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How to Make a Tiny Jane Austen Bonnet and Shawl

May 18, 2020

jane austen doll sewing pattern

Time to make a tiny bonnet and shawl for our Jane Austen play set dolls!

If you are just joining us on our journey, you can find the free pattern for our Bunny Dolls Here and the free pattern for the Regency inspired gowns here.

As I planned out the accessories for our dolls, I wanted them to be simple. I don’t know about you, but by the time I’ve sewn a doll and a dress I’m ready for the accessories to be a quick and easy solution.

With that in mind, I started this bonnet using a 3 inch pre-made straw hat. I didn’t want to fumble around with sewing the tiny seams required in a teeny tiny hat, and by cheating just a little with a purchased hat, we can get right to the fun part. (DECORATING!!!!)

You can buy these hats in the doll making section of a craft store (I purchased mine at Hobby Lobby) or on Amazon. Here’s a quick link:

  • Straw Hats (Like the pink trimmed hat below)
  • Sinamay Hat (Like the purple and green trimmed hat above)

If you’d rather not purchase a hat, but are determined to make a bonnet, Ann Wood has an amazing tutorial on making your own straw hat out of cheese cloth, which you could then turn into a bonnet.

And now that we are set on the whole hat-in-the-material-list thing, let’s get going on making our accessories! The rest of the materials are a bit more commonly on hand. Here’s the full material list is below and you can view the video tutorial to see how I put them together. I can’t wait to see how yours turn out- be sure to share them on your favorite social media platform using #sweetbriarsisterspatterns.


Bonnet and Shawl Materials

  • 3 inch straw hat
  • 14 inch length of ribbon (1/2″ wide) to tie around chin
  • Trimmings for hat (ribbon scraps, feathers, beads etc)
  • 1.5″ x 11″ piece of light weight woven fabric for the shawl

Girls, Jane Austen Play Set, Kids' Stuff · Leave a Comment

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Hi, I’m Jessica

I’m on a mission to create handmade items that are cherished for years to come. I hope you’ll join me along the way!

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sweetbriarsisters

Sew handmade gifts that will be cherished forever with Sweetbriar Sisters patterns
Share your creations with #sweetbriarsisters

Instagram post 2327252897543629252_417393240 It is finally getting warm here and I'm so excited for long days in sunny fields.
Instagram post 2321314328934193695_417393240 Did you know that ladies during the Regency Era often wore a shawl because the breezy empire waist gowns they wore were a little chilly? ⁣
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I've been having so much fun adding historical details to this project. I love the idea of history seeping into a child's mind through play.⁣
⁣
I know it's just a tiny detail, but I wanted our dolls to have shawls because I keep reading about the huge cultural shift that came with the style we see in Jane Austen's time period.⁣
⁣
In a period of about 15 years we went from Marie Antoinette style gowns with huge, structured skirts, to these breezy gowns that might (gasp!) show your silhouette if a breeze came in.⁣
⁣
To the younger generation they were progressive. Napoleon's wife was the one who made the style popular and because of her influence it symbolized a new way of thinking. (Marie Antoinette's way of thinking was, after all, proven slightly ineffective.) ⁣
⁣
Sure, the dress was a little chilly. But it was a way to leave dated ideas in the past. So they grabbed a shawl and moved forward!⁣
⁣
I know that a shawl on a doll won't automatically teach a kid all that history. But it might give us the opportunity to tell the story as we play, and I want to add as many of those opportunities as I can.
Instagram post 2320150626645961038_417393240 What's the best glue gun out there?⁣
⁣
I love the ease of hot glue, but have always found my glue gun work rather sloppy.⁣
⁣
A while back I talked to my good friend Erin from @thegreyrose about this. She is the closest thing to a Glue Gun Expert there is: She uses a glue gun full time to create her amazing felt floral arrangements. Her work is delicate and skillful, which are words I'd never use to describe my own glue gun efforts.⁣
⁣
Her secret is this amazing detail tipped glue gun. (The Surebonder Detail Tip Glue Gun...Please note, this is NOT an ad. No one is paying me to review this thing. I just genuinely like it and thought I'd share.)⁣
⁣
I bought the exact model she uses for her work and I will never go back! For the first time I feel like my hot gluing can be clean and precise. It's amazing what a difference having the right tool can make.
Instagram post 2318523881759128711_417393240 amen.
Instagram post 2316180582466133425_417393240 The bonnets are finished and I'm off to work on top hats and cravats. Because we definitely need a Mr. Darcy Rabbit.
Instagram post 2315017019194132946_417393240 The next Jane Austen play set tutorial is up and running on our blog!⁣
⁣
This week we make bonnets and shawls to complete for our Regency bunnies and I can hardly contain my excitement.⁣
⁣
Link in bio -> @sweetbriarsisters
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