Tatting Challenge
This was my entry into TotusMel's "Tatting is Not a Lost Art: The Challenge." (totusmel.etsy.com has more information about the contest.) The design was developed around a two-inch-wide medallion of intricate needle tatting creating by TotusMel for the challenge, which is featured prominently on the front of the hat. The ecru color of the medallion inspired this design in ivory, tan and dark brown, and I was going for a sort of antiqued sepia-tone look.
The hat is made from a 7-inch-diameter (including the brim) felt form for a turned-down brim style of mini top hat. I covered the form, and it is sewn entirely by hand, in a dark brown fabric with a design of tiny stars and even tinier dots.
The hat band is made from a dark brown satin ribbon with a wide-weave texture onto which I sewed two strips of ivory eyelet lace. On the front of the hat is a feather pad in rich dark brown, with the medallion sewn at center. Behind the medallion is a spray of eyelash feathers in champagne, with small iridescent beads on some of the stems.
At the center of the medallion is a clockwork adornment: a watch crystal into which I hand-set watch gears and cogs into resin.
The full birdcage veil is made from vintage Russian veiling that I acquired from a 60-year-old millinery store in New York that just closed its doors this year, so I doubt any more of this veiling exists anywhere. The diamond-net veiling is dark brown with light tan chenille dots. It was hand sewn into pleats to give fullness around the face and gathered into a double-bow at the back to give a nice amount of poof. The veil is held on with a hook and eye and is detatchable. On the inside, the hat is sewn to a hair comb and there are also elastic loops for bobby pin attachment.
Tatting Challenge
This was my entry into TotusMel's "Tatting is Not a Lost Art: The Challenge." (totusmel.etsy.com has more information about the contest.) The design was developed around a two-inch-wide medallion of intricate needle tatting creating by TotusMel for the challenge, which is featured prominently on the front of the hat. The ecru color of the medallion inspired this design in ivory, tan and dark brown, and I was going for a sort of antiqued sepia-tone look.
The hat is made from a 7-inch-diameter (including the brim) felt form for a turned-down brim style of mini top hat. I covered the form, and it is sewn entirely by hand, in a dark brown fabric with a design of tiny stars and even tinier dots.
The hat band is made from a dark brown satin ribbon with a wide-weave texture onto which I sewed two strips of ivory eyelet lace. On the front of the hat is a feather pad in rich dark brown, with the medallion sewn at center. Behind the medallion is a spray of eyelash feathers in champagne, with small iridescent beads on some of the stems.
At the center of the medallion is a clockwork adornment: a watch crystal into which I hand-set watch gears and cogs into resin.
The full birdcage veil is made from vintage Russian veiling that I acquired from a 60-year-old millinery store in New York that just closed its doors this year, so I doubt any more of this veiling exists anywhere. The diamond-net veiling is dark brown with light tan chenille dots. It was hand sewn into pleats to give fullness around the face and gathered into a double-bow at the back to give a nice amount of poof. The veil is held on with a hook and eye and is detatchable. On the inside, the hat is sewn to a hair comb and there are also elastic loops for bobby pin attachment.