Help! Bonnet troubles...

[theladyrebecca]

I'm having such a hard time figuring out a pattern for the stovepipe bonnet. I've spent almost all my free time today on it, and it still looks weird. I'm not sure if that's because when they're undecorated, stovepipe bonnets just look really weird, or if it's because there's something actually wrong with it. And it looks even weirder on my head. Maybe I have proportions wrong?

Just to give an idea, here is a picture:


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Dimensions are 23" circumference at base of crown, 18" at top of crown. The crown is 6.5" tall in the front, and 8" tall in the back. Brim is 3 5/8" at CF, and 2.25" where it ends towards the back. Has anyone made one of these before? I'm going completely off of pictures I've found of them online, which of course are all fully decorated. Why aren't there any tutorials out there for this kind of bonnet?

Comments

[nuranar.livejournal.com]

It looks fine to me. I've made the one from the Timely Tresses pattern and the differences:

(1) The crown doesn't taper much at all.
(2) The brim is deeper and all around.
(3) The brim flares a lot more.

But ALL of these differences can be stylistic! So I don't know that that helps at all. There's a lot of variation in fashion plates over the years.

[theladyrebecca.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the variation is what's throwing me off. It seems like anything with a cylindrical crown more than a few inches tall winds up getting called a stovepipe bonnet...

[nuranar.livejournal.com]

Interestingly, the TT pattern had variations involving the *shape* of the tip. The opening of the crown at the brim is oval, but with a round tip, the stovepipe appears to taper.

[mandie-rw.livejournal.com]

There probably aren't any tutorials because the only patterns out there are ones people are trying to sell. ;) But I think yours looks fine! The dimensions aren't that far off an 18-teens tall hat I've got in pieces at the moment. There are so many little tweaks you can do with the shape and height of the brim and the crown, I think yours is totally within the realm of possibility. The only big difference is that I personally don't care for a back cutout/curtain, so I hardly ever use that variation.

(Linky to crappy picture I took of aforementioned hat because I am fail at html, hopefully it works: http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/mandie_rw/13112640/158466/158466_800.jpg )

They basically look stupid until they're all trimmed up and you've got your hair done and your dress on. Believe me, I've had more than one crisis of "oh god I've made a really stupid hat haven't I" but they all turn out all right in the end. :D

[theladyrebecca.livejournal.com]

Thanks! That picture is super helpful. Do you just have your brim meet in the back, and have your hair up in the inside of the crown?

[mandie-rw.livejournal.com]

Yep! Brim meets in the back, and a high back-of-the-head bun fits nicely inside the crown.