Casgliadau Arlein

Black widow's bonnet from Port Talbot, 1900. With long black ties, long veil at the back and white fabric edging along front. Constructed over a metal wire frame, with black loose-weave tabby cotton interlining, shiny black tabby silk lining and semi-transparent, black tabby silk outer fabric, which is arranged in a series of elaborate pleats. The same fabric extends downwards at the back and is pleated into a long veil which has a very deep hem (8cm) and a 3.3cm wide stitched pleat above the hem. The veil has selvages at both sides (full width of woven fabric = 81.5cm). The lower left side of the veil has been folded inwards and is stitch-secured to itself at a point along the edge (in line with the seam securing the hem). Wide (10.8cm) black ribbed synthetic? ribbon attached at sides to be used as ties. Bottom edges of these are cut at a diagonal and are raw/unfinished.

Lining consists of two parts: a semi-circular section in the centre, surrounded by a long, rectangular section which is tightly gathered along its inner edge. The white edging consists of an inner layer of white cotton twill tape and an outer frill of loosely woven semi-transparent silk fabric which is arranged in narrow undulations. All stitched by hand in large tacking stitches, apart from one line of machine stitches joining the white cotton to the white frill.