Arriving in Colonial Williamsburg primarily for a unique opportunity to meet George Whitefield, we couldn’t resist a visit to the Milliner Shop.
Seeing this lovely hat, I took pictures, admired, and mentally catalogued the construction technique, to recreate for my winter ensemble.
I was thrilled to see that the headmistress of the millinery trade was available to discuss a million lovely offerings with.
I enjoy talking to all the milliners, but it is rare to talk to the headmistress.
Through the course of conversation, she asked what we would like.
There was one other guest in the shop besides me and it was so fun and intimate to delight in the millions of lovelies.
I said I was interested in seeing what they were working on, to which the headmistress became excitedly threw her hands in the air, gushed about the new polonaise, then went upstairs to get it.
She proudly showed off their latest lovely frilly frothy delight.
Of course we oohed, ahhed, gently touched, and discussed its construction method.
The headmistress seemed quite confident that we could make one for ourselves.
Then the headmistress took us to the doll house and showed us the teensiest weeniest newest silverwork addition that lay on the teeny tiny piece of furniture.
For the first time I recognized the offerings in the doll house.
Each of the clothing items were miniatures of the exact same items in the shop, down to the same fabrics!
I exclaimed, “That green petticoat and gown are of the same fabric as the set that you made last summer, hanging on the wall over there!”
Delightedly, the milliner nodded her head!
“And those hoops hanging on the line in the doll house are made of the same fabric as the ones hanging over my head!”
The milliner squealed with glee!
“And that blue/pink changeable silk on the far right is what you used to have hanging on the pegs!”
What a cute idea to make miniatures of the garments we have made for ourselves.
Someday when I have more time, I’d like to make a dollhouse like this, showcasing miniatures of our costumes. The milliners even made their own festive wreath of miniatures for the front of the shop for the holidays.
