In yet another bipolar midnight pattern hunting mania, and a scramble to figure out a head covering for an event only 5 days away, I managed to come across a FREE Slat Bonnet pattern and instructions... Literally you just draw lines to the measurements provided for the sizing you need, and voila! You have a mere 2 piece pattern for an excellent 19th C. Slat Bonnet. I kept finding references to this mysterious pattern, but all the links were broken, until I finally came upon the original site and there it was! You have to scroll a bit to get to them but there are free and easy to
follow drafting and sewing instructions for not only the bonnet, but for several 19th C. clothing
items!
http://www.thesewingacademy.com/the-compendium/
The bonnet itself was easy as cake, and can be machine stitched (recommended unless you are a hand sewing junkie!) You can use the stiff particle type board from say, the back of an artist pad of paper, or some other heavy duty compressed type board or thin wooden shims for the slats. OR, you can do as I did and make it quilted instead, using a double layer of thin cotton quilt batting. The first Slat I ever had was quilted instead of slatted, and let me tell you, it is both period appropriate as well as a little more comfortable and practical as it's soft, and you can easily fold the long brim back when you need to see. Not saying you HAVE to quilt it instead, but it certainly is an option! The pattern is made in such a fashion that you can also forgo the slat bonnetness and use it to make a simple hood.
Since it is not 1:30am and I have no good lighting, I shall post photos a little later on
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