Bonny Bonnets and Beautiful Things

Nothing centers me more than doing things with my hands. I can feel my blood-pressure even out, and my frenetic thoughts that are like mexican jumping beans inside my head just fade into quiet pensiveness when I've got something to create.

Ever since the founding of the Oregon Regency Society, I've been preoccupied (moreso than I had ever been before) with the Regency period. Once, I simply would immerse myself into Jane Austen adaptations, or read the books (which I do twice a year no fail)--now I am taking it to another level. I'm making gowns and bonnets and reticules and all manner of other items. The society has also resparked my love for drawing period pieces, and my whimsical Potter-knock-offs... I'm more creative than I've been in years. I'm not writing as much as I used to, but that will never really go away, it simply takes a back seat something when that part of my brain that likes to fabricate things takes over

Instead of allowing my creations to clutter up my home (my husband calls it the 'craft-house' when I'm in project mode, because my small cabin gets cluttery very quickly), I've been selling them on etsy. I've even developed a pattern for my signature 'stovepipe bonnet'. It's really something to be making money doing something that you like. I wish I could do it full-time.

One of my first etsy customers is a big-spender. She bought an existing bonnet I had up there, plus commissioned two more (a stovepipe and a soft-poke like the sage one), and is also buying my pattern and a reticule. This is the soft-poke bonnet I made for her.

I went all-out and covered this one in dupioni silk. It's so lush and pretty and crinkly. It's my favourite soft-poke so far I think

The stovepipe is a ruched delight. I went wild with feathers too. I used my own pattern for it.

The pattern for the stovepipe includes two variations. Click the image for details.