Little House on the Prairie Sunbonnet

“She had a clean calico dress to wear and she had shoes. While she hurried to the house, she thought that Ma might let her wear her Sunday hair-ribbon and perhaps Mary’s freshly ironed sunbonnet.” . . .”quickly they changed to fresh dresses and shoes. But Ma saw no reason for hair-ribbons on a weekday and she said Laura must wear her own sunbonnet. ‘It would be fresher’, Ma said, ‘if you took care to keep it so.” Laura’s bonnet was limp from hanging down her back and the strings were limp too. But that was Laura’s own fault.”

~ Laura Ingalls Wilder The Long Winter

This pattern is one I came up with after watching the t.v. series Little House on the Prairie. I grew up watching the series and was delighted to discover it on our public television station this past year and was enchanted anew with the costumes of Ma, Laura, Mary and their friends and family. This bonnet is particularly modeled after the one the adult Laura wears in the later episodes. Mrs. Oleson also wears a very similar styled bonnet when in her less-flamboyant attire. :) This bonnet is sized adult. The fit is large and roomy, with plenty of space for coiled hair or braids. The brim shades the face from the sun and is edged with a delicate ruffle. The back neck is elasticized and has an ample curtain to shade your neck from the sun.

Note:* The instructions seem really confusing to me so I have taken photographs of the whole construction process so you hopefully have a better idea of how this goes together! Of course there are many different ways you could go about putting this together so feel free to deviate from my instructions as needed. :) It is really a very simple project.

Note: ** To alter for size: You can easily size this pattern up or down as needed. As is, it fits an average adult head quite roomily. The basic pattern shapes of brim and crown can be easily made to whatever size you need.

To alter the width, measure your head (or the head you are making this for) from the back top of head, straight out over the face. Make sure this measurement takes into account the width of any ruffle you will attach. Mark this length along the fold line of the brim pattern piece and add or subtract from the pattern lines as needed to get the width you desire.

To alter the length, measure over your head from ear to ear. Mark this measurement along the long straight edge of the brim pattern piece and add or subtract from the pattern lines as needed to get your desired length.

The crown will probably not need to be reduced much in width for smaller sizes unless you are making a very small infant bonnet. Smaller sizes will find the crown more "puffy" but not by too much. Since the crown is not fitted, the cut is very forgiving in terms of size. To increase the size of the crown, add LENGTH to it as needed, above the casing line. Unless you have a very large head or a very large hairdo it is unlikely you will need to add width to the crown. If you do, simply place the pattern piece a few inches from the fold when pinning to your fabric to get added width across the center. To decrease the size of the crown, measure from the back top of the head, "poufing" your measuring tape a little to approximate the pouf of the finished crown, to the back of the neck. Add a few inches to this measurement for the neck curtain and mark this measurement along the straight fold line of the crown. Subtract from the pattern lines as needed. To decrease width, measure from ear to ear across the back of the head, adding in ample ease for movement while wearing. You can "pouf" your measuring tape for this measurement too. Mark half of this measurement along the casing line and subtract from the pattern width as needed. Draw new lines to connect the lines of your new size, keeping as best you can to the original pattern shapes.

The measurement for a ruffle should be about 1.5 - 2 x the length of the curved brim line.

The ties should be long enough to neatly tie beneath the chin.

The casing should be 1.5" wide (finished width of about 3/4" when hemmed on each side) and as long as the casing line on the crown.

Materials:

You will need the following for your bonnet:

Appx. ¾ yard of cotton fabric. Calico or gingham or plaid is a good choice. Something light is nice for summer wear. Bear in mind darker colored cottons will visually fade more quickly than a light one.
Scrap of heavy cotton fabric for interfacing. Cotton canvas, duck, denim (old jeans work well), twill, etc. are all good choices.
8” of flat elastic, ½” wide
Thread

Pattern:

Please click on the following links to be taken to the files for the pattern pieces. These pieces are traced and scanned on standard computer paper so should be printed full size. In case of size discrepancy, I have the actual measurements of each piece written on the edges of the pattern pieces so double check the measurements to make sure of the size before cutting your fabric. You will have to tape the crown piece together as it did not fit on one sheet of paper.

Brim

Crown A

Crown B

Cutting:

From your fabric cut the following:
2 Brims from your fashion fabric
1 Brim from your interfacing fabric
1 Crown from your fashion fabric
You will also need to tear these pieces from left over fabric:
1 Ruffle - 3” x 45”
2 Ties - 3” x 22.5” (tear a 45” rectangle and cut in half)
1 Casing for elastic, 1.5” x 19”

Assembly:
1. Hem the crown. On the casing line, clip into the crown ½. Turn under and stitch a very narrow hem on the bottom edge of the crown and up the sides to the clip.

2. On your casing piece, turn under ¼” on each long side. Laying one long edge of the casing piece along the casing line, wrong side of casing to right side of crown, pin into place. Stitch very close the turned under edge to secure the casing to the crown.

4. Run two rows of gathering stitches along the curved edge of the crown, from just above the casing, across the top of the crown, to just above the casing on the other side.

5. Hem the ruffle. On long edge of ruffle turn under a narrow hem and stitch securely. On the other long end, run two rows of gathering stitches.

6. Lay your brim interfacing piece right side up. Lay one of the brim fashion fabric pieces on top of the interfacing piece, right side up. You will treat the two layers as one. Press securely and fold and press to find center.

7. Fold the ruffle piece lengthwise to find center. Matching center points of ruffle and brim, right sides together, pin ruffle to brim all along curved outside edge, gathering ruffle to fit brim edge. At either end of ruffle, fold the corner up to the inside of the brim. Stitch ruffle to brim with ruffle side up, stitching between the two rows of gathering. Remove gathering stitches and press ruffle towards inside of brim.

8. Lay the other brim fashion fabric piece right sides up. Lay the ruffled brim piece right side down on top of this piece. Pin brim to ruffled brim and stitch together along curved outside edge, using the seam you just sewed for attaching the ruffle as a guide. Trim seam allowance and turn brim right sides out. Press well.

9. To stiffen brim, stitch parallel rows of machine stitching across the curved outer edge of the brim. Start about ½” from the edge for your first row. How many rows you wish to stitch and how far apart you place the rows is entirely up to you. I like to space my rows about ¾” apart and like to use an odd number of rows. 5 or 7 rows look well and adequately stiffens the brim.

10. Now that your brim is complete, it is time to attach it to the crown! First, take your elastic and thread it through the casing on the crown, pinning at each end to secure. Stitch over the ends of the elastic to hold them in place and remove pins.

11. Right sides together, pin brim to crown, matching edge of brim to the raw edges of the crown. Draw up gathering stitches in crown to fit brim and distribute evenly. Stitch. Trim seam allowances. Turn bonnet right sides out and press.

12. Attach ties by sewing to seam allowance at the bottom edge of the brim.

13. To finish inside seam, cover seam with bias binding or hem lace. Stitch to cover seam allowance.

14. Enjoy your new bonnet!

Classic Cap

Basic Cap

This simple cap has a fitted brim and a semi circular, puffed crown that can be adjusted to fit with drawstrings at the neck. Although this cap is not taken directly from any particular period, I think it looks best with late 18th century and early 19th century styled/inspired gowns since the way the crown is shaped conveniently accommodates the hairstyles of the time. This pattern could also be used for a cozy nightcap, made out of cotton for summertime wear or flannel (wool or canton) for cooler weather.

Pattern:

Please click on the pattern pieces below to be taken to the file for each piece. The crown is in two pieces and you will have to tape them together to get the final shape. Match the triangles and cutting line.

Brim

Crown

Crown (lower portion)

Cut two brim pieces on the fold out of your fabric. If desired, you may cut your brim piece onto fresh folded paper, placing the fold against the fold, to create a complete brim pattern. You can then lay this pattern on your fabric with the longest edge against the fold. This way, you do not have a long seam around the face edge and will have to sew only the two short sides.

You will also need to cut the following pieces:

2 Drawstrings for back neck, each appx. 8-10” long. These can be made from narrowly hemmed fabric strips, or twill tape. Ribbon can also be used but does not hold a tie as well as tape or fabric.
2 Ties for securing cap under the chin, each appx. 12-16” long. As for the drawstrings, you can make these of fabric or use tape or ribbon.

Construction:
All seams for a ½” seam allowance.

Brim:

*For Two-Piece Brim -
Lay your two brim pieces on top of each other, right sides together, matching corners. Pin baste and stitch around two short sides and longest side, starting and stopping ½” from the edge of the shorter “back“ edge (where the gathered crown will be attached). Clip corners, trim seam allowances, turn right sides out and press. Set aside.
*For One-Piece Brim -
Press brim, right sides together. Pin two short side seams. Starting at long “face” edge, stitch the seams, stopping ½” from the edge of the shorter “back” edge. Clip corners, trim seam allowances, turn right sides out and press.

Crown:
Create drawstring casing at the back neck edge by turning straight edge up ¼” and again ½”. Press. Fold crown in half lengthwise and press to find center. Open the crown back out and mark two dots appx. ½” from the center, pressed mark on the drawstring casing. Going only through the turned-up edge of the casing, make two eyelets through which to thread your drawstrings. Once your eyelets are made, re-press casing up and stitch in place. Thread your drawstrings through the two eyelets and pin them at each side while you finish the crown.
Run gathering stitches all around curved edge of crown. Draw them up to fit the brim. Right sides together, pin crown to brim, pinning only to the top layer of the brim. Stitch, being sure to catch edges of drawstrings in this seam on either side, and remove gathering stitches.

Finishing:
Finish the inner seam by turning under the free edge of the brim ½” and pinning to the stitch line, enclosing all raw edges. Slip stitch to stitching line.
Attach ties at the lower corners of the brim.
Wear with your favorite historical gown and enjoy!

Below are photos of a white striped cotton cap made from this pattern with tape ties.

Using the same pattern with heavier fabrics resulted in a warm and cozy bonnet like cap. This one is made of deep blue velvet and has a 2 piece brim with the lower brim being brown cotton twill. The crown is lined with cream colored silk and black ribbon used for the ties.

Mid-19th Century Infant Chemise

Mid-19th Century Infant Chemise

This pattern was kindly submitted by Mrs. G, who gave me permission to post it here for the benefit of anyone who might like to use it! The photograph above is one of the chemises she made for her baby.

This pattern was taken from several different original chemises from the Wisconsin Historical Society Website. It consists of two pieces, a front and back cut identically. The side seams are sewn and finished with felling and the top curved edge is turned and finished with narrow trim. Mrs. G sewed reinforcement squares to the shoulder area and the chemise is finished by hemming and making buttons and buttonholes to close the shoulder. A very practical style and easy to get off and on a tiny new baby!

Pieces:
I could not fit the entire pattern onto one sheet of paper, so the pattern consists of two separate pieces which you will need to print and tape together.

Chemise Body
Chemise Bottom

19th Century Three-Piece Baby Cap

The pattern for this cap came from Mrs. G of Pastoral Symphony Farm. When she recently posted about clothing items she was making for her new baby I fell in love with this cap style and she very kindly sent me the pattern and permission to share it with you all here! To see photos of her baby caps (and other lovely baby clothing!), please click on the link to visit her blog.

This cap consists of three pieces; two sides and one center piece. Mrs. G., as well as I, fully lined the cap for ease of construction and added warmth. If desired, I suppose you could finish the inner seams with baby binding or felling for a one-layer cap but I do like the ease of fully lining it. It does not take long at all to make!

As is, this pattern should be about the right size for 0-6 months. To make it fit my currently-8-month old baby boy I added 1/2" around all edges and sewed the pieces with a 1/4" seam. This made a cap that fit well with a little room for growing.

I made mine from a white-striped white cotton.

Pattern Pieces:

Please click on the link to take you to each pattern piece. Save the files to your computer and print at 100%.

Side Piece

Center Piece

Construction:

Pin sides to center piece, right sides together, easing side pieces as necessary to fit center piece. (You should not need to run easing stitches - I simply evenly pinned mine out and it came out pucker-free). Stitch.

If lining your cap, repeat this process for the lining.

Trim seam allowances. Press seams to one side. (I pressed towards the center as it seemed the best way to do it).

Pin lining to cap, right sides together. Sew all around cap edge, leaving the portion between the back neck seams free.

Trim seam allowances and turn cap right sides out. Press neatly. Press under your seam allowance at back neck opening to the inside and slip stitch closed. If desired, top stitch bonnet around edge to stabilize it.

Attach ties at chin point on each side of cap. I used tape for mine but self fabric ties should work well, too.

If desired, embellish with embroidery, lace, etc. I whip stitched some lace around the face edge for my baby's cap. The possibilities are quite endless!

Put on baby and enjoy!

Mid-19th Century Infant and Toddler Short Sleeve Gown

Infants/Childs Mid-19th Century Short Sleeve Gown

This is one of my all time favorite styles to make for my little boys for Civil War reenacting. The style goes together very quickly and it is easy to adjust to their figures and comfortable to wear.

An infants gown takes approximately 1 and ½ to 2 yards of fabric, depending on how long you want to make the skirts (at least below feet level) and a toddlers dress takes 1 yard to 1 ½ yards, depending on how full you wish the skirts to be, if tucked, how many tucks and how wide you want your hem to be.

For washability and wearability, make of a nice cotton fabric. This style is suitable for babies and little boys until they are "breeched" and for little girls until they adopt women's styles of clothing. Given here are sizes newborn -18 months. Bigger sizes to follow as my boys get bigger and I draw out more pattern sizes! :)

To make this dress you will need the following pieces:

1 Bodice Front, cut on Fold
2 Bodice Backs, cut with the center line extended 2” (this was the fold line for Bodice Front)
2 Sleeves, cut on the Fold

You will also need extra material to measure and cut:

1 Skirt Front and
1 Skirt Back*
*I usually make my infant and toddler skirts around 60” at the hem, although you may make yours larger if you wish. I would not go any smaller for fear of a skimpy looking skirt. For a baby 2 years of age and under 60” seems to be a good amount. For the length, measure from the natural waist to how long you wish the skirts to be (over the feet for infants and knee to mid-calf length for toddlers). Cut two rectangles your length measurement and half your width measurement to make the skirt pieces.

2 Waistbands
Measure around your childs waist and add at least 3” for seam allowance, overlap and ease. I like to make my waistbands 1” wide for little babies and 1 ½” wide for toddlers. To make an infant waistband cut a rectangle your waist measurement (plus extra for seam allowance, overlap and ease) by 2”. For a toddler waistband cut the length the same but the width at 2 ½”. This allows a ½” seam allowance on top and bottom of waistband for attaching to skirt and bodice.

Extra for Binding and Piping
Cut bias strips of leftover fabric 1 ½” wide for piping or binding at the neck and (optional) waistbands.

Construction: *all seams sewn with ½” seam allowance

Bodice:

Sew sleeves to bodice front, right sides together. Press seams in one direction and overcast by hand if your fabric is prone to ravel or fray. Sew sleeves to bodice backs and repeat pressing seams and overcasting, if needed.

Fold bodice in half, right sides together, so that the bodice front is facing up and the bodice back is below. Match sleeve seams at underarm and stitch bodice side seams and sleeve seams. Clip to seam at corner at underarm and press seam to the back, overcastting if necessary.

Press under scant ¼” to wrong side at center back opening. Fold bodice back again to the wrong side another 1”, making a self facing. Stitch self facing to bodice.

At this time, I find it convenient to hem the sleeves. Turn up a small hem and stitch in place by hand. (it is hard to machine hem an area this small).

Run gathering stitches around bodice neckline at front and back. Draw up gathering threads to about 18” (for toddlers) or 14” (For small babies) (or, measure desired neckline by draping a tape on your child and use that measurement). Finish off neckline by binding with bias strips or piping with self fabric piping, using a fine cord.

Run gathering stitches around bottom of bodice at front and back. Pull up to fit your childs waist measurement, plus extra for ease.

Waistband:

If desired, pipe both long edges of waistband with self fabric piping.

Pin waistband to bodice bottom, right sides together, extending waistband ½” on either side of bodice back opening. (these will later be tucked to the inside and covered by the waistband facing). Stitch.

Skirt:

Sew the side seams in your skirt pieces. Hem bottom edge and place tucks, if desired, at this time.

Cut a small slit in the center back skirt panel and clip horizontally ½” on either side of the bottom of the slit. Hem the slit, using the clipped ½” allowance. Fold one side of hemmed slit over the other. This will create a small pleat at the bottom. Stitch down.

Run gathering stitches around top of skirt at front and back. Pull up to fit childs waist measure plus extra for ease. Pin to raw edge of waistband, extending waistband ½” on either side of skirt placket. Stitch.

Waistband Facing:

Take the other waistband piece and press under ½” all around. Pin to waistband from inside the dress, covering all exposed edges and seam allowance. Tuck extended edges of outer waistband to inside of dress and cover with waistband facing. Stitch.

Trim as desired and enjoy your new creation!!

Variations:

This style has MANY potential variations! A few are:

Pleated bodice/skirt rather than gathered

Sleeves cut in a curved shape, scalloped shape or squared shape rather than plain with an angled underarm seam (as given in pattern)

Place the bodice pattern pieces farther from the fold/center line for more fabric in the center to gather ( I do this for many gowns I make).

You can also use this pattern to make a “petti-chemise” garment which combines shirt and petticoat for wear beneath an outer gown. Instead of gathering the neckline, sew on a casing and run a drawstring through to tie at the back. Instead of gathering the bodice edge, leave it plain and after the skirt is stitched to the bodice edge sew on a casing over the seam to insert a drawstring to tie at the back as well. Use light white cotton and if you desire, make plenty of tucks in the skirt to help the skirt of the gown stand out!

Here are some examples of gowns I have made using this pattern:

Petti-Chemises - white cotton with drawstring neck and waist and tucked skirts-

David‘s Baby Blue Summer Gown- light blue cotton gown with embroidered tape trim and tucks -
Blue Striped Gown - heavier blue and white cotton with scalloped, bound bias border on skirt, just above hem -
Dark Red Print Gown - cotton print with sleeves rounded at the hem and drawn up at the shoulder -
Judah’s Infant Gown - white cotton with bodice fullness taken up in tucks rather than gathers, and lace sewed between the tucks -
Red Checked Gown - Dark red check with sleeves rounded and finished at the hem with a bias cut ruffle -


Malachi's Blue Print Infant Gown - Blue cotton print with “waved braid” trim at neck and sleeve hems -
Sheer Checked Infant Gown - sheer checked cotton, made plain with squared sleeves -
Striped Infant Gown - semi sheer cotton with sleeves made square and drawn up at shoulders -
Here are some original gowns that are similar in style:

Infant Gowns:

Ivory Cotton Baby's Dress

Tucked Baby Gown (my inspiration for Judah's Infant Gown)

Lawn Baby Dress

Windowpane Baby Dress

Toddler and Girls Dresses:

Pink Cotton Calico Dress

Orange Print Dress

Radish Print Dress

Dark Tan Calico Dress

Off White Gown

White Checked Cotton Dress

Mid-19th Century Winter Hood

The patterns given here create a warm, comfortable winter hood for both women and toddlers. The shape is appropriate for mid-19th century and a hood is a wonderful thing to have for chilly mornings at Civil War reenactments, or for use in historic settings (or modern, if you dare!) in the colder months of the year.

For practicality, make your hood out of wool for the outer layer. For the lining, choose anything that is slippery - silk, polished cotton, etc. For my boys I used plain cotton to line the hoods with so I could easily clean them. At their age they tend to get everything they wear quite filthy! For the ladies hood I used silk for the lining.

You might also wish to add (and I strongly recommend) an inner layer of insulating fabric (read: wool) or wool batting. This can be quilted just to the lining or may be quilted to both the lining and outer layer like a sandwich.

You will need the following pattern pieces:

Women:
Brim A

Brim B (tape to A)

Crown

Curtain A

Curtain B (tape to A)

Toddler:

Brim

Crown

Curtain

You will also need to reserve some fabric to make ties, if desired. You could also use ribbon for ties if you would rather.

From your fabric cut the following:

Brim - 1 in Fashion Fabric, 1 in Lining, and 1 in Insulating Layer (if you are using wool batting for this layer, also cut an additional lining piece so you can sandwich the wool between the two while quilting. This makes it far easier to quilt and also reduces shedding wool which can creep up between the fibers of your outer layer).

Crown - 1 in Fashion Fabric, 1 in Lining, and 1 in Insulating Layer. If using wool batt, see information as for brim.

Curtain - 1 in Fasion Fabric, 1 in Lining and 1 in Insulating Layer. (if fashion fabric is quite heavy/bulky I usually do not put batting in the curtain. Wool flannel is a good choice to use for the insulating layer here).

Construction:

Brim

For Brim Quilted Through All Layers ~ stack your lining piece, inner piece and fashion fabric piece on top of each other. Make sure the right side of your lining is facing DOWN and the right side of your fashion fabric is facing UP. Baste together. Quilt as desired.

For Brim Quilted Through Bottom Layer Only ~ stack your lining piece, inner piece and additional lining piece on top of each other. Make sure the right side of your bottom lining is facing DOWN. Quilt as desired.

To finish brim, cut strips of binding fabric on the bias to the length needed to go around the face edge of brim and the short, curved edges. Bind.

Crown:

Stack your lining, inner layer and fashion fabric on top of each other. Quilt as for brim above.

Pin crown into brim, matching edges. The crown should ease into the brim with no pleats or easing stitches necessary. If you find you do need pleats or easing stitches, put those in so the crown and brim fit neatly. Stitch with a 1/2" seam allowance. Finish seam with binding.

Curtain:

Lay your fashion fabric and lining right sides together. Stitch with a 1/2" seam allowance along short edges and long, circular curved edge. Trim seam and turn right sides out. Press well.

Pleat the straight edge of your crown to fit the back of your neck comfortably. Pleat the raw edge of the curtain to the same measurement. Pin curtain to crown and stitch with a 1/2" seam allowance. Bind this seam as well.

To finish:

Add ties and decorations as desired!

Enjoy!

Mid-19th Century Infants Gown

This is the pattern I created for the gown that Malachi wore to the 200th birthday celebration of Abraham Lincoln in February, 2009. This is a size 3 months or so. It can easily be made larger or smaller by following the directions in the tutorial, How to Resize a Pattern, found on my side link list.

I give here only the pattern shapes for the bodice and sleeves. The skirt is made of rectangles which you measure and cut to fit your particular baby and style. The skirt can be nearly any length, but for an infant should at least cover the feet. For an older baby cut the skirt to ankle length or above and for toddlers, knee length to mid calf length is ideal. For Malachi's infant dress I made the skirts about 30" long and 60" wide.

For your gown, you will need the following pattern pieces:

Bodice Front

Bodice Back

Sleeves

You will also need the following pieces, which you will cut and measure to your needed length/width:

Sleeveband (for gathered sleeve): Measure around your baby's wrist and add 2.5" for seam allowances and enough ease to get the hand through. Make as wide as you like. I prefer a 1" wide finished width as that is an easy measurement to work with. So, for a 1" wide finished width make your sleeveband 3" wide.

Waistband: Cut as for sleeveband, except taking waist measurement instead. Make sure this is *not* a constricting measure and keep it fairly loose and comfortable for a happy baby. Take into consideration overlap measures and seam allowances.

Waistband Lining: Cut as for waistband. Can be cut of lining fabric rather than fashion fabric, if desired.

You will also need some bias strips for finishing the neckline and sleeves (if you make coat sleeves) as well as optional piping at the waistband and armscyes. Make sure this is cut of fashion fabric. Contrasting piping is very rarely seen on original childrens gowns from this period. It is better to use self fabric piping/bias strips unless you have a particular example with contrasting piping that you are copying. Use small cotton cord for your piping and a zipper foot on your machine for a snug, tidy look.

To assemble gown: *Note*: All seams given for a 1/2" seam allowance, unless otherwise noted.

Bodice:

Stitch bodice front to bodice backs at side and shoulder seams. Press towards back.

At back opening, turn under 1/4" on raw edge. Turn under again and press to create self facing. Stitch and press.

To finish neckline, either pipe neckline or finish with a bias facing. Press.

If piping armscyes, try the bodice on your child to make sure the arm is not too snug. Once proper fit is obtained, pipe armscyes.

Sleeves:

For a coat sleeve, sew outer arm seam, right sides together. Turn right side out and press. Hem the bottom edge or if desired finish with piping or a bias facing.

For a gathered sleeve, sew your sleevebands together, right sides together. Press seam open and turn right sides out. Run gathering stitches along the bottom of the sleeve and draw up to fit sleeve band. Pin to one side of sleeve band and stitch. Remove gathering stitches and press under 1/2" to the wrong side on the free edge of your sleeveband. Pin this to the seam, enclosing seam allowance. Stitch. Press.

Take up pleats or gathers at the top of the sleeve to fit the armscye opening. Pin sleeve into bodice, matching the shallow V-shaped area of the sleeve head (opposite the outer arm seam) to a position approximately equal to your childs breast line. The back seam should be in alignment with your childs back arm, over the elbow. Do *not* match the seam or shallow v to the bodice side seam as this creates an improper look and will be uncomfortable to wear.

Waistband:

If piping waistband, do so now. Do not pipe short edges.

Pin waistband to bodice, extending 1/2" on either side of bodice back opening. If needed, ease bodice into waistband with gathering stitches. Stitch waistband to bodice, right sides together. Press seam towards waistband.

Skirt:

Cut two rectangles the length and width desired. Sew together and press seams towards back. Cut a short placket into the skirt at center back and finish with a strip of fashion fabric. Hem the bottom of the gown as desired.

Run gathering stitches at the top of the skirt, or, if desired, pleat the fullness to fit the waistband, extending the waistband 1/2" on each side of skirt placket. Stitch skirt to waistband. Remove gathering stitches.

Finishing:

Press extended edges of waistband to inside of gown. On waistband lining, press under 1/2" all around. Pin waistband lining to waistband, enclosing all seam allowances. Stitch waistband lining to waistband around all edges.

Sew hook and eyes to back of gown to close it, or make small buttonholes and sew corresponding buttons to bodice back.

Enjoy!

Toddler / Baby Mid-19th Century Sunbonnet

This sunbonnet pattern was inspired by this original bonnet at the Wisconsin Historical Society website. It features a wide brim that can be stiffened with quilting or cording, a full back crown and a curtain at the neck to provide sun protection for little ones.

I made my boys sunbonnets in cotton for coolness. You can use any light cotton. Beware of sheers though - although they are accurate and pretty to use, they do *not* provide good sun protection and it is very easy to get sunburned!

Variations: You could also use this same pattern to make a winter bonnet or hood for your little ones. Use wool or silk for the outer layer, wool batting for the inner layer (peeled thin) and a slippery fabric such as silk or cotton sateen for the inside layer.

Size: This was drawn to be roomy on an 18 month old child. I think it would easily fit a child up to 4 yrs. of age, or more, depending on head size. To increase this pattern to a larger size, please visit the link in my sidebar on how to alter pattern size.

You will need these pattern pieces:

Brim

Crown

Cut a rectangle about 4" wide x 12" long for your curtain piece

From your fabric, cut the following:

2 Brim Pieces

1 Crown Piece

1 Curtain Piece

You will measure and make the ties after the bonnet is assembled.

Assembly:

Making the Brim:

Lay your brim pieces on top of each other, right sides together. Pin along short edges and longest edge. Stitch, using a 1/2" seam allowance. Trim seam, clip corners and turn. Press well. If you will be quilting or stiffening your bonnet brim, now is when I would do that. It is easier to work with a flat brim than one that is attached to the rest of the bonnet. I originally made my boys bonnets with no stiffening at all but later added rows of machine stitches to stiffen the brim up.

*Note: On the original bonnet, it appears that the brim is made of one layer of fabric and hemmed at the exposed short and long edge, rather than being made of two layers of material. This would definitely be cooler, so feel free to make your brim this way if you would like!

Making the Curtain:

Press up a narrow hem on the short edges and one long edge of your curtain piece. Stitch hem in place. Run gathering stitches at the top of the curtain piece along the raw edge. Set aside.

Making the Crown:

Run gathering stitches along the rounded edge of the crown. Pull up to fit brim, pin in place and stitch with a 1/2" seam allowance. Bind off seam to finish, or overcast seam by hand.

Pull up curtain gathering stitches to fit the straight bottom edge of crown. Stitch, using a 1/2" seam allowance. Press seam up towards crown. You will bind this seam to finish, but before attaching the binding, stitch two eyelets in the center of the binding strip. Pin binding over seam. Before stitching, thread cotton cord or twill tape through eyelet holes to the seam between crown and brim. Pin cord or tape to seam, stitch to secure. Finish stitching binding. You will now have an adjustable drawstring at the neck to adjust for size as your child grows.

Ties:

Decide how wide you want your ties to be, and how long. Make sure they are long enough to tie in a generous bow at your childs neck. Cut two strips of fabric as long as your measurement and twice as wide as your width measurement, plus 1" for seam allowances.

Press strips in half lengthwise. Stitch around long edge and one short edge, using 1/2" seam allowance. Clip corners and turn. Press well. Turn in seam allowance at top of ties to inside of ties. Pin to bonnet and stitch securely into place by hand.

Enjoy!

1940's Toddler and Baby Rompers

These rompers were inspired by these original 1940's rompers from the Wisconsin Historical Society website.

For more photos of the finished rompers and the boys wearing them, please visit this link: My 1940's Boys

Here are the pattern pieces I drafted to use for my little sons, in sizes 2T and 6 months. Following are the scans of the pattern pieces and instructions for sewing them. If anything doesn't make sense, please let me know either through the comment section or direct email at david_sarahmeister @ mchsi.com (omit spaces). If you create your own garments from these please let me know how these work for you and share pictures, if you can! :)

Love,

Sarah

Romper Bodice, 2T

Romper Pant, 2T PIECE A

Romper Pant, 2T PIECE B

Romper Bodice, 6 months

Romper Pant, 6 months

Collars


*The pant pieces, both sizes, are composed of two seperate pieces to enable them to fit on standard computer paper. Print out the size you want and tape the two pieces together along the wavy lines to get the correct pattern piece. *

1940’s Romper Assembly Instructions

Prewash and dry all fabric, even if you are recycling an older garment to make this outfit. If recycling, remove all buttons, zippers, trims, etc. and press the material well before cutting out your pieces.

From your fabric, cut out the following:
1 Bodice Front, cut on the fold
2 Bodice Backs, cut with the center line extended ½”
4 Pant Legs
4 Collar Pieces (from coordinating/contrasting fabric)

Reserve some fabric, or scrap fabric in a coordinating/contrasting color, for waistbands and sleeve bands. You will measure and cut these after the garment is assembled. You will also need some scrap fabric for a bias strip to finish off the neckline.

Notions: Thread, six buttons, hook and eye for neck. For 6 m. size, you will need snaps to sew into place for the crutch seam.

Collar:
Lay out your collar pieces, one of top of the other, right sides together. You will make two collar pieces that are mirror images of each other. Pin baste the collar pieces together and sew around short and curved edges, using a ¼” seam allowance. Trim seam, clip curves and turn right sides out. Press and set aside.

Bodice:
Sew Bodice Front and Bodice Back pieces together at the shoulder and side seams. Pin baste into place, and sew, using a ½” seam allowance. Finish seams for smooth interior. (on my rompers, I used French seams but that made puckers in the curved areas, so I had to clip there).
Sew center back seam of bodice, using ½” seam allowance. Stitch from bottom edge of bodice to 4” from top of bodice. Clip to seam at the top of the seam you just stitched. Finish seam below clipped area. Hem the seam allowance to the bodice above the clipped area to finish neckline opening.

Attaching the Collar:
Mark the center front of neckline on bodice. Pin collar to bodice, matching collar at center front. Baste. Cut a 1” wide bias strip the length of your neckline, plus ½”. Pin to neckline, right sides together, sandwiching collar between bodice and bias strip. Stitch, using a ¼” seam allowance. Trim seam, clip curves and press bias strip to inside of bodice. Turn under a ¼” hem on raw edge of bias strip and carefully stitch to bodice neckline, stretching around curved areas where necessary for a smooth fit.

Finishing Bodice:
Sew a hook and eye at back neck opening. If desired, trim bodice with decorative applique.

Finishing the Sleeves:
Measure the circumference of the sleeve opening. Cut two strips of fabric that measurement, plus 1” for seam allowances, 3” wide. Sew strips together along short edges, right sides together. Pin to sleeve opening, right sides together and stitch with a ½” seam allowance. Turn under ½” along free edge of strip and fold up to encase seam allowance, pinning along sewn seam. Slip stitch to secure.

Finishing Bodice:
Press raw edge of bodice hem up ¼” and again ½”. Stitch.

Making the Pants:
Sew each leg by stitching along the outer seam and inseam, right sides together. Finish seam so inside is smooth. Pin legs together along crutch seam, matching inseams. Finish seam. Turn right sides out and press well.
(*for baby pants, hem the legs and leave the crutch seam unsewn and finish by turning under a 1/4" hem to the inside on each pant leg. Lay a piece of bias tape or twill tape along the open crutch seam, covering the turned under hem. Stitch into place, stretching to fit smoothly around curves. Sew snaps to crutch seam to close. Finish the top of the pants by pleating or gathering to fit bodice edge and sew right sides together.)

Making the Waistband:
Measure the circumference of the pant waist. Cut a 3” wide strip of fabric this measurement, plus 1”. Sew together, right sides together, along short ends. Press seam open. Matching waistband seam with center back pant seam, pin waistband to pant waist, right sides together. Sew with a ½” seam allowance. Press under ½” on free edge of waistband strip and turn over to inside of pants, enclosing seam allowance. Slip stitch to seam line to secure.

Making the Hem:
Turn under raw edge of pant hem ¼”. Turn under again 1- 1 ½” (or more, or less, depending on how long you need the pants to be). Stitch into place.

Finishing the Rompers:
Mark 6 buttonholes on trouser waistband, evenly all around. Two in the front, two in the back, and two at each side. Stitch buttonholes. Sew corresponding buttons to hem of bodice. Button the bodice to the trousers.

Enjoy!