About Our Whalebone Bonnet Pattern

We have just released our newest sewing pattern and couldn't be more excited. "A Pattern for an 18th Whalebone Bonnet Pattern, c. 1760s - 1780s" is available now as a pre-order! We anticipate having both the printed pattern and materials kits in hand and ready to ship for those thinking of them as gifts for the holidays. 

After the pre-order is officially closed, items ordered will be shipped within 2 to 3 weeks (possibly sooner, watch our social media pages for update!) Shipping notifications will be sent once the item(s) have shipped. PLEASE NOTE, we strongly recommend placing a separate order if you would like to purchase additional items from the shop and need them in a timelier manner. Otherwise, we will do our best to combine shipping for your complete order.

This pattern is very closely based on the example held in the collections of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. To date, it is the only known example of a woman's bonnet that dates from the 18th century. We had a chance to examine the bonnet in person in March of 2023 and have been working on the pattern since that visit. We also looked at numerous images of the period as well as written descriptions of 'whalebone bonnets' to create our pattern. The bonnet worn by the young woman in the print titled, The Fortune Teller, is one of our favorite examples. The boning in the brim can be seen very clearly. (Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board for additional examples.) Countless mockups of our new bonnet were made, first in paper and interfacing material, and then in fabric before we settled on the final design. 

Pennsylvania Chronical, July 9, 1770.

Included in the step by step instructions for this bonnet pattern are detailed notes about the original CW bonnet and a brief background on the whaling industry. There is also a list of additional resources. This bonnet is slightly bigger, with a different shaped brim, then our Larkin & Smith 18th Century Bonnet Pattern. It also using synthetic whalebone in the brim instead of pasteboard.

A huge thank you and shout out to Morgan M. (@therebelcostumer) for her assistance in proof reading our instructions and for being one of our biggest cheerleaders on this project!

A few additional things of note. Since this is a brand new creation for shop owner Emily, you will notice that this pattern is being released under the name At the Sign of the Golden Scissors. All new patterns going forward will follow the same format. Past patterns will keep both the Larkin & Smith name as well as At the Sign of the Golden Scissors. Like all our other sewing patterns and kits, this one is intended for personal use and not for making items to sell.