To myself, with all my love / À moi de moi, avec tout mon amour

(La version Française se trouve plus bas.)

Remember that little retro cloche hat I mentioned finding before Christmas? I offered it to myself as a present.

Vous souvenez-vous de la petite cloche rétro que j'ai mentioné avoir trouvé avant Noël? Je me la suis offerte en présent.

I tried to put up my hair in a fake Bob / Lady Edith style, but I was not as successful as I had hoped. It looks OK from the front, but the hat barely fits on top of all my pinned up hair. Still, I managed to get a couple of cute pictures.

J'ai essayé de coiffer mes cheveux en fausse coupe garçonne / d'allure Lady Edith, mais ce ne fut pas un grand succès. Ça n'a pas l'air si mal de devant, mais le chapeau fait à peine par dessus tous mes cheveux remontés et épinglés.

I also played a little with Photoshop to make an antiqued sepia version of my favourite picture.

J'ai aussi joué un peu avec Photoshop pour transformer ma photo favorite en vieille photo sépia.

Now I am ready for this year's fashion style which is very 1920s inspired.

Je suis maintenant prête pour la mode des années folles qui est très en vogue cette année.

Edwardian flat felt hat / Chapeau plat de feutre Édouardien

(La version Française se trouve plus bas.)

Have you heard of the Historical Sew Fortnightly challenge instigated by the Dreamstress? The idea is to sew something historical, ensemble, piece or accessory, every two weeks to have 26 new items in your costume wardrobe at the end of the year, and through it all, learn to plan your sewing time better to be more efficient. That's all nice and well, but I am a mother of two young children now and whenever I am not nursing or playing dolls, I clean, do laundry, and sometimes I even manage to shower. I really don't have that much free time for sewing right now, no matter how much I want to. So I keep reminding myself, because those challenges are just so darn inspiring!

Avez-vous entendu parlé du défi Historical Sew Fortnightly (littéralement "Couture historique des quinzaines") dont l'instigatrice est la Dreamstress? L'idée est de coudre quelque chose d'historique, ensemble, pièce ou accessoire, toutes les deux semaines afin d'avoir 26 nouveaux items dans votre garde-robe de costumes à la fin de l'année, et, à travers ce processus, d'apprendre à mieux gérer son temps de couture pour être plus efficace. Tout cela est bien beau, mais je suis maman de deux jeunes enfants, et quand je ne suis pas en train d'allaiter ou de jouer à la poupée, je fais du ménage, de la lessive, et parfois même j'arrive à prendre une douche. Je n'ai vraiment pas beaucoup de temps pour la couture en ce moment, qu'importe mes envies. C'est ce que je ne cesse de me répéter parce que ces défis sont si inspirants!

The first challenge was to make something from a year finishing in 13. As much as I would have loved to make the Titanic dress I was planning to make last year, I knew I wouldn't be able to finish it so fast. But the part of my brain that refuses to listen to reason still wanted me to whip up a little something, so inspired by Edwardian Farm, I made myself a quick felt hat, just like Ruth's.

Le premier défi consistait à faire quelque chose que l'on portait pendant une année finissant en 13. J'aurais bien voulu faire ma robe Titanic, celle que je planifiais faire l'an passé, mais je savais que je ne la finirais pas à temps. Malgré tout, la partie de mon cerveau qui refuse d'entendre raison voulait quand même que je fasse un petit quelque chose, et donc inspiré par Edwardian Farm, je me suis fais un chapeau de feutre rapide, comme celui que porte Ruth.

Ruth Goodman at the general store, BBC's Edwardian Farm / Ruth Goodman au magasin général, Edwardian Farm de la BBC

How historical is it? Well, not all that much, since her hat looks like it was made of one piece of felt, most likely wool, and I used four sheets of felt from the dollar store (total price of fabric for this project: 1$ - and it was in my stash), but I was going more for the look.

À quel point est-il historique? Pas terriblement, si l'on considère que le sien semble avoir été fait d'une seule pièce de feutre, probablement de laine, tandis que moi j'ai utilisé quatre pièces de feutre à artisanat provenant du Magie du Dollar (prix total du tissu pour ce projet: 1$ - et ça provient de ma réserve), mais je visais plutôt un look similaire.

And check out that hat pin: I actually bought a pack of four, all with different ends, in the scrapbooking section of Omer DeSerres a year or two ago for about 5$. They were sold as "paper pins", but we know where the inspiration for them came from. Although they are made from plastic and are not as solid as actual hat pins, they worked fine on the craft felt.

Et avez-vous remarqué cette épingle à chapeau? Je l'ai acheté en paquet de quatre, chacune avec des têtes différentes, dans la section scrapbooking de Omer DeSerres il y a un an ou deux pour environ 5$. On les vendait comme "épingles  papiers", mais nous savons bien d'où elles tirent leur inspiration. Quoiqu'elles soient fait de plastic, et ne sont donc pas aussi solide que de véritables épingles à chapeau, elles fonctionnent à merveille sur le feutre d'artisanat.

As I noted before from Ruth's own explanation, "My red felt hat came from photographs of people in and around Tavistock and seems to have been a style of very limited reach - it doesn't appear in photographs from outside about a twenty mile radius".

Still I looked up some Edwardian Era pictures and found this one of a Golfing ensemble worn by Miss Heather Firbank, and that hat looks somewhat similar from this angle; of course to be sure, I would need a full view of it.

Comme je l'ai noté auparavant des explications de Ruth elle-même, "Mon chapeau de feutre rouge vient de photographies des gens de Tavistock et des alentours et semble avoir été un style à portée limitée - il n'apparait dans aucune photos provenant de l'extérieur d'un périmètre de 20 miles (N.d.T: 32 km)."

Malgré tout j'ai cherché des photos de l'époque Éouardienne et j'ai trouvé celle-ci d'un ensemble de golf porté par Mademoiselle Heather Firbank, et ce chapeau me semble assez similaire, du moins sous cet angle; bien entendu, pour en être certaine il me faudrait une pleine vue du chapeau.

Golfing ensemble, ca. 1908, London (England), Victoria & Albert Museum / Ensemble de Golf, c. 1908, Londre (Angleterre), Victoria & Albert Museum

This suit was made in 1908, but I am confident that someone of less income who can't follow the latest trends might still wear it in 1913, and that is good enough for the challenge (I still wear pieces of clothing I've had for over a decade, and I am certain I am not an exception).

Cet ensemble à été fait en 1908, mais je suis certaine que quelqu'un avec moins de revenu qui ne pouvait suivre la mode aurait très bien pu encore le porter en 1913, et  c'est assez bon pour le défi (je porte encore des vêtements achetés il y a plus de 10 ans et je suis certaine que je ne suis pas une exception).

So there you have it, my very own Edwardian Farm inspired red felt hat. I even tried to go for a quick Gibson Girl hair style, but alas, with limited success. Even though I know I won't be able to do more than a handful of the Historical Sew Fortnightly challenges, I'm glad I got to at least do this one.

Et voilà, mon propre chapeau de feutre rouge inspiré d'Edwardian Farm. J'ai même tenté une coiffure à la Gibson Girl rapide, mais avec bien peu de succès.Même si je sais que je ne pourrai faire plus d'une poignée des défis du Historical Sew Fortnightly, je suis contente d'avoir au moins pu faire celui-ci.

Neck rings for the western woman

Flicking through a fashion magazine recently, I came upon this add for Dior's J'adore perfume with Charlize Theron:

Charlize Theron for Dior's J'adore perfume

I was instantaniously reminded of those so called "Giraffe women" in South Africa.

Ndebele Woman in Traditional Dress

Women of Ndebele people wear brass rings called idzila around their neck, legs, and arms. These rings do not put pressure on the collar bone and create an elongated neck look, contrary to popular belief and other Asian cultures. They begin wearing these when they get married, around age 12, and the rings are added on as they are given to them by their husband. The richer the husband, the more rings his wife has. The Ndebele widow will take all her rings off upon her husband's death to show her new state.

(more information here: http://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_ndebele.html

Kayan or Padaung lady and girl Myanmar Kayah state

Upon reseaching for this post, I discovered that other cultures used neck rings, namely the Kayan or Padaung Women of Myanmar. (If I understand correctly, "Padaung" means long neck woman). In fact, they wear coiled metal rings around their wrists, knees and ankles as well. Girls begin wearing the rings as young as age 2. In the case of the Padaung, the weight of the neck rings does infact deform the collar bone, pushing it to a 45 degree angle and making the neck appear longer, but the idea that an unfaithful woman will see her rings removed as punishment so she suffocates to death is completly false; in fact, the rings can be taken off and put back on if need be, say to be examined by a doctor. In the Kayan culture, this drastic body modification through adornment is done so everyone is reminded of their ancestry to the Nagas, a mythical dragon or snake.

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar borders Thailand, and there is apparently a group of Kayan living in a border town on the Thai side of the fence (though according to one source I found, they generate most of the economic wealth of the town they are in so that now that they want to relocate, things are being made as hard as possible for them to do so). Perhaps that is why Miss Thailand Chutima Durongdej wore a neck ring inspired piece as her National Costume to the 2009 Miss Universe contest.

Miss Thailand 2009 - Chutima Durongdej

Miss Thailand 2009 - Chutima Durongdej

Yep! I definitly see the resemblance with Charlize's neck piece. Now being on a craft craze, how would I go about making something like that?(I mean the Dior add neck piece of course.)

Princess Rosalina's Earrings

Last night I couldn't sleep. I was watching Say Yes to the Dress Bridesmaids, trying to loose consciousness when I came to the conclusion that it wasn't working and I might as well do something constructive. So I pulled out my yellow fun foam, my craft knife and the Rosalina Accessories Tutorial by Martyn and went to work.

Earring template from Rosalina's Accessories Tutorial by Martyn

I was planning to use the printed pieces of the earrings from the tutorial, but when I measured them and compared them to the given specs, they were a little too short, so I re-drew them on paper before cutting them out of the fun foam.

Once you have your six stars cut out, it takes just a few minutes to glue them all together, and then you are done!

Rosalina Earrings - cut fun foam and glue

Well, almost. This morning I noticed some dried glue which is not the same colour as the foam. I think that in order for all my accessories to have the same finish, I will spray paint them all. After all, the crown and brooch will get the spray paint finish in silver, so the earrings and wand should too. I am considering giving them a coat of gold before the yellow. I wonder if some of the glittery shine will show through.

This is a small step towards this costume, but heck, at least it is a step outside of planning and into realisation. Good for me.

Princess Rosalina's Accessories

Right after I posted about my change of heart for my Otakuthon costume the other night, I began to search for hints at how I could make Rosalina's crown look good. I had seen some nice ones, but I don’t know how to cast plastic and I am not teaching it to myself in the next three weeks. Finally, I found this tutorial by Martyn which uses my material of choice, Fun Foam.

Peach, Daisy, Rosalina Crown Tutorial by Martyn

I read through the list of material needed, and the only things I don’t have on hand are a brain which remembers how to do math using π (working on that with my sweetheart, it’ll come back to me if I don’t try to work at it when I'm short on time or super tired), and the plastic cabochons to use as gems for the crown.

I looked into buying the same 35 mm cabochons from PlasticBeadsWholesale.com that Martyn used, but they only come in dozens (8.50$ for 12 - I need 2 colours), and if you buy for less than 30$, you get an up charge of 20$ for not meeting the minimum price. Plus, since I live in Canada, shipping will not be Free as advertised (it never is). Al in all, It will probably cost me about 40$ so I can get 4 plastic cabochons. Not really worth it for me.

Instead, I found these 30 mm Crystal Stickers in the Scrapbooking section of my local Omer DeSerres – for 2.95$ +tx.

30 mm Crystal Stickers

To give them the proper colour, I will use some faux stained glass paint. I’ll either buy the two colours I need, or ask my favourite aunt to let me use hers since this is her current hobby.

Martyn (my hero) also shared a tutorial on making the rest of Rosalina’s accessories, because this princess not only wears a crown, she has a wand, a brooch and huge earrings.

Rosalina Accessories Tutorial by Martyn

The wand used fun foam and a wooden dowel. Check! The brooch requires more fun foam and some sort of plastic dome. I will be looking very closely at those vending machines which sell cheap toys in plastic spheres. For the earrings, yet more fun foam and some jewellery findings. Check again!

I can’t go fabric shopping until next week, but at least, I can get started on my accessories this week.

My new Steampunk Bracelet

Nancy-Raven really spoiled me for my birthday, as she often does. Along with the two Truly Victorian Pattern previously mentioned, she gave a 20$ voucher for Fabricville (always a winner with me), and the pièce de résistance, this amazing Steampunk bracelet from La Table Ronde:

Steampunk Bracelet by Florica, on black velvet bag

Not that I ever speak of Steampunk, really. That I have been drooling over that collection for about a year now, especially the tiara might I add (but is friggin expensive), and that I wear bracelets a lot might also have influenced her choice. I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it! I want to wear it everyday.

Steampunk Bracelet by Florica, detailed view

I do have to make myself a Steampunk outfit. Soon!

Beaded Princess Crown

Some of you may remember that last year, I made Nancy-Raven a crown for her birthday after she expressed the desire to wear one on her special day, as she would be "The Queen of the day". About a week before my own birthday, I was hit with the sudden desire to do the same, because lets face it, it is a great idea.

My inspiration came from this lovely princess crown:

Beaded Wrap-Wire Crown

I found it on Etsy a year ago, but I cannot remember from which seller if any one knows, please let me know so I can add their information here – everyone deserves credit for their work). There is something in this look that I find reminiscent of Odette, The Swan Princess.

So, the night before, around 10 PM (this is me we're talking about), I set myself to the task of making my own crown while watching My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding on TLC. Nothing like ridiculously poofy dresses and humongous crowns on 18 year old brides to get you inspired! By 1 am, I was done.

Blue Beaded Princess Crown

Not as pretty, but it is only my second attempt at making a crown, and honestly, I'm happy with it. Of course, you will be shocked I am sure that I made mine silver and blue, with turquoise and lilac accents. No one could have predicted that I would go for aquatic colours, right? But you see, it was to match the new summer dress I made myself (and finished at 1:15 PM the day of).

Happy Birthday Gwenyver!
(Don't even try, I'm not telling you my age. That is for me to know and you to guess!)

Of course, it turned out to be a wet and chilly evening, so I had to wear leggings under my new sun dress – because there was no way I was going to change my outfit due to Mother Nature’s whims; I had worked too hard for that!

By the way, the dress is made with pattern Simplicity 4531. It is the third dress I have made using that pattern and I really like all of them. There is a little something ‘50s about them in my opinion.

You know what else is great about that crown? It would be perfect for a Snow Queen or Ice Fairy costume!

Shoes with a shrug

Remember the dress worn by Jennifer Lopez at the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art last week?

Jennifer Lopez attends the "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin)

I have found the shoe version of it:

Wild Rose Yvone-12 Ruffle Mary Jane Pump at UrbanOG.com

Oh! How I wish they still had my size...

...and that the doctor had not just forbidden me the wearing of high heels for the rest of my everyday life (something about a tendinitis that hasn't healed in over 5 years on my left ankle and multiple sprains - 4 or 5 in the last 15 years, I've lost count - on my right).

Steampunk... Live from the Dollar Store

I've got Steampunk on my mind... And it is all Alyssa's fault. Firstly, she makes the most incredible Steampunk costumes I have ever seen; seriously, I've been Googling for pictures and surfing on DeviantArt for inspiration and I have yet to see female outfits as intricately detailed as hers. I am in awe of all of her Steampunk garb. Secondly, after I asked her to post a tutorial on how to make those Steampunk guns, she shared the following videos:

So of course, I wanted to make some right away. I went to the Dollar store and picked up two ray guns for 2$ each (what can I say, with the current economy, even the Dollar store has to up their prices) from the toy section. They make noise and light up, or at least the first one does, because I didn't notice before buying it that the second one's trigger was broken. I can't exchange it, but considering I don't really care about the noise and the lights, I guess it's a good thing I'm the one who bought the defective one, or else, it would have wound up in the garbage.

Future Steampunked Ray Guns

I wanted to get starting with the modding right away, but my local craft store, Omer de Serres, does not carry Rub n' Buff. As the closest Micheal's Craft store is about 3 hours away in Ottawa, I'll either have to wait until I go in November for the Oirechtas, and hope they have some, or I'll just order it from eBay. In any case, I can't work on them for the moment, but I have a feeling I'll enjoy doing so.

Another find on my trip to the dollar store was this Top Hat:

Dollar Store Top Hat

I have been looking at top hats sporadically on eBay for years, but they are rarely cheap. For a 2$ costume hat, this one makes a pretty decent base. I would change the ribbon and add to it, but I have to say, I really like it (my daughter loves it too, but she has a fascination with hats, so I guess she's not really impartial).

Gwenyver's new Top Hat

And I look cute in it too. I think I might go grab a couple more and start decorating them. These are great for any Victorian themed costume: Steampunk, Dickens, Satine from Moulin Rouge (2001), etc.

Oh, and if you don't like the Faux Fur finish, you could always cover it up.

The Costume Trunk: Top Hat Makeover

Alyssa also shared a link to this Top Hat Makeover Tutorial which uses my top hat as a base.

Right now, my goal is to slowly make a Smashing Steampunk outfit for Montréal Comic-Con 2011; since the 2010 edition is going on this week-end (and Data is there and I'm missing it - *snif*), it gives me a whole year. Can I do it? Or will I be rushing to finish on Labour Day Week-end of next year? Stay tuned to find out!

A Crown for Nancy-Raven

For her Birthday, Nancy-Raven had mentioned to me that she wanted to wear a crown. After all, as she put it, she would be Queen for the day! She showed me this crown from The Tudor Shoppe which she really liked:

French Royal Crown from The Tudor Shoppe

Unfortunately, I couldn't fit it in my budget as we were already getting her a somewhat pricey Espresso Machine (I know, boring, right? It was my Sweetheart's idea as she and he are both Coffee Aficionados, and she loved it, so I guess it was worth it... I'm just kidding - it was a great gift idea).

I still wanted her crown dream to come true, so as any Fairy Best Friend would do, I made her one.

Nancy-Raven's Birthday Crown

And of course, because of the recent heat wave, I was always too tired to do anything, so I waited until the night before!

I looked around on DeviantArt and Etsy for a good while looking for some inspiration. As I had a lot of different gauges of wire and plenty of beads for jewelry making, I went for a wrapped wire model.

Nancy-Raven's Birthday Crown - Front

Here is a list of the Materials I used:

• 14, 16, 18 at 20 gauge galvanized wire
• Pliers
• Red glass beads
• Black faceted plastic beads
• Faux tear drop pearl
• Sea glass piece found on the beach almost 20 years ago (I am somewhat of a hoarder when it comes to craft and costuming - I rarely throw anything away, to my Sweetheart's dismay.)

Nancy-Raven's Birthday Crown - Back

I am quite proud of the way it turned out, especially considering it my my first piece AND it was the night before (my fingers were so sore).

With Nancy-Raven, you never know what reaction to expect: she could have politely thanked me for the thought, but as it turned out, she loved it (which made me doubly proud).

Nancy-Raven wearing her Birthday Crown - Restaurant

She put it on her head as soon as she opened the box that contained it, in the restaurant...

Nancy-Raven wearing her Birthday Crown - End of the Evening

...and she still had it on when we left her parent's place (where we had delicious bite size cakes made at the Bakery where she works). She even drove her cousin's convertible from the restaurant to her parent's home with it on.

Nancy-Raven's Birthday Crown - A Photo Montage

Well Sweetie, I'm glad I could make your day (I know the Coffee maker had something to do with it too).

New Irish Dance Wig

Last Tuesday, my dance teacher surprised us with a request, that all her older dancers 9and I'm the eldest) have full wigs for our show... which is next Friday. With less than two weeks, I had to hurry. I spent a good amount of time shopping online and exchanging e-mails with sellers. Here is what I learned: wigs are freakishly expensive and so is shipping when you need it immediately (Okay, I already knew both these things, but they were confirmed to me once more).

Then on Friday the local Irish Dance supply seller (Faery Reel - lovely people) writes back saying if I want to, I can stop by her place and I can look through the bargain bin to see if anything fits my budget and hair colour. So yesterday, late in the afternoon, I head out with my daughter, drive two hours (because by local, I mean "The Greater Montreal Area"; it was still quite a long way from my home, but what choice did I have?) to go get myself a wig.

Morgan (Double Wig) by Youngblood

The wig I found is a double wig (twice as much hair as a normal human being would have) which is a 26" long, full head wig, with large elasticated cap, loose split curls and thick density fibre. I personally don't like split curls for Irish Dance wigs (I was really hoping for tight ringlets), but that was my only choice. The other wigs were either too small or the wrong colour.

Speaking of colour, it was a shock to me to realize how much darker my hair had gotten following my pregnancy. I used to be a Strawberry Blond, but this wig is Light Ash Brown with some Light Blond highlights and it's a near perfect match.

Gwenyver's Morgan Double Wig in Light Ash Brown / Light Blond - Front

This thing is huge. I wonder how it will feel when I dance in it?

Gwenyver's Morgan Double Wig in Light Ash Brown / Light Blond - Side

One thing is for sure: I'm going to look like a lioness with this huge main of hair.

Gwenyver's Morgan Double Wig in Light Ash Brown / Light Blond - Back

Of course, I,m sure you care to know how much Swiffer cost me (yes, I have nicknamed my wig "Swiffer"): 50$ and a half tank of gas. Seems like a lot? New, it costs 120$ on average. I guess the frizz caused by many hands checking the thickness of the curls (in it's previous life, Swiffer was a display wig) is well worth the bargain.

Stay tuned for pictures of me wearing it (and of our show next Friday).

Shopping Alert: Brogues

Look what I found while shopping for shoes on the Net:

Uselton by Aldo

Black and white Brogues! Aren’t they adorable? They are just so fifties! They remind me of Audrey’s look in Twin Peeks (1990).

Sherilyn Fenn as Audrey Horne, Twin Peaks (1990)

Now I have an urge to wear knee length kilts and sweaters with these shoes.

I really want them… (But I don't have 80$ to spend on shoes I probably won't wear that often; lets hope they go on sale.)

Tiny Top Hats

Every year, the world of fashion and design gets inspired by one movie. This year’s style influence is Alice in Wonderland. Just look at all the tea pots, heart/diamond/spade/club jewellery, blue dresses and headbands decorated with cute little bows! In honour of this trend, I present my own creation, the Tiny Top Hat Barrette.

Tiny Top Hats by Gwenyver

These are not like your usual mini top hats: they are tiny (14 centimetres in diameter) AND they are made from recycled material, including fabric leftover from my numerous costume projects. Can you guess which?

(For the answer, click on the colours: Purple - Green - Pink)

One day, if I get enough requests, I might open an Etsy store and sell some.

In the mean time, because I love you so much (and because, if you’re reading this, you like me would rather make your own than pay for someone to make it for you), here is a detailed, fully illustrated, step-by step guide to making your own.

You will need:

• A cardboard toilet paper roll;
• A piece of cardboard (I used a frozen pizza box, so really, anything goes);
• Fabric scissors;
• Paper scissors;
• A ruler;
• White crafters' glue;
• A hot glue gun and some glue sticks;
• Fabric scraps;
• Felt;
• Ribbon;
• An old button;
• Feathers;
• Anything else you can think of to use as decoration.

1. Begin by cutting your cardboard toilet paper roll in half.

2. Using your half cardboard toilet paper roll, trace its circumference twice on the cardboard. Add one centimetre all around one of your circles to create the brim.

3. Cut a rectangular piece of fabric which is wider than the height of your half cardboard toilet paper roll (you want to be able to fold the edges to keep them hidden) and longer than its circumference so you have enough to make a nice hem.

4. Apply white glue to your half cardboard toilet paper roll. Roll it on the fabric starting at one end of the rectangle until the roll is covered.

5. Use the extra fabric to make a hem: apply a line of white glue and fold the edge on it.

6. Once that is dry, apply another line of white glue you your hem and stick it to the fabric covered roll.

7. Apply a line of glue to the inside of your roll and fold the extra fabric over it to get a nice edge.

8. Place your cardboard circle on the fabric, trace one centimetre fold allowance and cut your fabric. Repeat for the second one.

9. Using white glue, fix your cardboard circle to the centre of your fabric circle. Apply white glue to the top side of your cardboard circle and stick the fabric's edge to it. Use cloth pins to keep it in place while it dries.

10. Using hot glue, stick a circle of felt to hide the raw edge of fabric on the underside of your brim. Still using hot glue, stick the top of your hat to one end of the tube and the whole thing to the brim piece.

11. Sew a barrette, hair clip or comb to the felt. You could also fix it to a headband, but in that case, I recommend gluing the felt over the headband to sandwich it between the felt and the cardboard.

12. Decorate as you like!

Gwenyver wearing the Hunter Green Tiny Top Hat

See how cute it looks? It is perfect for Alice, Gothic Lolita or even Steampunk wear. I especially suggest wearing it to one side of your head, with pigtails of course, for added cuteness.