PIONEER BONNET
Pioneer women wore bonnets to protect their faces and necks from the sun and rain (and also to cover up their messy hair.) A bonnet will serve the same purpose for you on the trek. The following instructions and pattern are adapted from those found on the internet at:
http://www.motherearthnews.comwww.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/1978-07-01/Make-Your-Own-Sunbonnet-in-Less-Than-Two-Hours.aspx
WASHABLE CLOTH IS BEST
http://www.motherearthnews.comwww.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/1978-07-01/Make-Your-Own-Sunbonnet-in-Less-Than-Two-Hours.aspx
WASHABLE CLOTH IS BEST
A sunbonnet may be made of most any washable cloth you prefer . . . such as common cotton or muslin. Since it's difficult to iron a sunbonnet, the fabric used in one of these ruffled head coverings should also be fairly wrinkle resistant.
You'll need 3/4 yard of a 44-inch-wide, or 1½ yards of 35-inch-wide, brightly flowered print in your favorite colors and 7 inches of iron-on interfacing. If you prefer elastic in the nape of the bonnet instead of the drawstring, ¼ to ½ in wide elastic would work well. Don’t forget thread to match the fabric.
THE PATTERN
Read through all directions before you begin.
The large semi-oval piece will become a fluffy CROWN that fits over the back of your head . . . while the long flap across its end forms a DUCK TAIL which hangs down to protect the nape of your neck. If you want a longer DUCK TAIL it is easy to add length to the pattern before you cut out the fabric. Just allow for a double ¼ in. hem, or ½ in of extra fabric. The bonnet's BRIM, or sunshade, will be made from the smaller half-oval. (If you want a shorter BRIM, some fabric can be cut off along the curve.) The four strips are destined to become a DRAW, DRAWSTRING, and two chin-strap TIES. Eventually the DRAW will be sewn right across the back of the DUCK TAIL to make a hollow "tube" for the DRAWSTRING or elastic to fit through. This positioning of the DRAW is indicated in the illustration by dotted lines.
After you've drawn all six pieces of your bonnet pattern to size on paper . . . cut them out, lay 'em on your cloth, and pin them in place. As you arrange the paper templates on the fabric, remember that you'll need one CROWN, two BRIMS, one DRAW, one DRAWSTRING, and two TIES. You will, of course, need only one each of the paper patterns—some of which will be used more than once—to make all of these cuts.) Any way you want to fit the patterns on the fabric works fine.
Apply the iron-on interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric on one of the brim pieces. Then stitch together the two brims along the curved edge. Turn the brim right-side-out and iron.
If you want to leave the drawstring hanging out and tied in order to adjust it later, you will want to cut the draw ½ to 1 in. longer in order to turn under the ends for a finished edge. I sewed my bonnet straps on top of the drawstring ends to seal them shut. Iron ¼ in. seams down both lengths of the draw. You may stitch the ¼ in. seam down first or pin it unstitched before you attach it to the crown. Remember to sew less then ¼ in. down the sides to catch the ¼ in. hem in the stitches.
[2] Stitch the edges of the DRAW, lengthwise, to the underside of the DUCK TAIL to form a tube for the DRAWSTRING. (Turn the raw edges of the fabric under ¼ in. before sewing to give the casing a finished look.) The DRAW should be lined up so that its center is just even with the imaginary line that joins the DUCK TAIL to the CROWN. And don't stitch the two ends of the DRAW at this time . . . just leave them open. (You might also wish to hem the rough edges of the DUCK TAIL at this point.)
Fold and iron the long edges of the drawstring ¼ in. in two times to form a thin drawstring and stitched it once. Stuff the DRAWSTRING into the hollow space that was formed when you sewed the DRAW to the DUCK TAIL . . . and temporarily pin the DRAWSTRING in place.
[3] Now you're ready to sew the flat edge of the BRIM to the round edge of the CROWN. And if you haven't done a lot of sewing, you're in for a surprise here: It's impossible to make the two pieces fit together (since the curved edge of the CROWN is so long) . . . unless you "gather" the CROWN's cloth as you go. This means that you will sew about three times as much CROWN material as you do BRIM material . . . but if you do the job properly (bunch the excess CROWN fabric evenly along the BRIM's edge) your finished bonnet will have a nice "baggy" look. You'll find it much easier to bunch the "gathers" evenly, by the way, if you first sew a wide running stitch along the rounded edge of the CROWN material, pull up the gathers along this thread till the fabric fits the BRIM, adjust the folds evenly, and pin the two fabric pieces together just as you want them before machine stitching your seam.
[4] Scrunch up the DUCK TAIL by pushing both ends toward the center as you pull out on each end of the DRAWSTRING. This (a) will create decorative folds of cloth that will hang down around the nape of your neck and (b) will allow you to adjust the bonnet to ride either high or low on your head, as you desire. Try the cap on while holding the ends of the DRAWSTRING ... then loosen or tighten the folds for a comfortable fit. Finally, pin—and then stitch—the edges of the DUCK TAIL to the DRAWSTRING . . . then tie the "leftover" ends of the DRAWSTRING off into little bows. Or cut and stitch them in place and cover the rough edges with the ties. You can also turn in the rough edges of the material in order to have a finished look.
[5] The last items you should add to your new sunbonnet will be the two chin-strap TIES. First, fold each one lengthwise twice and stitch it exactly as you folded and stitched the DRAWSTRING. Then sew the two straps—one on each side—to the BRIM's rear edge, very close to where it joins the CROWN. You may wish to safety-pin the TIES into place first . . . try on the bonnet again . . . then check the chin straps for position before you sew them to the BRIM.
CONGRATULATIONS!! YOU HAVE MADE A GREAT BONNET!!!
Bonnet_Pattern Women's_Clothing_Requirements