I love bonnets for my reenacting hobby. Can't have too many bonnets, a girl might say. My grandmother left a box of old clothes to be used for costumes, and in there was a dilapidated straw hat, which still bore some serviceable flowers. Their life might be extended on a new straw hat, so I purchased a straw bonnet form.I've torn apart straw hats to turn them into bonnets, so blithely ripped off the front of this form, as I didn't like the front of it. I prefer the rounded shaped of the 1850's to the later high brim of the 1860's. The plaits of this bonnet were very narrow and it was taking forever to sew back together, so I decided I simply must do it by machine.
Rats! The straw plait got caught in the presser feet. So I know! Wash away stabilizer. I checked my supplies, and just happened to have some. I cut numerous strips and it worked wonderfully. I then soaked the bonnet form. How long is this supposed to take? Isn't it fairly instant? The stabilizer would NOT wash away, and I had strips of white something-or-other hanging on the inside of the bonnet. Perhaps it was tear away stabilizer. No, it was not. It would not tear. Period.
Rats! So I spend the greater part of the morning painstakingly cutting and gently pulling, but still had to resew a great deal of it by hand.
Although the white strips mostly came off, I can still see some and can't get it out. So I know! I'll dye the thing black. I will go perfectly with the flowers I intended to use, and a dark pink bow will be lovely.
I read the directions on the package of Rit dye, even though I've used it before. I've never done straw before. They said you could use two cups of hot water and sponge it on. I got on disposable gloves and and apron, read the directions again, and set to work.Rats! The result was the ugliest mottled straw bonnet I've ever seen. I rinsed as much dye out as I could. The left glove had a leak in it and now I've got a black hand. So I know! Fabric paint!
