Bonnet Pattern

[Benning Boy]

I've wondered about these patterns. Might there be some advantage to making the opening more oval than circular? Heads aren't round.

Errol Flynn, in the film Master of Ballantrea wore a very jaunty bonnet that appears to made along these lines.

[Todd Bradshaw]

That's what I did. The tops of mine are an oval which has been stretched a bit off to one side of its centerline. For the underside, instead of using a doughnut-shaped piece, the assembly is made from three pieces and is quite asymmetrical, making a very lopsided oval construction. It is also slightly cone-shaped, rather than flat. I haven't tried a bonnet with the other type of pattern, but when I designed mine it just seemed like the "disk and doughnut" style wouldn't yield the shape I wanted.



My latest experiment was to try one with lovat blue tweed wool and a tartan band, somewhat similar to dicing. I wasn't sure how it would look, but there was only one way to find out. I'm still trying to figure out whether or not I like it, but it came out better than I thought it might.

[Bruce Scott]

I like that style of bonnet but having no tailoring skills I bought one of these:

Tam2.JPG

It was sold as an officer's TOS and is larger in the crown than the current RRS pattern. It is a nice fawn, as shown, rather than khaki.

[Lady Grey]

Thank you Todd for the link again. I was looking for it last week and couldn't find it.
Do you think it would be successful made in light garment weight leather?

A friend wants a beret style cap in leather and your pattern came to mind due to the shaping in the pattern pieces.
Leather, industrial sewing machine, thread and other bits & bobs are all in our combined stashes so no issue there.
I'm just wary of cutting into the leather and can't think of a suitable fabric to use as a muslin.
Thanks

[Todd Bradshaw]

I think a light leather should be fine. I did this one out of a hunk of ultrasuede upholstery material which I found in the bargain bin at the fabric store. It's not real leather, but it's at least as heavy as a lot of garment leather. Real leather would also be somewhat mold-able as well for shaping purposes.



Next for me will be a waxed cotton shell (like Barbour coats have) probably fleece or wool lined. I tried one but I was messing around with the pattern piece shapes and it didn't fit me once it was done. I have an Inverness cape started from the waxed cotton and a hunk of wool to line it with so I might as well make a matching tam.

[Lady Grey]

Thank you so much Todd