Have you ever made "purled" or another style of ruched ribbon trim?  

If you're looking for more ideas, check out these "10 Easy to Make Ribbon Trims" from Sew Guide, and there's an entire book (which I'm currently eyeing) on Ribbon Trims: An Embellishment Idea Book by Nancy Nehring.  If this tutorial was helpful to your sewing and you make something with ruched ribbon trim - feel free to share in the comments below!