For our last photoshoot Madame Ornata borrowed my ‘By the Seashore’ ensemble and went as Aline. It’s fun to see the ensemble on someone else, and it fits Madame O better than I because the skirt is a bit short on me. And she got to try out the new bonnet!
So, Monday I told you about beginning Aline’s bonnet, and getting all the basic construction done. Here are the finishing details. After cutting the brim down a lot, I bound it with blue and white tartan bias ribbon (from Nana, her stash is the gift that gives and gives!) that I folded into bias tape. I like the way it works with Aline’s skirt fabric, without matching exactly. And it’s hard to find two tartans that work with each other! I sewed a piece of florists wire under the the bias tape around the upper brim of the bonnet, to help it hold the tight curve of Aline’s bonnet and my inspiration bonnet. First I zig-zagged on the wire, and then bound it with the bias tape. The tension of pulling the wire through the machine actually curved it into the perfect curve. The brim didn’t hug the face enough once it was bound, so I ended up taking in little pleats where the brim meets the back of the hat and tacking them down …
