This brownish pink “biscuit” colored lace has always appealed to me. I know nothing about the history of biscuit lace, but I want to believe that it was popular in the Victorian era, a time of lavish display, a time when “too much is seldom enough.” NOTE: This was labelled as the decorating style of a woman whose home was featured in one of my favorite  books,  Make Room for Quilts by Nancy J. Martin.
With as little as 20″ of lace 5″ wide, you can make a similar newborn size bonnet using the technique of ruching.   Given that a newborn measures approximately 12″ from ear lobe to ear lobe, any length beyond that can be ruched (gathered) for some fullness and transformed to a bonnet.
For the horseshoe crown, another 5″ of lace is needed. It is customarily lined, enclosing the gathers of the body of the bonnet between the lining and the back. But if there is a shortage of lace, the lining could be made of cotton netting.
Two pieces if lace have been used to create this luscious bonnet. The bonnet body is a very intricate 5″ wide lace galoon,  27″ long. A second lace, a 2″ edging, was machine stitched to the wrong side of the galoon, leaving 1″ of the edging exposed. After the two straight pieces of lace were joined together, three rows of gathering threads were stitched, a scant 1/2″ apart, beginning at the stitching that joined the two laces together. The gathering threads were then drawn up to 12″ and tied off.
Silk ribbon 1/8″ wide was hand wound onto a bobbin and a matching 30 wt. cotton thread (Mettler) was used in the needle. Working from the wrong side of the bonnet and with tension reduced, machine  feather stitching was worked along the two outer rows of gathering threads. The silk ribbon, being in the bobbin, then secured the gathers with the feather stitch. The center gathering thread was removed. The short ends of each piece of lace were hand rolled and whipped to create a clean finished edge.
After the horseshoe crown was inserted and lined, the same silk ribbon feather stitching was applied to accentuate the shape.
inside bonnet, silk ribbon covers gathering stitches
In my closely guarded and carefully hoarded stash of 3/8″ antique silk grosgrain ribbon is a hank of the stuff in a dark biscuit color. A 12″ length of that ribbon was centered and joined to a 48″ piece. They were joined with the same silk ribbon feather stitching that was used to ruch the bonnet. This double wide ribbon covers the gathering stitches and adds stability. Beyond the edge of the bonnet,  an 18″ single width is left on either side for a rosette and ties.
I must say Laurel looked absolutely precious in this bonnet, with her mop of dark hair. Rebecca’s carefully scheduled (spring, 2012) daughter should be the next to wear it, but if she looks anything like her brother, she will be bald and finally blond. Still, I’m certain she will be lovely.
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