HOW TO MAKE THE BLACK ROSE STEAMPUNK HAT

Well, all the hoopla and anticipation is over, my hats didn't win in the CHA Best Blogger contest but I had a good time putting them together and have met other online bloggers along the way. 

When I received the craft supplies from Prime Publishing, I kind of knew when I saw that lovely roll of metal from MD Hobby & Craft what I was going to do and my ideas worked for both the hat and matching gauntlets. There was even a pair of metal working gloves in that precious box, also and boy did they come in handy. Working with metal can be a little painful sometimes, these saved the day. 

Here are links to previous hat posts:

http://carolynscanvas.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-steampunk-black-rose-hat-more.html

http://carolynscanvas.blogspot.com/2015/03/unexpectedly-receiving-good-sized-box.html

http://carolynscanvas.blogspot.com/2015/02/my-competition-projects-are-done.html

http://carolynscanvas.blogspot.com/2015/02/craft-blogger-contest-what-i-chose-to.html

Yep, I did get carried away with these projects, didn't I? Oh, well, the first prize was $1000.

There was a lot of good feedback on the hats, especially this one so here is the video tutorial:

You will need:

the hat

metal sheet roll for hatband

the metal working gloves are highly suggested for working with the metal

black roses-I had 2 stems, one with 3 blossoms and one with one very large rose

lace for band and streamers

tulle for yoyos, streamers and veil

various cords, laces, trims of your choice

other beads, etc.

hot glue gun

To put together:

cut strip of metal 4" [or width desired] for hatband by 2" short of hat measurement [hot glue adheres better to hat than to the metal-it will be covered by floral arrangement]

cut 2" wide slits from top of band to within 1" of bottom of band-do not cut apart 

hot glue band to hat overlapping slits to fit smoothly against hat

cut 4" wide [or width desired] band from black lace to fit around hat, fit over metal hat band, hot glue at back

hot glue braids, trims around top of band

cut half circle 10" for veil, sew on trim if desired

glue to bottom of hat band, glue braid/trims around bottom of band covering edge of veil

for large tulle yoyos-cut 13" circles-take running stitch around edge-pull to gather-secure stitching

cut streamers from tulle and lace the width and length desired

place tops between yoyos-stitch or glue together

remove large rose from stem, remove each petal from center-this will allow flower to lay flatly 

place petals back together and glue together-glue to yoyo/streamers

glue to hat

adorn hat with other florals as desired

your hat is done, isn't it lovely

I didn't get a negative response from anyone with this hat. If you decide to create one, I hope you have as much fun with it as I did. 

Happy creating and thank you for stopping by

Carolyn Wainscott

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The pattern for the gauntlets will be available in My Pattern Store @

http://www.craftsy.com/user/pattern/store/43851

check out all my crafting/sewing/quilting patterns

SUNBONNET SUE BABY QUILT-50" X 50" with traditional 14" block included

OVERALL SAM BABY QUILT-50" X 50"-traditional 14" block included

90" X 90" DRESDEN PLATE QUILT PATTERN-traditional 14" block included

EIGHT INCH BLOCK LETTERING-FOR APPLIQUE, WALL DECOR

SOCKSY MONKEY BABY QUILT PATTERN-50" X 50"-14" BLOCK INCLUDED

plus all my coordinating American Girl patterns

OOPS! I'VE DISCOVERED ONLINE AUCTIONS

I have to tell you, I love auctions and woe is me, I've discovered online auctions and could get into big trouble if I don't watch it. Oh, I'm not talking about Ebay. I did that too and had fun, have gotten some real bargains-that is the name of the game for me-bargains. I enjoyed bidding and selling on Ebay for a time and still cruise now and then when I need an embellishment or trim-have been disappointed not too many times. 

Len and I even bid on a large house on 15 acres before we bought our home in Indiana-now that was an adventure. We didn't get it and its a good thing, the Lord was really watching out for us there. It was an awesome house, though, the walls were a foot thick, it was a federalist style, built in mid 1800's, two story with center staircase in the entry. I had already put all my stuff in that one mentally before the auction but we were outbid. That morning on the way to the auction, Len asked which of us was going to bid, I told him he had better because he had a cooler head I would probably get too excited and keep going over our limit and boy, did it go over our limit. 

We also went to several auctions after we retired to Indiana in 2000. I got a box of vintage ladies gloves at one with over 30 pair and there were lots of other odds and ends-did I tell you I love auctions? 

Then a friend told me about those online auctions selling whole households and office goods. 

The local auction company here in Cincinnati is Everything But The House and they have expanded into other cities.  I only bid on items that are a short drive from me. The first thing I won was a canvas folding screen that I plan on using for a design/display wall for my quilting/sewing room. It folds out to over 8'. I always google items before I bid and this one had been priced at over $300. It was mine for just over $50.

Also have gotten: a fold up box spring for $10, 2 new wooden chest of drawers in box for $35 each, 4 microwave ovens for $25 each, a black velvet mannequin head, a large dry erase board for less than $2, these 60 cent craft sticks that were handy so took photo:

 new in box file for less than $7

 wallhangings/rugs-$6 or $7-all one lot-will use them wonderfully one day for something

But my absolute thrill, the reason for writing about auctions are my dining room chairs. I had been looking for over a year for chairs for a wonderful teak dining room table with matching buffet. We had shopped furniture stores, yard sales, local online yard sales for decent chairs we could afford. We wanted at least 8. I had also bid on several sets of chairs at the online auctions but was always outbid. One set I thought was so gorgeous but my daughter was afraid I was going to win them. They were a gray leather, barrel type that would have suited our dining room so well because she had painted a two tone gray-still can't figure out why she didn't like those chairs. I kept watch on them all night, upping my bid but they went out of site on me and I had to cease and desist. I even had bids on 2 different sets of chairs in the same auction at one point but wouldn't go over a certain limit I set for them. It is such a good thing those didn't go through. I watched this particular set of chairs all viewing week and made up my mind, would go the limit for the set. They were rattan with leather stripping and seemed to suit the teak so well and I was tired of looking. These were just our style, casual, not too formal and there were 8 of them. One thing that was in my favor, too, the bidding closed in late afternoon, not evening when most people were home from work but these were going to be mine, I wouldn't be outbid but great balls of fire, I got all 8 chairs for $183 and my son went and picked them up.

I don't think the photos do them justice at all. They are just about the sturdiest chairs I have ever seen and I love'em.  

While Jeff was unloading them from his truck we discussed what we thought they had cost originally. His guess was under $100 each but I had been looking for over a year and thought I knew what things were going for-my estimate was at least $300 each. We put them around the table, they were perfect. They look new.

My curiosity was killing me, I had to know how good a buy I had gotten. There were labels on the bottom-the manufacturer and designer so I went online and looked them up. They were still available and I mean to tell you, I did get a great deal. The side chairs were over $1700 each and the armchairs were listed at $1900 each. With the chairs, table and buffet we have a $14,000 dining room set with an investment of about $550. 

A word of caution, though. You do have to watch what you are bidding on and read the description carefully. I haven't been disappointed with anything from Everything But The House but another giant warehouse auction site has had to refund my money a couple of times and it is a real adventure to have to go to a giant cavern of a place and wonder around to find your lot to pick up your bid items. Check everything out, maybe get something small at first, it can be frustrating. 

But, did I tell you I love auctions?

Right now I stay off the auction sites, there may be something I can't live without. My home is nicely done, we don't need a thing and we have made a pact not to buy anything that is not a necessity right now. I spent a lot of time looking, I won't count that as all wasted time but now have a lot I want to get done so my time can be better spent on those things.

It was fun and interesting for a while and probably will be again but not for now.

Happy crafting/quilting/sewing and auctioning, yard saleing and if you get some super bargains let me know. Great bargain hunting is an art, too, don't you think?

Carolyn Wainscott 

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check out My Pattern Store for American Girl doll separates @

http://www.craftsy.com/user/pattern/store/43851

all my patterns can be downloaded instantly

my American Girl top pattern is free-coordinates with all my other AG patterns

THE STEAMPUNK BLACK ROSE HAT-MORE PHOTOS-VOTING ENDS MARCH 10, 2015

OK, one more post about the voting for The Best Blogger Craft 2015 competition and I'll quit, I promise, well, maybe, unless something else comes up. Here is the link for voting:
http://www.favecrafts.com/contest/blogger-contest.

I wish they would let us know how the voting is going but NNNOOO, not until the voting is over in about 36 more hours as I write-no, it is until midnight CST so I think that makes it 39 more hours. I am on EST. 

I am preparing a video tutorial on putting the hat together that will be incorporated into a blog post. There is no pattern needed here if a purchased hat is used as I did for this one. Metal sheet roll from MD Hobby & Craft was the basis for the hat and it came out without a hitch. 

Matching gauntlets were made also using the metal. The pattern for them will be available for them along with the pattern for my other entry, The Victorian Chapeau, that also has matching mitts in My Pattern Store @ http://www.craftsy.com/user/pattern/store/43851. The mitt pattern can be used for both styles of hand accessory. 

So here are some closeups of the hat:

great, granddaughter, Hannah modeling for me, this is her favorite

  

Thank you for stopping by

May you enjoy crafting/sewing/quilting as much as I do

Carolyn Wainscott 

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CHECK OUT MY PATTERN STORE @

http://www.craftsy.com/user/pattern/store/43851

GIRLS' CAPE PATTERN-matches cape pattern for American Girl Doll 

CAPE PATTERN FOR AMERICAN GIRL DOLLS

90" DRESDEN PLATE PATTERN

MORE PHOTOS OF BEST BLOGGER CRAFT 2015 ENTRY-VICTORIAN LACE CHAPEAU

Unexpectedly receiving a good sized box full of craft supplies was exciting. Not knowing why was a mystery until we found the brochure under all those goodies. My tale of good fortune is here:

http://carolynscanvas.blogspot.com/2015/02/new-craft-items-from-fairfield-martha.html

I knew almost instantly what I would be building as soon as I saw the chicken wire and metal working gloves from MD Hobby & Craft. There would be a Steampunk hat made from the chicken wire. How I was  going to pull that off, I didn't have a clue but that was the only thing in there that could be used for a structure at first glance.

How the hat went from being made from chicken wire to a more normal mode of technique is @
http://carolynscanvas.blogspot.com/2015/02/craft-blogger-contest-what-i-chose-to.html

As I sit here and muse over constructing a hat from chicken wire and then even having bought a tiny bird cage that would swing on the inside I think of how crazy that would have been that even I would consider it. Hmmm, wait a minute here, on second thought, I still have some chicken wire left.

In finessing the pattern and instructions for the hat, I decided to leave out the chicken wire entirely and use 2 layers of Stiffen 2.

The patterns for the hat and fingerless gloves will be available in My Pattern Store @ http://www.craftsy.com/user/pattern/store/43851

Anyhoo, here are some closeup photos till I can get the pattern, instructions and video done.

 the matching mitts with appliques left over from hat band lace

here are the trims that were hot glued on abundantly

The voting is still open for The Best Blogger Craft 2015 competition until March 10, 2015 so I would appreciate you taking the time to go over and vote for me @ 
http://www.favecrafts.com/contest/blogger-contest.

Happy crafting/sewing/quilting,
Carolyn Wainscott
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Victorian Lace Chapeau with matching mitts will be available  in My Pattern Store @
http://www.craftsy.com/user/pattern/store/43851
along with my other designs.

SUNBONNET SUE BABY QUILT 50" X 50" including traditional 14" block pattern


SOCKSY MONKEY BABY QUILT-50" X 50" with matching 14" block pattern


OVERALL SAM BABY QUILT PATTERN 50" x 50" with traditional 14" block pattern