gallery

notes

hat base :
black felt blank, from Colonial Williamsburg

fabric & notions:
wired ribbon, lace, ostrich & peacock feathers, vintage shoe buckle, vintage stone Marten (Fred)

general notes:
It took me a little while to decide what to do for my hat (I have so many ideas in my head!) but in the end I decided to just have fun with it. Whoo hoo!

For the band of ribbon around the brim, I used small pleats at the bottom but keep the top less structured. I liked it better a bit messy looking. I adore this ribbon and have been hoarding it for just the right project. I'm so happy to be using it finally!

May I introduce you to Fred, the furry one? He is one of 4 little guys we rescued from a dusty antique store this spring. We were inspired by the above film still (a fabulous outfit from the film Duchess) so when we found these darlings we couldn't resist. I have Fred & George while S kept Harry & Ron.

To be honest I almost didn't use Fred, not wanting to offend (or be confronted, not into confrontation) by those who dislike the use of real fur. After a lot of thinking and soul searching however I feel fine about my little Fred and my fur muff. While I abhor the practices of modern fur makers, the use of vintage is okay with me. But then I also eat meat, wear leather and think the Bible is 100% true. For those who disagree, I respect your views but I can't share them. I hope we can just agree to disagree.

*ahem*

Really the best thing about Fred is that he makes the hat incredibly well balanced. Note to self, heavier decorations are not necessarily a bad thing.

construction pics: