Many Sides of One Coin

Edwardian Hat Tutorial Part 2

2012-01-27T20:53:00.000-08:00

First things first: So I might have fibbed just a little... I finished the hat and I will be doing the second tutorial now... however! It just shows you how to get to a covered hat frame. It is not going to be decorated. I will post the decorated hat once I get paid and can afford the netting I want to put on it with the feathers I also have waiting for it. :D So I guess technically this will be a three parter... in a sense. I will post the finished hat as well as answer any questions that happen to come through either on here or on the various forums this is linked to.

OK, so when I left you last you had three pieces to your hat, the brim covered in wire, the crown top covered in a swirl of wire and the crown sides lined in wire.

Its time to get out your Millinery Needles because you are going to be doing some hand sewing. I would say that the cover of the hat is done half and half. The top is hand sewn and the brim is machine sewn.

This is how I covered my hat... the directions are different but I like the way I did it and I am happy with the results.

I started with the very top of the crown, I cut out a square of the fabric I am using (black silk) that was roughly two inches bigger than the circle.
I then started pinning and tucking the fabric in a circle, I did NOT cut the extra fabric, the reason for this will become apparent later.

This is what mine looked like once I pinned it all down.

I think did the crown band. I cut down my crown by 2". I took the fabric and folded it over the band and cut. :D

I then sewed the top of the crown on to the band. Like this!
I hand sewed the top of the crown to the band. I used tiny stitches. Not sure if you can see it. :D

I then took the top of the brim and laid it on top of the silk and cut out a square the same way I did the top of the crown.

After a quick run over with the iron...
I then rounded the edges so that it would be a bit easier to work with.

I picked a section and started pinning just like the crown.
Now its time for the center...

I cut the center and pinned it back like this:

I then sewed both the inner brim and the outer edge of the brim on the sewing machine.
** When you are sewing a hat covered in wires with fabric over it where you can't see said wires GO SLOW! If your needle hits a wire whilst going slow it will stop, if you hit a wire while going full speed the needle will most likely break and fly at you.

like so:
The top of the brim will look like this:
I know it doesn't look like much but when its done it will look great.
So now its time for the inside lining.
You are going to actually use the pattern for this step. (Shocking I know) lol
http://www.costumes.org/advice/costcraftsmanual/images/08.jpg
Using the lining pattern you are going to draw it out with chalk onto the fabric (love chalk!)
Then cut it out... ;D
Now you will need to sew to edges together... (do'nt sew the top or the bottom edge only the side and only one)
Next you will run gathering stitches along the side that is NOT even. :D So the straight edge will go along the edge of the brim farthest away from the crown... The gathering stitch will be two rows of basting stitches... like this:

Next you will pin the straight edge to the outer edge of the brim like this!
Once you get it all pinned in place you are going to gather it up. :D

When its done it will look like this! (pinned that is... )

I think sewed both the inner brim edge and the outer edge on the sewing machine.
So now that the brim is in tack I went back to the crown and "Frankensteined" the inside. Its not pretty so you are so warned. :D
Now that the brim and the crown are done its time to sew them together. I just pinned the top onto the brim eyeballing it until I liked where it sat. I then started sewing it taking stitches from the bottom through the crown.
Once it is all sew down you are finished! :D
And it looks like this!!! :D

Well, that's it for now. I hope you can follow my instructions and that you can create your own beautiful hats. Please feel free to ask any questions you might have I'm willing to answer whatever I can. :D

I think I should get points for finishing this blog early! Since I gave myself until Monday to finish this. :D

~Eliza

Edwardian Hat Tutorial...

2012-01-25T18:59:00.000-08:00

The Lovely and talented Tara Maginnis, creator of the Costume Manifesto, has a wonderful hat pattern on her site that is for an Edwardian hat out of Buckram.

I have used her pattern many times. I have even modified her pattern to make a Victorian small crown hat. Her instructions are easy to follow and once you have made it you and know the fundamentals you can pretty much make any hat.

I admit I forgot a crucial step whilst making my newest hat and I'm hoping that it doesn't affect the final product. (I will of course tell you which step I missed and inform you how to do the step.)

So this will be a two part Tutorial the first part is how to make the buckram frame. (My way... I don't quite follow all the instructions but you'll see where I differ slightly)

* I HIGHLY recommend using at least a size 14 or 16 needle as I hit the wire at least a dozen times while making my hat and if I had had a thinner needle on my machine it would have snapped. ALSO! I wear regular glasses all the time so I don't feel the need to wear safety goggles but if I didn't wear glasses I would highly recommend them. I have had needles break and pop at me. In fact I had a scratch on my face once from a broken needle flying at my face.

First off, You will need:

The instructions and the pattern that you will increase. (Its really easy I promise.)
A LOT of thread to match the color of the buckram and the color of the fabric.
A lot of wire a minimum of 8 yards of heavy wire (I use 16 gauge jewelry wire)
a yard stick
a measuring tape
HEAVY Buckram (If you can't find heavy buckram you can use the regular and double it up which is what I have done for me.)
Fabric to cover the frame
Pin cushion and pins
Wire cutter
Pinking sheers (if you are using silk this is really important since it frays easily)
Regular scissor and paper scissor

(Optional) Chocolate for when your patience run thin. ;)

The essentials.

You will need to take the pattern and draw it out on some paper. This is actually pretty easy...
take the pattern and count the square in each piece, one square equals one inch. (that is how I did it... but now that I look at the pattern again I see that it is actually 1/4" = 1") But I actually did it 1 square = 1"

So the Buckram frame measures out like this:

Once you get the measurements you can then transfer these to a large sheet so that you can cut it out as your pattern. Like this:

This is how my pattern came out and I am very pleased with the size of both the crown and the brim.

So now that the pattern is traced off you need to cut it out and then cut out your buckram.

I use two layers of buckram because its not heavy buckram. I used about 2 1/2 yards of buckram. (I had originally four yards so its hard to say exactly how much. :D)

Everyone should be comfortable with pinning and cutting out patterns so I will skip this part for length sake. :D

Ok, so the step I accidentally skipped was this:
"B. Cut slash in buckram hat brim and overlap by 1 1/2". Zigzag by machine or whipstitch edges of overlap together by hand, as shown.
C. Reinforce buckram as shown by zigzagging hat wire to buckram pieces. On crown top and brim make sure the wire of the rings overlaps at least 2" at the joint. Put wires on the underside of brim."

I didn't remember to do this but I am only putting one layer of Silk on top of it so hopefully it won't be too big of a problem.

How to sew the wire in: Excuse the music please. The radio was on. :D My machine sounds horrible but it is actually kind of hard to sew with a camera in your hand. I wanted everyone to get how you sew the wire on. You actually sew over it and sort of in case it in thread.

SO this is where you take all the wire you have and start going around the brim zig zagging it into place. I used size 2 stiches and a medium width to sew my wire in place. I don't have access to millinery wire so went and got jewelry wire that was 20 gage... thinking about it now I would have probably used 16 instead which is a thicker wire. But like I said light fabric hopefully it will be ok when its done. (If not I'll seam rip it and fix it. :D)

I never cut my wire until I have reached the starting point as it saves myself a LOT of aggravation.

I also double back over the edges of the wire so that it doesn't poke through the fabric. (since silk is pricey I'd rather not have it ruined.)

Continue until the whole hat is full of wires and can stand up on its own. I also went back and put some wires in between the ones in the pictures on the left.

This is how the frame will look after you have all the wires sewn into the buckram.

Next you need to repeat the same process for the crown. On the sides of the crown it is easiest if you sew it flat and then bend it into the circle you need. Below is a shot of the wire being sewn into the sides of the crown.

The crown top I sew in a "cinnamon swirl" lol! Here's a picture so you know what I'm talking about:
Since no one will be seeing my not so straight swirl when the hat is done I don't mind admitting that its not that perfect. However! It did stiffen the buckram like it was meant to.

I know the instructions say to put the whole frame together and then cover it, but I like covering each thing first and then sewing it all together. I think it gives a better line in the end.

So this is where I am going to end this first part and I will pick up next time with covering the hat.

Hope you can follow my ramblings enough to make your own Edwardian Hat. The second Part will be up by Monday the 30th of Jan at the latest. I have a lot of hand sewing to do. :D

~Eliza

November and December

2011-12-30T15:49:00.000-08:00

November and December have also been long months. I have had my share of worries and upsets and I just pray that the new year is better.

On an up note I have decided to join the Vintage Lending Library sewers who will be trying out various 1912 patterns. I am overly excited as I can't wait to see what patterns come in the mail. It will be like Christmas every month with a new project every month. I will have to keep copious notes on what works for me and what didn't. But the fun part is getting to try out the patterns. :D

If you are also interested in trying out the Vintage patterns this is the link. :D

http://vpll.wordpress.com/2011/11/24/the-1912-project/

Happy Sewing. :D

What a long Month...

2011-10-30T17:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, well, lets see. October dawned and I had one request for a costume... by the end of that week I had five costumes to make. One for my neighbor one for a dear friend, two for my nieces, one for me and one for another friend who was going to only have me help her make her's. Oh and a custom Regency bonnet that was in the works for months.

Well, I managed four of the five. My own costume (it was going to be a Flapper costume) didn't turn out how I wanted so I stopped working on it and decided I would just wear my Ren Garb and deal with the Flapper costume when I had more time.

My Eldest Niece requested a Victorian gown (I have a feeling she is going to end up much like myself... into reenacting. :D) one that was similar to the dress Samantha from American Girls wears for Christmas. So I made her a very cute maroon cotton gown complete with eyelet inset for the collar and neck line. She absolutely loves it and say that its the greatest because when she "twirls" it ends up parallel to the ground. Hopefully I will steal some more pics from Halloween with the girls all dressed up from my sister's facebook after tomorrow. :D

My next oldest Niece was asked if she wanted a Flapper dress to match her sister's since it was really easy and quick to make. She told me "No, Auntie, I want to be Belle but the Blue dress." And so I did as she commanded (LOL) and she got a beautiful blue Belle. LOL Sorry about the horrible picture its from my phone (not a great cam) and this was without the beautiful collar that came after this picture.

So a dear friend sent me a pic via text and being the silly woman I am I looked at it thought "I could totally make that." and never scrolled down.... well I finally scrolled down and hour later and read that she had asked if I could make it for her! Of course I can I had said and this is the result.

The picture she had sent me was of a "Cantina Girl" and it came out wonderfully. She got loads of comments when we went and she loved it. :D

I went in my Ren Garb as I had stated earlier with the expection of no daggers but toy guns. As soon as my friend posts the pictures (I forgot my camera at home) I will post the pics of my other friend and I dueling. :D

So today I got it into my head that I wanted to make the Halloween Cupcakes that I had been planning to make for a few weeks. I have to say they came out great. They are super cute and I love how cute they are. So I am ending this post with the pictures of the cupcakes. :D

Take freshly baked chocolate cupcakes.

Add a bit of commercial grade orange food gel to white frosting...

Make the white frosting turn a lovely shade of orange.

Add some Old Halloween pics from years past.

Add some sprinkles and you get this bad boys. Of course after I finished all the cupcakes with all the picks in them I went to put the lid on and discovered they were too tall for the carrier I had put them in. *Sigh* So I went and got the other round carrier and transferred them over. Good thing I like the taste of frosting since my hands were covered in it.

All in all that was pretty much my month. Though I will hopefully have more pictures later on. Have a Happy Halloween and remember, just because there are people out there that want to have Halloween be purely evil, it doesn't have to be after all it was once based on All Hallow's Eve, The Harvest and the changing of the Seasons. Bake a little, Decorate a little and make little kids happy by giving them a little candy.

Today's Inspiration...

2010-03-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

While getting ready for church today mom had the mass on so I was half listening to what the priest was saying during his homily... until he started to speak of strong women... So today's words of wisdom:

"A Strong Woman vs. A Woman Of Strength

A strong woman works out every day,
Pride in her appearance she portrays,
But a woman of strength kneels to pray,
Keeping her soul in shape, God leading the way.

A strong woman isn't afraid of anything,
Looking forward to challenges each day will bring,
Women of strength show courage in the midst of fear,
Knowing triumph through faith because the Lord is near.

Strong women won't let anyone get the best of them,
So skilled in defense even if they have to pretend,
Yet a woman of strength gives her best to everyone,
Being anointed with divine blood from the only begotten Son.

A strong woman relies on the physical attributes making her tough,
In her search for power and money she will never have enough,
A woman of strength understands that it’s not about material stuff,
Knowing that before becoming a diamond first she’ll be in the rough.

A strong woman sometimes disguises her feelings shadowed by clouds,
Unhinged when challenged on her policy becoming boisterous and loud,
A woman of strength concerns herself not with judgment from others,
And will not let business interfere with commitments as a wife and mother.

A strong woman is easily impatient back and forth she will begin to pace,
Counting on her holier than thou attitude instead of depending on faith,
A woman of strength is assured trust in God will always carry her through,
And at the Creator’s appointed time she’ll receive all that is justly due.

A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same for tomorrow,
Refusing to take time looking back with reverence and Godly sorrow,
The woman of strength realizes life's mistakes no matter how slim,
While thanking God for the blessings as she capitalizes on them.

A strong woman walks head first with no doubt in her mind,
Again, no matter what, she’ll not make this mistake a second time,
But a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls,
So when a situation arises again, she’s not afraid to answer the call.

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face,
Always doing whatever it takes to finish, seeking only first place,
The woman of strength competes with an emotional sense of grace,
Understanding it’s more important to run a Holy Spirit filled race.

A strong woman has faith that for the journey she’ll have enough,
No matter how uneven the terrain or roads being rocky and rough,
A woman of strength knows it’s in the journey she will become strong,
And the love of God is forever with her, no matter how difficult or long.

A strong woman when uninformed thinks that she is being mistreated,
In the end her physical attributes fail causing doubt to become seeded,
A woman of strength will compromise as a little give and take is needed,
Why? Because a lesson not learned the first time is soon to be repeated.

Ladies! Philippians 4: 6, start everyday with supplication & prayer,
Trust and believe that God will always get you from here to there,
And should your giant steps seem to be moving only inch by inch,
The journey is not as A Strong Woman but A Woman Of Strength."

w/Dee Cheeks

Luke Easter
obtained off of this site

As Promissed!

2008-12-11T18:02:00.000-08:00

As promised I am back to tell you the results! As you can see the came out pretty! This is not all of them by any means, just a few I put on the plate in order to take a picture! LOL

Anyways, I actually followed the full recipe the only thing I changed was that I did not turn the pan upside down... this might be why I had a bit of a hard time getting the chocolate to spread. Eh, it was fun so who cares, and *drum roll please!* it tastes GREAT! So out of five stars I would give this one a 4.5 needs just a little more extract and a little less big candy bits. LOL!

Here's the recipe in case you'd like to make them for yourself. I hunted for the recipe so please please please don't ask where I got it, I honestly don't remember. FYI they turned out to look nothing like the picture on the cover of Wiliams of Sonoma which was the inspiration. lol. Oh and I didn't cut it the same either so yeah no 36 pieces! LOL

As Always, Eliza

LAYERED PEPPERMINT CRUNCH BARK

Packed in jars that are decorated with red ribbon and candy canes, this sweet makes a festive gift. To crush the peppermints coarsely, tap the wrapped candies firmly with the bottom edge of any unopened 15- to 16-ounce can.

17 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), finely chopped
30 red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies, coarsely crushed (about 6 ounces)
7 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Turn large baking sheet bottom side up. Cover securely with foil. Mark 12 x 9-inch rectangle on foil. Stir white chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water) until chocolate is melted and smooth and candy thermometer registers 110°F. (chocolate will feel warm to touch). Remove from over water. Pour 2/3 cup melted white chocolate onto rectangle on foil. Using icing spatula, spread chocolate to fill rectangle. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup crushed peppermints. Chill until set, about 15 minutes.

Stir bittersweet chocolate, cream and peppermint extract in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until just melted and smooth. Cool to barely lukewarm, about 5 minutes. Pour bittersweet chocolate mixture in long lines over white chocolate rectangle. Using icing spatula, spread bittersweet chocolate in even layer. Refrigerate until very cold and firm, about 25 minutes.

Rewarm remaining white chocolate in bowl set over barely simmering water to 110°F. Working quickly, pour white chocolate over firm bittersweet chocolate layer; spread to cover. Immediately sprinkle with remaining crushed peppermints. Chill just until firm, about 20 minutes.

Lift foil with bark onto work surface; trim edges. Cut bark crosswise into 2-inch-wide strips. Using metal spatula, slide bark off foil and onto work surface. Cut each strip crosswise into 3 sections and each section diagonally into 2 triangles. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Chill in airtight container.) Let stand 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Makes 36 pieces.

WoS Peppermint Bark
This is what the WoS looks like and as I was hunting for the picture I came across another recipe which I might have to try. Then again I might just tweak the one I have. LOL Until next time!

Tis the Season...

2008-12-11T13:22:00.000-08:00

So I can always tell the season by what I'm making. In December I make candy for my co-workers and for some of my family (Mainly my mother).

Last week my co-worker came back from maternity leave. Its nice to have her back. The Friday that she came back we were all up front and she slid over towards me and goes "So Elizabeth, are you going to be making Rocky Road this year?" I laughed and said unless I get sick, and my other co-worker, and very good friend said "Don't get sick." LOL They make working there much easier. Well the next day a different co-worker and my friend were up front and we were looking at the Williams of Sonoma catalogue and on the cover is a picture of peppermint bark. Both of them look at me and go, "That's what you should try this year." LOL

To make a longer story shorter, I am currently making Peppermint Bark, its my first try and I'm not telling anyone that I am making it for fear that it turns out crappy! LOL! I have a feeling that it is going to be pretty good. If my slight tasting every time I melt chocolate is any indication. HEHE

Well I well blog again later on the out come of my newest experiment. As Always, Eliza

P.S. I'll also repost the recipe. Did I mention that I set my laptop up in the kitchen so that I could watch Twilight as I made this. :D lol I Really need this soundtrack!

Burr... Baby its Cold outside...

2008-12-08T20:18:00.000-08:00

I know those of you who don't live here in the Central Valley find it hard to believe that 50highs and low forties isn't very cold but I have to say Dude, its freakin cold! We are predicted to have SNOW, SNOW, this weekend. And it is mighty cold out here. I can't believe how cold it feels. It feels colder than it really is I swear. Maybe there is a wind chill and I'm just not aware of it. As Always, ~Eliza

Books books and books...

2008-12-07T14:00:00.000-08:00

So, my sister (who is older than me) has been after me for good books. It all started when my sister saw an interview for the Twilight movie. She decided that she wanted to read ALL the books. LOL So then she borrowed all those MULTIPLE times. I can't tell you how many times she has read the books. They are very good books though so I can imagine why she wanted to read them so many times.

So anyways, now she has practically raided all of my shelves in search of good books. Which is great my sister used to read way more than myself, and now she is starting to get into the worlds again. Its wonderful, but my taste in books and her taste in books differ a bit. I love funny/dark tales that are not quite as dark as they are funny. She likes the books that are not too dark but different. I don't know what book she will want to read next but its fun to have someone to talk to about books again. I've tried many times over my adult years to get her to read the same book as me so that we could talk about it.

So I put it up to all of you who are reading this. (all two. LOL) Tell me what books you liked, what books you disliked and why... and I'll do the same.

As Always, Miss Eliza.

Many Sides of One Coin...

2008-12-03T18:31:00.000-08:00

After my regular title was taken--Life according to Me-- I decided to upgrade (if you will) my normal headline. LOL. After many many many requests to blog more regularly I am once again trying my hand at publicly writing my thoughts. I am going to make this blog not just my boring ramblings but also my creations. So with out much ado, My current projects:

I have been slowly working on this beautiful creation. Its a cotton broadcloth cream colored Regency dress. Made from Mrs. Chancey's beautiful patterns. A few more shots the next one is a close up of the front where it will button close (first time I ever made a placket!) The sleeves which will be short, will also have the same sort of embroidery on it. I am very pleased with the progress of this dress, though I am really taking my time on it. No rushing. That was my only requirement when I decided to make it.

And lastly the back. This dress was tacked together so that I could try it on. It is now once again in two main parts, the bodice and the skirt. Its gotten very busy lately with the onset of the Christmas season, so it will most likely be finished sometime in early 2009.

I am also working on some projects for my neices for Christmas. I am hopping to make the two oldest girls pjs for their American Girls dolls. This is only in addition to the PJs that I already got them for them. LOL (there is four nieces by the way) I was also thinking of making their dolls a scarf but we will see if I have time.

I just learned how to knit. Its a different sort of skill that is for sure, I already know how to Crochet, Embrodiery, and Sew. The only thing I'm not good at is Quilting. LOL So check back and I'll post some pictures of my most recent projects. I am also going to learn how to use the looms for Knitting. I'm told it goes much faster, so we shall see.

For Now, Thanks for Checking my blog out.

As always, Miss Eliza