Downton Abbey Style Hat Band and Flower

I know there are a bazillion tutorials out there on how to make flowers but I'd like to show you how I made this one and also the hat band.

Supplies: 
Hat - Mine is black felt with a small bow on the side. 
Synthetic sheer fabric - Mine is a thrifted sheer curtain with embroidered designs. 
Eyelash yarn 
Scissors 
Candle and a match to light it 
Corsage pins 
Stapler - Yes, I cheated...no sewing here....I was in a hurry! (Sewing it would probably be a better option if you have time.)

 

Step 1 - Cut a strip of fabric that is long enough to fit around the hat. I made the strip wide enough that it could have some gathers once applied to the hat. Also cut several circles in various sizes - I used seven for my flower. The circles do not need to be perfectly round. They do need to be slightly larger than you want the finished flower because they will shrink when heated over the candle.

Step 2 - Heat the edges of the strip and the circles over the lit candle. Be careful not to hold the fabric too closely or too long over the flame as it does melt quickly and will make holes. (My flower ended up with a couple of holes but they're tiny and I thought it added to the vintage look.)

Once done melting the edges, each layer of the flower should look like this.

Step 3 - To give each flower layer more character, carefully heat and melt it throughout the center area.

Once done they should look something like this. (There's the tiny hole I mentioned before.)

Step 4 - Cut five strips of the eyelash yarn about two or three inches wider than the largest flower layer.

Step 5 - Place four yarn strips between two of the largest flower layers.

Step 6 - Staple at the center making sure to catch the yarn.

Step 7 - Add the remaining flower layers. Crunch up the remaining piece of yarn and place at the center of the layers. Holding everything in place, staple through all the layers to secure.

Step 8 - Overlap the ends of the fabric strip and staple to secure.

Step 9 - Place the band around the hat. I tucked it under the bow.

Step 10 - Make some pleats in the fabric and secure in a few places on the hat with corsage pins.

Step 11 - Use three corsage pins to secure the flower into place over the stapled area of the band.

A couple more views of the hat.

 

 

Happy Creating!

Kathy

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Shabby Chic Cuff - video and written tutorial

Tools Used –

Spellbinders Grand Calibur die cutting machine

Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Fifteen (2^nd smallest in set)

Sewing Machine

Scissors

Small hand drill or rotary drill

Pliers: round-nose

Wire cutters

Textured stamp

Bone folder

Products Used –

ICE Resin®

2 small pieces of Art Mechanique cream sheer ribbon

Muslin

Fusible interfacing (sew-in will work)

Crocheted flower

Brown thread

Vintage ear ring with faux pearls

Copper sheet: 34 gauge

Snaps and snap setting tool

Fingernail buffing stick or very fine sandpaper

Liver of sulfer solution

Epoxy glue

Instructions

1. Use the die to cut and emboss a square from the copper sheet.

2. Lay the square on the stamp and rub with the bone folder to create texture.

3. Soak the square in a warm liver of sulfer solution until it is very dark. Remove and rinse with cold water. Lightly sand with the nail buffing stick to remove some of the dark patina.

4. Cut the back off the earring. If the earring has a dangle and is removable, remove it.

5. Glue the earring at the center of the flower. Let cure.

6. Mix the resin according to the package directions. Cover the front side of the square with resin and place the flower centered on it. Drip a little more resin onto the piece to cover the flower. Let it cure according to the package directions.

7. If the earring dangle was removed, replace it.

8. Tear two pieces of muslin to 2 1/8” wide and to your wrist size plus about 2”. Cut a piece of interfacing that is just a little smaller than the muslin. Iron the interfacing to one muslin piece.

9. Lay the second muslin piece on top of the other with the interfacing sandwiched between the two pieces of muslin. Sew a zigzag stitch around the edges twice. Sew two lines of gathering stitches down the center of the cuff.

10. Pull the threads to gather the cuff to fit your wrist, (remember to allow enough overlap for the snaps). Tie the threads off to secure.

11. Follow the manufacturers directions to apply two snaps to the cuff.

12. Drill a hole at the center of each side of the square.

13. Thread a ribbon through the holes. Trim the ribbon tails to extend to within about ½” of the snaps.

14. Center the square onto the cuff and sew a zigzag and straight stitch down the center of each ribbon tail.

15. Thread a piece of ribbon under the ribbon on the cuff to one side of the square where it is not sewn down; tie it in a knot and trim.

Finished Cuff

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