19th century Quilted baby bonnets

  Over time I have had a number of these quilted bonnets both for adults and children. Still have 3, one with the silk lining coming to pieces.   My dolls wear these smallest ones.

I believe they were worn indoors in extreme weather as well as out of doors. Keeping baby’s head warm was an important goal, and much needlework was spent on these bonnets. An easy way to replicate them is to use parts of an early quilt, not overly thick, and a binding at the edge. I enjoy the name of the skirting at the back of a bonnet, the word bavolet. is defined as “flounce sewed to back of bonnet, covering hair and neck".  In the case of bonnets for infants like this, the small flounce is not very significant.  

The brown and blue bonnet is modeled by an early Greiner doll with the stamped letters PaT Head on her shoulder plate. This stamp was used before the paper labels saying Greiner's Patent head. All of the Pat Heads have a rather different  squirrelly expression.  She does not like to cover up her great old curls.  This doll was dressed by Rachael Kinneson.  

Birdie is the name of this bright eyed Voit doll. She wears a lovely old dress that was a gift from friend Phyllis, and a dear quited bonnet.  E