One of the most common styles of cloth bonnets worn! This cloth bonnet will be made from 100% true homespun cotton in your choice of fabrics. The brim is quilted over felt so it is stiff enough to stand moisture but also easy to launder. The bavolet is 10 inches long, perfect to cover the neck but not too long that it gets in the way.
In Calico Chronicle, by Betty Mills, she talks about the sunbonnet…. “Owning a fancy bonnet was important, but owning a sunbonnet was a necessity. Some were both fancy and functional. Designed for outdoor wear, the sunbonnet boasted a ridged brim, often with a ruffle around the front and sides and a cape like portion, called a bavolet, or curtain, to protect the neck.”
Women who often could not afford or did not have access to the shaped wool and straw bonnets and hats, made these bonnets and added fancy trimmings and ribbon to dress them up “for good”. Done in BLACK this makes a great mourning bonnet if you are portraying a lower income family. These bonnets have a very stiff brim. The back of the bonnet is gathered using ties and casing at the neckline. The look of the bonnet is completed with the attachment of a bavolet, to the lower edge of the bonnet. For women with short hair, bonnets are wonderful choices to wear to conceal one's lack of hair.
Other features of this bonnet include:
1. The tie and casing at the back aids in fitting the bonnet to most head sizes.
2. Stiffening in the brim prevents bonnet from flopping in your face, even when it gets wet.
This bonnet is made using our TSA-553 Shaped Cloth Bonnet Pattern and is ONE SIZE FITS ALL. If you want to make your own bonnet, we offer the pattern in both a hard copy and a digital version. If this is not your preferred fabric, please contact us and we can provide other available options.
