A couple of years ago I crocheted an Victorian Irish crochet lace bonnet. It’s a mid to late 1850s style bonnet, revealing more of the forehead than an 1840s bonnet.

It’s inspired by antique lace bonnets and antique Irish crochet child bonnets – as here, or here. However, it’s only historically inspired and not all of is historically accurate because I used mercerised cotton thread and modern fabric roses and cotton eyelet ruffles: I hadn’t a more delicate, more appropriate lace at the time to trim the bonnet.

First, I crocheted the Irish crochet motifs with white, mercerised cotton thread. Then, I joined them forming the back and crown of the bonnet. Here’s a Victorian book (PDF) about Irish crochet lace. After that, I crocheted the brim part of the bonnet.

To stiffen the bonnet, I quilted together thick, white terrycloth (from an old bathing gown) and white twill fabric; and covered all with white satin fabric. Then, I handstitched the crochet lace onto the foundation.

I like how it looks, even if it’s not 100% historically accurate. And I like that I can fold it to store it; and it still retains its shape.