Besides dress refashions, I have lately been on a bit of an accessory-making binge. They’ve proved to be the perfect things to squeeze in on rainy evenings or pick up while we’re watching a movie (since I tend to get fidgety). Plus there have been plenty of little projects popping up ’round the blogsphere that have begged me to make them!
First up is a necklace crafted using Tilly’s tutorial. I knew as soon as I saw her guest post, I had to make myself one. But instead of a complete fabric necklace, I decided to attach it to a length of chain. A sort of mixed-media look done by simply stitching the edges of the fabric tube to large rings, and then attaching those to jump rings and then the chain. The floral fabric is scraps (leftover from cutting out) of this dress.
Did you see all the lovely posts Charlotte had for her jewelry theme last week? This little 1950s style pin is one of the projects she posted, and as luck would have it I had all the supplies on hand! I love how it turned out; so adorable (and perfect for springtime showers, no?). It’s one of those novelty style pieces that I love to wear. Can’t go wrong with red and white stripes either!
Last, but not least, is a hat I made using Lauren’s 30s sporty toppers pattern (view 3). I took the time to make a muslin mockup, and I’m glad I did because I made a couple tweaks before cutting out the linen (a medium weight, slightly stiff weave that I’ve had in the stash for years). The way the white linen pops is something that drew me to it and the idea of making a white hat (which may be the most foolish thing I’ve ever done, knowing my klutzy ways!). The ribbon is a gorgeous 40s plaid rayon ribbon I bought last year on Etsy; I absolutely adore the colors!
The pattern was a dream to work with; it went together quite easily and wasn’t confusing at all. Which was my chief fear since hatmaking is something I’m still learning about. The only changes I made were to reduce the peak of the crown a teeny bit and interface the brim (I also lined the hat as was an option for this view). I found this really helped keep it from flopping awkwardly and gave it a crisp line. I’m thinking about making the sunhat view a bit later in the season from a snappy print!
April 5, 2011 ·
50 lovely thoughts
posted in creativity,sewing
· tags: 2011 sewing, creativity, hatmaking, sewing, wearing history patterns
[ covering the buckram crown with braid. ]
I took a bit of a break over last weekend from stitching the braid to the buckram form. Between stitching tiring to my hands and constantly pricking my fingers on pins, my hands were sore and needed a rest! But I was back at it Tuesday evening (it’s great for keeping my hands busy while spending time with Sailor Husband watching Sherlock Holmes mysteries). I finished the covering of the upper and lower brim pieces, and only needed to tackle the crown. I decided to stitch the braid from the sideband up to the tip (top of the crown), rather than from the tip down. Mostly because I was having a hard time getting things centered just right as I started the coil and spiraling around towards the sideband.
[ the finished brim pieces. ]
While I was working on the crown, I also took the opportunity to adhere the upper and lower brim pieces together. The reason I had two brim pieces is so that the underside is also covered in the braid, rather than lined with fabric. If I had been working with a stiffer straw, I could have probably forgone the buckram foundation; but the softness of the paper braid required the buckram, which needed to be covered up! I used my trusty art-school supply, rubber cement, for gluing the sections together. I applied the rubber cement to the backside of each piece, let it get tacky, carefully glued them together, and the pieces are presently weighted underneath a stack of heavy books for 24 hours to dry flat. (I’m chafing at the bit to see what it’ll look like once it’s dry! Oh! How I am so bad at being patient… lol.)
[ for the super-geeky: the backside of the buckram brims prior to gluing. ]
I’m still working on the crown–it’s been a bit slow-going this week. But things are starting to shape up and I’m excited! I still need to find a source for the ribbon for the ties and possibly edging the brim (my sketch is included in this collage if you’d like to take a look again!). I want a really wide (3″ or so) ribbon for the tie, but I haven’t found anything that I like–I really don’t want to go with a synthetic since it tends to be so stiff! So I think that is one of my missions this weekend–source some suitable ribbon and finish the crown. Hopefully I’ll have a finished hat soon!!!
August 20, 2010 ·
11 lovely thoughts
posted in casey's musings,creativity
· tags: hatmaking
[ gathering the necessary supplies! ]
Some may remember one of my 2010 resolutions was to learn how to make hats; I’ve had some experience with blocking felt hats, but wanted to learn more about the art of hatmaking. Mostly because I’ve spent years drooling over unobtainable vintage hats (whether due to price or the wrong head size), and would love to be able to have a small selection of vintage-influenced styles to wear when the mood strikes! I have finally (happily) gotten started on this project, and have spent weeks poring over From the Neck Up (recommended by my friend Jenny Rose who is a hatmaking genius and got me started on this idea of making hats!), and recently ordered some supplies. I bought a basic hatmaking kit as well as some other odds and ends from Judith M, which I can’t recommend enough for prompt and quick shipping.
[ various inspirations I gathered up and my final hat design sketch. ]
I decided for my first hat to make a straw 40s style “tilt” hat. It’s a non-head size hat, meaning that the opening is not meant to fit over my head and is smaller than my head measurement. It’s meant to perch atop and can be tilted forward a bit. I’m not copying any one hat, but rather compiling a few influences into one hat design. For those wondering where I got the hat straw: I bought an inexpensive hat from Marshall’s (one of those department store discount places) and took it apart. It’s actually a paper braid, rather than straw proper. Yes, it was tedious to rip out all the rows of braiding, but considering millinery straw is both hard to find and often pricey, I was willing to put in a little hard work.
I spent some time the other evening working on patterning the hat, making up a paper mockup, cutting out the structure layer in buckram (since the braid I’m working with is soft, I opted to use a buckram frame as a base per instructions found in From the Neck Up), and sewing the wire to the edges and putting together the crown. (Below are pictures of the various steps.)
[ the paper mock up of the hat pattern to test for size and shape. ]
[ experimenting with the idea of adding a "crescent bandeau" (the small support) at the back to increase the tilt a bit. ]
[ tracing the pattern onto and cutting out the buckram layers. ]
[ stitching together the tip (top piece) and sideband to form the crown. be sure to click on this for more details! ]
I have actually finished covering the under brim piece with straw. I decided to do the brim in two layers–one for the top and the other for the bottom (or side that is towards the wearer’s face)–mostly because I’d like the extra structure to the brim. Lynn McMasters has a great article on straw hatmaking and using the doubled brim in her “articles” section (scroll down to “Making Straw Braid Hats”). Stitching the braid isn’t very hard at all–just a bit tedious and wearing on the hands if done in long stretches. In retrospect, making a hat covered with fabric would have been an easier (and quicker) first project. But considering I rarely pick the easy route with projects (mostly because I don’t always think things through before jumping in–yikes!) it’s been a good learning process. Once the basic pieces are covered, I can stitch things together into the complete hat, line the crown (just to make things neat and tidy inside) and attach the ribbon trim and ties I plan on adding. I’m hoping to have this done in the next week–I want to wear my straw hat before it gets too season-inappropriate!
August 12, 2010 ·
18 lovely thoughts
posted in casey's musings,creativity
· tags: hatmaking
