J’aime les chapeau.
When Princess Diana is your childhood hero you come by it honestly.
I love to wear hats and W-I-S-H they were a staple in woman’s wardrobe as they were in the not so distant past…
Alas…
I have been wanting to make Amélie a hat since my blogging friend Mandy of A-la-Parisienne made one for her daughter two years ago. (For her Marie Antoinette themed first birthday party no-less!) Mandy is one of those people who… if we lived nearby each other, there might be a sort of nuclear glow seen from the sky…when we got together… a radiance of creative juices and love of all things beautiful.When my S.I.L. Victoria emailed and said we should make hats for the girls’ for the wedding she couldn’t have read my mind more clear!
You should SEEEEEEEEEEEE the one she made my perfectly beautiful niece Sofia…
OH-MY-GOODNESS!!!!!!
I have been designing the structure of this hat in my head as I fall asleep for the last couple days (having no idea how I was actually going to trick it out once the form was made!) and finally had the time to run to Michael’s for some crafty goodies… I sat down, channelled my inner Fanny Brawne and in less than four hours had it finished (that includes meals and four hundred interruptions from my curious Chickens)! All the crazy ideas for melding a Marie Antoinette style hat with a little Regency influence came pouring out so fast I couldn’t keep up with myself! I couldn’t believe it! I wanted to run around the block screaming! I wanted to open a hat boutique, attend millinery school… is there such a thing? I think I sang, Johnny Fedora and Alice Blue Bonnet for the next two days!So here is my silly, little tutorial.
If you can glean anything from it I will be amazed…
Materials:
Stiff felt
Soft felt
Ribbon
Touling (sp?)
A petit oiseau
Pre-made rosette ribbon
Thread
Glue sticks
Tools:
Sewing machine
Hot glue got
Pins
And whatever else I am forgetting 🙂
So, my idea was to go with what Victoria hat done and make a small top hat so I started by making a 5″ cylinder with the stiff felt. Stitching it a couple times, I also stitched horizontally, three times, top, middle and bottom – this helped it keep more of a cylinder shape since the felt was thick and fighting what I was trying to do with it.
My intent at this point changed from stiff top hat style to a fun, romantic, floppy brim. So I took the soft felt (these were 8×11″ pieces I was working with) and cut a large circle (8″ wide). I could see this was not going to be a large enough circle to stitch around the base of my cylinder so I cut it open (seen on the left) and added about two inches there – I didn’t photograph it but you will see the results later if you look at the back of the hat. Had I a large sheet of felt instead of some dinky craft aisle piece this piece mealing would not have been necessary. But there was no way I was running back to the store.
I cut out the middle to be a bit smaller than the circumference of my cylinder, I attached my two inches (using the sewing machine), and then sewed my big circle (the brim) to my cylinder (crown) by wrapping the brim around the crown, right sides together.
I didn’t keep up with my step-by-step photos well – sorry.
I made the top of the hat with soft felt by cutting a circle a bit larger than my cylinder opening. Turning the hat inside out and sewing it right sides together. I knew Victoria had black and white on her hat so I needed to bring in a little black.
I found this netting in my cupboard, cut a square and manipulated it over the top and around the base of the hat, letting it double up around the base and gathering it at the back (where my two inch boo-boo was already). I threw a couple stitches in by hand to hold it in place.
When I was at the store, I was just throwing pretty stuff in my cart, not knowing what i was going to do. I grabbed one of these feathers knowing it HAD to come in handy.
The floppy felt brim was cute but it needed to be styled a bit to not look like a craft project (I hate things that look like a craft project!). I glue a strip of glue near the shaft so that when I cut my piece little feathers wouldn’t fly all over the place.
I then took that piece and glued it to the brim of the hat, right near the crown (cylinder). Doing this all the way around the brim. Using the longer feathers on the sides and back, (especially the side I would be focusing my rosettes on) and used the shorter feathers in the front.
Now it was beginning to get REALLY fun.
We have this gorgeous blue ribbon that is going to be used all over the wedding. From the little girls dresses to the bouquets Mom and I will be constructing on Friday. I had bought a couple pre-made pink rosettes for the hat but wanted to add some blue. Never having made a rosette before and thought about Googling it but then figured, “How difficult can it be?!” So, I started twisting and stitching. Rather therapeutic. I could have make a pile of them!
Attaching the rosette ribbon around the crown I added my hand made ribbon rosettes, another store bought one, a spray of feathers in the back, tucked in under the rosette ribbon and a little white bird. (Remember the Bridal Shower? We will have lots of birds at the wedding too!) I attached a ribbon in the back with trailing streamers and a ribbon to each side of the hat, inside where there brim meets the crown – to be used to tie under the chin.
The hat was originally going to be for Juliette but my little Hoolie is too much of a pistol to keep it on even though you can tell she knows it’s special. I made a smaller one for her I will post soon. So, Amélie’s it is! She LOVES it as you will see…
Here are a few more pics…
Now… I know it’s bad form to steal attention away from the bride but my LeeLee might not be able to help it she is so beautiful to me!
“You Johnny Fedora’s,
You Alice Blue Bonnets
Whenever you find yourself blue,
You know it’s June in December,
When you can remember,
That true love will come smiling through.”
Oh my my, that has got to be the most adorable picture (your little chick and her hat) I have seen in a while. The hat turned out beautiful and you can tell she adores it. Thanks for putting a smile on my face this morning.
Now THAT IS DARLING!!!
That hat is simply romantic perfection and the face beneath it could not be more precious. Oh, but for a drop of your creative genius!
That is so cute! My daughter is not in any wedding, but I may have to make one for her anyway-for high tea in her playhouse and such.
I remember when making Amelia’s hat the form/foundation was the most intimidating factor. Felt is a great idea, not to mention economical, especially if someone like me had to start over about 4 times:)
I love the wide, floppy brim on this hat and, of course, I love the feathers. That blue ribbon around Amélie’s chin is so flattering with her beautiful blue eyes.
Yes, Amélie may steal the show, but I’m sure her aunt won’t mind;)
And I look forward to seeing Hoolie’s hat! Even if she won’t wear it, it will be a great keepsake and decoration to keep in her room.
Mandy
ADORABLE! Wow, I can’t believe you whipped that out so quickly! Now I want a granddaughter to make one for!
Blessing,
Lorilee
LeeLee is absolutely beautiful and, that hat…perfection! Great job, Angela.
Too cute for words!
Golly! You are so creative. You have more creativity in your little finger than I do in my entire being. I’m afraid my daughter is going to have to settle for store-bought or otherwise procured items in this life. 😉
Absolutely charming…what little girl doesn’t want to feel like a princess. Your hats will make beautiful memories for the guests and your daughters.
I’m glad you posted this, because honestly I couldn’t really see what was going on in the video call. This is really cute!!
I still might make another one for Sofia.. if there is time. Heck, I could make another one in the car on the way out. It is too much fun!
Oh, and it’s spelled “tulle,” since you asked. =)
Oh I am dying!!! DYING I tell you. I am a hat wearer and have made quite a few of my own. Never did I look as sweet as your dear girl.
I would be remiss if I did not tell you about one of my favorite blogs. Given that you are a Diana/Royal Family lover you may already know of it, but if not, please tell Ms. Fay that I sent you and… you’re welcome.
Hint: Royal Ascot is today’s post.
http://amelangeetmoi.blogspot.com
I love it. Your rosettes came out lovely. It looks like a fun project and your daughter wears it well.
That hat is really too cute! I can’t wait to see pictures from this wedding! I also wish we wore hats more often. Some young friends of ours who got married this past weekend, inspired by the royal wedding, had the bridesmaids all in fascinators. It was wonderful! (Pssst…Diana was my hero too. We were young mothers at the same time.)
I have been gone from blogging for such a long time and I’m catching up. I forgot how much I love visiting Parisienne Farmgirl! I’ll be back often!
Robin
How adorable is that!
……love the hat!!!
you did a superb job.
THAT IS THE MOST PRECIOUS ADORABLE PHOTO I have ever seen! Oh my gosh!
I went to Barnes and Noble today ~ there you and your daughter were looking BEAUTIFUL! I was just so happy for you!
Have a Pretty day!
Kristin
Wow, I am REALLY impressed by how you put that hat together! It’s stunning!
And a lovely blog you have 🙂
I like the integration of contrast: ‘Parisienne’ with ‘Farm Girl’. Who knew one could look stylish with a chicken in her arms? 😉
Blessings,
This Good Life