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Lady Violette

The Romantic Lifestyle

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Recognizing Faux Alligator

Thursday, October 3rd, 2019

Here is a collection of alligator shoes - some are real and some are faux or fake alligator. Can you tell which is which? Starting on the left side and traveling front to back, 1) is a pair of real alligator Palter de Lisa sling back pumps,

Starting on the left side and traveling front to back, 1) a pair of real alligator Palter de Lisa sling back pumps circa 1950s, 2) a pair of real alligator Springolators by Beth & Herbert Levine – 1951, 3) a pair of embossed faux alligator pumps by Anne Klein II , late 1990s; moving to the right side and traveling back to front 4) a pair of real mid-century alligator pumps by Foot Flairs. 5) a pair of embossed faux alligator pumps from Via Spiga, late 1990s, 6) a pair of real “baby alligator” pumps by Andrew Seller, circa 1950s.

Yesterday I posted photos of real alligator purses and shoes so you see what  real alligator looks like. Today I want to show you what faux alligator looks like so you can learn to recognize the difference. Faux alligator is usually created by embossing cowhide or calfskin with a repetitive scale pattern designed to look like real alligator. The reasons people do this are economic.  Real alligator skin is the most prestigious and expensive actual animal leather on the market because it is relatively rare and it is tricky to work with. Thus, if you can fool people into thinking they are getting it when they aren’t you can conceivably profit from it.

Due to the high midcentury demand for real alligator accessories the American alligator was so heavily hunted that it decimated their population, and it was listed as an endangered species in 1973 by the Endangered Species Act. Subsequent conservation efforts have allowed their numbers to increase and they were removed from endangered status in 1987. Now alligators are farmed in order to produce hides for luxury goods and for their meat which is considered a Southern delicacy in Florida and Louisiana. In case you are curious, it tastes like tender chicken, in my opinion.

Some people will buy faux alligator or embossed alligator because they actually like the look of it and they cannot afford the real thing.  Some faux alligator is actually quite pretty and has earned its own prestige position in the fashion world and the luxury goods marketplace. 

Let’s take a look at what some faux alligator look like.

Faux Alligator shoes by Via Spiga are embossed cow leather. Look closely and you will see that all patterning on the skin is repetitive and exactly the same over and over. On real alligator skin these patterns will change size and shape all over the skin just the way they do when the alligator skin in on the alligator’s body.


Faux Alligator shoes by Anne Klien II. Note, again, how even sized the design is all over the shoes. It is also obviously embossed onto the surface of the cow leather only, whereas real alligator skin patterning is obviously in the entire depth of the alligator skin.


These are labeled Genuine Alligator! They are from the 1940’s. You can that the patterning is different sizes and shapes on the different parts of the shoes. Note how it changes in size and shape for example on the three straps over the front of the shoe. and yet again on the heals and the ankle straps. Also note how the designs are deep in the skin not just embossed on the very top. there is also subtle natural variation of the skin whereas fake alligator is too even in this way to be real.


A beautiful pair of classic alligator pumps from the 1950s. Note the variation is size of the scales larger on the toes, smaller on the heels. This is obviously real!


Beautiful Petite Black Alligator Bag from Bellestone circa 1960. Again, note the difference of size in the natural scales from small to large on the front of the purse. And compare the front to the back side as well.


The backside of the little Black Bellestone Bag: note that the size of the scales differs greatly on each side of the purse. It is not uniform. This is a clear indication that this is a real skin.


This is the Bellestone label which is always stamped discreetly inside the bag on the lining! Bellestone only used real skins so that is a good way to tell too!


A label such as this one is a great help in identifying
what type of skin this is! Many vintage items are labeled inside because saying they really were alligator helped the seller get a higher price for then. Alligator was a real luxury item in the 1920’s – 60’s. A pair of real alligator pumps sold for $1500 in 1960 at Henri Bendel’s!  Of course, new alligator items are still very expensive. You can fid better prices if you find vintage items but you should be sure they are in good condition and this is quite rare! 

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Vintage Bags, with Vintage Liberty of London scarves for Fall 2019

Saturday, August 31st, 2019

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After viewing the Liberty of London Foulard Handbag Collection I had to pull out a couple of my own vintage handbags and tie them up with my vintage Liberty of London Scarves. The black frame bag is a vintage snakeskin purse from London made in the 1950’s. I can’t tell you the maker’s name as it has worn off, but it is a darling little lady-like purse. The green clutch is a vintage Brahmin leather bag embossed with a faux alligator skin print. The Liberty scarves are silk and quite old. The black edged one on the black frame purse shows the Liberty of London logo.

I used a scarf clip to help me attach the scarf to the green clutch. I got the idea for doing a scarf on the front flap of a clutch from the Liberty of London Stevie Clutch which has a built on ring on which you attach your scarf. It is a cute idea! Almost every handbag you own should be able to be decorated with a scarf. I can’t tell you exactly how to attach each one, because each bag is different, but I can give you hints. I attach the scarf initially where the strap is attached to the purse on the inside of the flap where it won’t show when the purse is closed. I then pull the scarf out to the front and access how I might be able to wrap or tie the particular purse I am working with. In this case I decided to utilize a scarf clip to add a touch of golden hardware to the front of the purse and to bunch the scarf up and hold it tightly together on the front surface. I moved that around, experimenting, until I found a position I liked. I then brought the ends back to the underside of the clutch flap and figured out a way to tuck tie them up and tuck them in to conceal the extra fabric. I can open and close the purse to get things in and out easily without disturbing the way it is wrapped. You do want to be sure you can use your purse normally once it is scarfed. It could be very inconvenient if you managed to tie your bag shut and you had trouble getting into it in a hurry!

The black frame bag is a simple design that is easy to scarf. I simply looped the scarf over and through the loop on one side, then adjusted the tails of the scarf to make them look pretty.
I love to utilize my scarves. The colors and textures make me happy! And I get a lot of compliments on how pretty my bags look when I have added scarves to them.

People, even Liberty of London, have asked me where I find my vintage scarves! I can’t really send you to any particular place. I have found them at charity shops, thrift shops, estate sales, consignment shops and rummage sales. I have seen them for sale in online vintage shops on Etsy and eBay so you could try there. It is really just a matter of keeping your eyes open so you see one if you are in the right place at the right time. The same advice applies to finding interesting vintage handbags…

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A Treatise on Lavender in History

Sunday, October 5th, 2014

Photo by Anita Ritenour

 

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In the Language of Flowers  

Lavender expresses acknowledgment of Love.

Spearmint connotes Virtue and warm feelings.

Lemon implies Zest.

Orchid signifies Beauty.

Lavender, in the Elizabethan era, was considered the traditional flower of love, much as the long stemmed red rose is today. A bunch sent from a lover signified true and devoted love. Included in the wedding bouquet, lavender was believed to bring luck in marriage.

Lavender is for lovers true,

Which evermore be fain,

Desiring always for to have

Some pleasure for their pain.

Elizabethan song lyric

c.1584

So by Tudor times lavender had allied with cupid. If a maiden wished to identify her true love, she would sip a brew of lavender on Saint Luke’s day while murmuring,

Saint Luke, Saint Luke, be kind to me,

In my dreams let me my true love see….

The aromatically intense lavender and spearmint are both members of the mint family, botanically known as Lamincae, and often share the same habitat in the wild.

In folklore, lavender has always been linked with Love, as has food.

Lavender was popular in Elizabethan times for its fragrance and for its distinctive flavor. It married well with mint in the making of romantic sweets.

According to Nicholas Culpepper, Physician and Astrologer (1616 – 54),  in his book, The English Physisian, The Complete Herbal,  (still in print today and considered a definitive source on the medicinal uses and properties of many herbs and flowers) ~

Lavender is ruled by the planet Mercury and Spearmint is an herb of Venus.

The ancients classified herbs as hot or cold, or alternatively masculine or feminine.

Hot herbs were considered positive and stimulating or restorative in some way.

Lavender was the designated fragrance of the wedding night in classical times.

Well recognized and appreciated for its calming properties, lavender also enjoys a long and exotic reputation as an aphrodisiac for men!

Shakespeare, familiar with this association, has Perdita saying to older men, Polixines and Camillo in The Winter’s Tale (1610)

Here’s flowers for you;

Hot lavender, mints, savoury, majoram;

The marigold that goes to bed wi’ the sun,

And with him rises weeping: these are flowers

Of middle summer, and I think they are given

To men of middle age. You’re very welcome.

4.4.119-24

It seems that lavender was the Viagra of the Elizabethan age!

Country girls slipped lavender beneath their swain’s pillows, hoping to inspire romance; once married,  couples put lavender flowers between their sheets to encourage connubial bliss.

Courtly love and long nights of passion fanned the fires of desire for lavender itself and a brisk business rose up from the flames.

In France and England, lavender was first gathered from the wild and cultivated in cloistered priests’ gardens  and cottage and castle herb gardens. In time, desire for the flowers became so great that serious cultivation for commercial purposes developed and great fields of lavender were planted to meet the demand.

The busy streets  of London and Paris were filled with peddlers of all kinds vying to capture  the crowd’s attention for their goods and services. Lavender, ~ much appreciated for its fragrance and love making enhancement, as well as for its varied culinary, household, and medicinal uses ~ was sold alongside other popular herbs.

The picturesque street cries of London’s peddlers were first transcribed by a fifteenth- century Benedictine monk named John Lydgate.  They have since become a popular part of English folklore. Every flower seller had her own distinctive version.

Some Lavender Cries of London

From a dainty and plaintive flower girl:

Lavender! Sweet Lavender!

Who’ll buy my sweet lavender?

Sixteen bunches a penny;

Sweet blooming lavender!

Somewhat later, as prices had inflated and competition for sales become more fierce,  the more robust;

Ladies, buy my sweet lavender

Sixteen stalks for a shilling;

And that lad that you fancy            [ Variation of

Will soon be most willing!       Lady Violette de Courcy ]

These eventually became songs written about lavender ~~~

From an uninhibited seventeenth century broadsheet we have the origins of the nineteenth century nursery rhyme Lavender Blue:

Spearmint is green, dilly dilly,

Lavender’s blue;

You must love me,dilly dilly,

‘Cause I love you.

I heard one say, dilly dilly,

Since I come hither

That you and I, Dear,         [ Variation of

Must lie together.          Lady Violette de Courcy ]

A bawdy nineteenth century version was;

Lavender’s blue, dilly dilly,

Spearmint is green;

Tomorrow  I’ll be King,

And you’ll be my Queen.

Send my man to make hay;

And your maid to shear corn,

And you and I, Dear,                           [ Variation of

Will make the bed warm!             Lady Violette de Courcy ]

It was nigh impossible to resist such suggestive flirtatiousness. Everyone was buying and using lavender!

Lavender has become increasingly popular through the twentieth century. It is a favorite garden plant and a valuable farm crop. Thirty plus species are now recognized. They grow wild only in the Northern Hemisphere.

Lavender is native to the Mediterranean region, and grew wild in the sunny hills of southern France. Lavender was spread throughout Europe by the Romans who are thought to have brought it to England. Most likely it was also introduced there by Benedictine monks from France.

Lavender’s name comes from the Latin lavare, meaning “to wash.” It is refreshing and has naturally antiseptic properties. Lavender has long been used to make perfumes and soaps. The Romans scented their baths lavishly with great bundles of it. Cleopatra anointed her body with lavender oil. On sunny days, French and English ladies made a tradition of spreading their lingerie and sheets over lavender bushes to dry and absorb the alluring fragrance: this practice attracted both bees and boys. Gentlemen, as well, came to enjoy the pleasures of perfumed sheets and shirts. Lavender calmed the soul and soothed the nerves. It was customary to put sweet-smelling pots of it on sunny balconies and windowsills to perfume the air. These practices would be just as comforting today.

Piscator, in Izaak Walton’s The Complete Angler, 1653, enthusiastically describes

“An honest ale-house where we shall find a cleanly room, lavender in the windows, and twenty ballads upon the wall.”

Izaak Walton, 1682, wrote

“Good master, let’s go to that house, for the linen looks white and smells of lavender, and I long to lie in a pair of sheets that smell so.”

It was a joy to keep memories of the freshness of summer in the house all year round by storing clothing and linens in lavender.

From Lydia

My mother, for the love of her,

Unlocks her carved drawers;

And sprigs of withered lavender

Drop down upon the floors.

For Lydia’s bed must have the sheet

Spun out of linen sheer,

And Lydia’s room be passing sweet

With odors of last year…

Lizette Woodworth Reese, { 1856 – 1935}

And from an early twentith century brochure promoting the lavender industry;

Satin gown and silky fur,

Should be laid up in lavender,

For its fragrance drives away                    [ Variation of

Flitting moths of silver grey.                Lady Violette de Courcy ]

Lavender was a natural insect repellent. To have fine furs and delicate clothes “laid up” in lavender was a special luxury and very expensive.

This topic was a continual theme with the flower sellers as well:

Will you buy my sweet lavender, lady?

Sixteen bunches for a penny,

You’ll buy it once, you’ll buy it twice,

It will make your clothes smell very nice!

And from another charming song:

Come buy my lavender, sweet maids

You cannot think it dear;

There must be profit from all trades,

Mine comes but once a year.

Just put one bundle to your nose,

What rose can this excel;

Throw it amongst your finest clothes,

And grateful they will smell.

Though Winter comes, it still retains

The fragrance of today;

And while the smallest sprig remains

Your purchase will repay.

One penny’s worth is all I have,

This  sold, my stock is gone;

My weary footsteps you might save

By purchasing this one.

The witty Mister Greene wrote in 1592 of one economically challenged man; “The poor gentleman paies so deere for the lavender it is laid up in that if it laies long at the broker’s house, he seems to buy his apparel twice.’

The popularity of lavender at court drove the prices up.

Culinary records exist of lavender’s use in vinegars, stews, stocks, wild game and marinades. Lavender was also used to flavor jams, jellies, conserves and fruit pies. And it worked well with sweets.

When Simple Simon met the pie man going to the fair, The pie man’s tarts probably contained lavender flowers!

In England, the road from the growing district of Mitcham to a Renaissance fair was a gypsy ribbon of caravans selling wares made with lavender. The gypsies had a long association with the Lavender growers of that region.

In France, the perfume industry developed under the auspices of the Medici family in the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries. The master glove-makers of Grasse became the first perfumers because fashion of the time dictated that gloves and all other items made of animal skins should be highly scented. Gloves were, of course, essential accessories to all “persons of quality.” Eventually, the perfume industry superceded all others, and the growing and processing of lavender became the main business of the area.

The industrial revolution and rural exodus of the peasants for jobs in the cities had monumental effects on both town and country. Scent, as a symbol of social success and personal refinement, was in ever higher demand as the urban working population grew. Fashion became economically accessible to all classes. Consequently, the perfume and cosmetic industries flourished in all the great cities of Europe and America.

Historically, perfumes were a continual and precious aspect of aristocratic life. It followed that the bourgeoisie were influenced by the nobility and the working classes  then imitated the bourgeoisie.

Lavender regularly consorted with royalty. This pungent herb was a favorite of Charles VI of France who, Lady Violette discovered, when she sat down on a divan in his salon, had his upholstered furniture stuffed with it. Queen Elizabeth I of England commanded that the royal table never be without lavender tea to soothe her migraine headaches, or a conserve made of it to be sprinkled on meats. (This was a clever way to disguise the fact that meats, in an era prior to refrigeration, were often past their prime.) Queen Henrietta Maria, daughter of Henry IV of France and Marie de Medici,  and the wife of Charles I of England, was a great patron of gardens. She had immense amounts of rare white lavender planted on the palace grounds and believed greatly in its magical power. It was considered an herb of protection ~ and divine protection was direly needed by women in court! Louis XIV of  France, the Sun King, carried sprigs of lavender in his pockets, for the pleasure of its scent and to ward off evil. He also washed with lavender water. Queen Victoria loved the fragrance. She wore it as her signature perfume and had her entire castle cleaned with lavender-based products. The royal gardens were  chock full of lavender plants. And, as far as we know, HRH Queen Elizabeth II enjoys it to this day.

Men and women of power throughout the ages were avid for perfumes. Napoleon had an insatiable appetite for eau de cologne. After his exile to Saint Helena, he was unable to obtain it, so he had his servant concoct a home brew from wild plants on the island ~ including lavender.

In addition to imparting its alluring scent to humans, lavender also works well as a natural insect repellant. It was sewn into sachets to be placed in drawers and armoires, or to be carried in the pockets of a silk waistcoat or gown. That is one of the reasons pockets were invented.

Lavender has been gathered from the wild and grown in monastic gardens for medicinal purposes for centuries. The Greeks and Romans are known to have used it to treat a wide range of problems. The first written evidence of its presence and use in Great Britain occurs in the texts of the great Welsh physicians of Myddfai in the thirteenth century. Lavender oil was used in a tincture to treat cuts, snake and insect bites, and stings  and burns, in both animals and people. Its essence is a natural antiseptic.

It had long been observed in Provence that a cut incurred when gathering lavender with a sickle never became infected. Lavender was one of the herbs gathered in copious amounts by civilians during World Wars I and II to treat wounded soldiers. It has long been used to relieve headaches, soothe tension, calm nerves and alleviate insomnia. Lavender helped relieve the  symptoms of colds, coughs and chest infections. It was used in treatment of asthma attacks. It is recognized as a mild tranquilizer and was used in treating depression. It was also used as a sexual stimulant and a treatment for erectile dysfunction.

Lavender also served as a strewing herb ~ an herb spread over floors to be crushed when walked on and, thus, to mask unpleasant odors. It was often used in the sickroom as a deodorizer and disinfectant. In medieval times, it was burned in large quantities in buildings and streets to fight the plague, which was thought to be spread by smell. Financial records exist showing that towns purchased huge quantities of it from peasants for these fumigations. It was recommended that a person tie a bundle to each wrist to ward off the plague. Lavender was considered a powerful protection against infection. There is an interesting account of four thieves in Marseilles in 1722 who plundered the corpses of the dead and washed their hands and bodies regularly with a strong lavender vinegar and never contracted the dreaded plague. The aforementioned glove-makers of France, who perfumed their wares, escaped infection during a sixteenth century cholera epidemic as well.

The ancient name of lavender was spikenard. There are many Biblical references to spikenard and to its price. Lavender products were extremely precious at that time.

From the Gospel of Saint John: “Then took Mary a pound of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.” [Chapter 12, Verse 3]

Stories from the Bible and legends became entwined over time. It was thought that Adam and Eve took lavender with them when they were banished from the Garden of Eden. One legend claims that lavender had no scent at all until the Virgin Mary laid the baby Jesus’ clothing on a lavender bush to dry and, with her saintly touch, bestowed its scent upon it for his pleasure and protection. That may be the source of lavender’s reputation as a traditional safeguard against evil. And of the custom of hanging a cross made of lavender over an entryway for protection. In Tuscany children were given sprigs of lavender to carry for protection and in North Africa women wore it to protect themselves from abuse from their husbands.

As an herb lavender has a long tradition of use in magic. It’s old use and meaning was as an herb of love, protection and purification. Lavender was used in celebrations of the summer solstice, where it was thrown on bonfires on Midsummer Night. In modern magic, it retains these associations, being used in incenses, in purifying and healing rituals and, of course, in love potions.

I think of lavender as the Cinderella of herbs and flowers: she can clean the house and work in the laundry during the day; metamorphose through magic and appear elegantly  at a  palace ball to dance the night away and charm her way into the hearts of royalty;  return the next day to grace the garden of a humble cottage in exquisite simplicity and scent the hearth of a fine house; and, all the while, linger unforgettably  in the memory of a prince like a beautiful perfume;  and again, with the help of flower magic, finally find her true and devoted life love! It is safe to assume that there was lavender in Cinderella’s wedding bouquet and that the phrase “living happily ever after” included marital passion between lavender-scented sheets. Cinderella would definitely have known about these things!

Lady Violette de Courcy

Treatise on Lavender

Tina Peterson

( Lady Violette de Courcy )     8/6/2002

Copyright Tina C. Peterson 2002

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Portrait of Igor Schwezoff, Ballet dancer and choreographer, 1940, Colonel de Basil’s Ballets Russes Australian Tour

Sunday, February 16th, 2014

Igor Schwezoff Russian Ballet Dancer & Choreographer 1940, Photographer Spencer Skier

I am pleased to present this classic and elegant photo of Russian ballet dancer/choreographer Igor Schwezoff taken in 1940 in Australia during Colonel de Basil’s Ballets Russes Australian Tour.

This beautiful portrait was taken in order to be used as a head shot and publicity promotional photo for Mr. Schwezoff as a dancer/ choreographer and for his ballet Lutte Eternelle which received its professional premier by Colonel de Basil’s Ballets Russes in Sydney on 29, July, 1940, during the third Australian tour of the company.

Having left Soviet Russia in the late 1920s, Schwezoff travelled widely, briefly running ballet schools in Amsterdam and London. He wrote his acclaimed autobiography, Borzoi, published in London in 1935. He then joined de Basil’s Ballets Russes in 1939 as a soloist and worked with the company for two years. Lutte Eternelle was the first of his works to be danced by the de Basil company. This one act ballet was a revision of an earlier work by Schwezoff that was originally staged in Amsterdam by the performing group from his ballet school. Both the earlier production and Lutte Eternelle were well received by both critics and the public alike.

To my knowledge this photo has not been published before. It is from the private collection of Mr. Ian Bevans who worked in some PR capacity with the Ballets Russes during their 1939 – 40 Australian seasons. He was a dedicated balletomane who befriended members of the ballet company and collected and saved photos of many of the dancers taken during their historic stay in Australia.  Mr. Bevan’s friend, Mr. Kurt Ganzl kindly gave these photos to me. Mr. Bevans collection includes action photos, posed press photos, professional head shots of the dancers, some happy snap shots and some personal Christmas cards from Toumanova and Skibine. Some of the photos are autographed and some are inscribed with personal messages. All of them are fascinating bits of classical ballet history. I am grateful to Mr. Gansl for sharing them with me and delighted to be able to share them with other ballet fans on my blog. I plan to post more of these beautiful and rare ballet pictures on this blog soon.

 

Back side of Igor Schwezoff Portrait, 1940, by Photographer Spencer Skier

The back side of the photo of Igor Schwezoff by Spencer Skier, Collin St. Melb, 1940.

If anyone knows more about this photo or how it was used would you please contact me? I am a former student and friend of Igor Schwezoff and am currently researching details of his life and career.

 

 

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Edward Hopper Inspired Portrait Cloche Hat Pattern by Lady Violette de Courcy , Part 2 ~ Knitted Bow Tutorial

Wednesday, February 12th, 2014

My Edward Hopper Inspired Portrait Cloche Hat Decorated with a Knitted Bow

The Edward Hopper Inspired Portrait Cloche Hat is trimmed with a knitted bow which both adds a decorative vintage touch to the hat and conveniently covers and conceals the side seam over the right ear. The pattern for this hat is in yesterday’s blog post here.

Cast on 18 stitches on Size 8 US needles and work 12 inches of stockinette stitch to make a piece of fabric for the bow.

To make the bow cast on 18 stitches on size 8 US needles in the same bulky weight yarn as you use for the hat. Work in stockinette stitch for 12 inches, then bind off. (Stockinette stitch is Knit one row, Purl one row.) Cut the yarn but leave a tail of yarn about 12 inches long to sew the center seam of the bow together.

Do not block the piece of fabric you have made for the bow. You will want the selvedge edges to curl in order to create a nice soft plump looking bow.

Sew the center seam together on what will be the back underside of the bow when it is attached to the hat. 

Turn the bow and fold ends inward toward the center. Sew the ends together along the center seam which will be on the underside of the bow when it is sewn to the hat.

Turnover and cinch the bow fabric together in the center with a piece of yarn to create the bow tie shape.

Turn the bow so that the right side is facing upwards. Place a piece of yarn under the center of the bow and tie it together to cinch the bow together in the middle.

Gather together , cinch and tie yarn on the backside to form bow.

Bow should be about 6 inches in length.

You have created a fat puffy little bow about 6 inches long. Smooth the edges and both sides of the bow with your fingers to make the shape pretty.

Place bow on side seam of hat to check the fit.

Set it over the seam of the hat to be sure it is long enough to cover the sewn seam and conceal it.

Wrap yarn tightly around middle of bow several times to create the center. Tie securely on back side and tuck in ends.

Next: Wrap a generous length of yarn around the center of the bow several times tightly to create the middle section of the bow. Tie it firmly on the back side so it will stay put. Tuck in the yarn ends. Your bow is now finished and ready to sew onto your hat.

Center the bow over the side seam and make sure one narrow edge is along the edge of the brim fold and the other is along the edge where you picked up and knit the stitches to create the crown of the hat. I think it is a good idea to try the hat on at this point and make sure you like the position of the bow.

Place bow on hat and sew in place.

When you are satisfied with the placement sew the bow to the hat using yarn and a large yarn needle. Sew the bow on securely but only sew through the bottom layer of the bow fabric so that the top layer of the bow fabric is free and stays puffy and full. I sewed my bows to the center along the side seam of the hat and sewed it down along both short ends ~ sewing along the bottom of the brim and attaching the other end of the bow to the joining stitches along the crown.

Only sew the bottom part of the bow loops to the hat. Leave the top sides of the bow free and open so that you can put your fingers inside to plump up the bow.

I left the top loops of the bow free so that I can shape the bow with my fingers by reaching inside them to plump up the bow.

The bow will cover the side seam and the wearers right ear when the hat is worn.

When wearing the hat the bow should be placed over your right ear. It should completely cover and hide the side seam of the hat.

This type of bow can also be attached to a barrette or hair comb and used as a hair ornament. You can make these bows larger or smaller and use them to decorate hair ornaments, hats, gloves, the backs of little girl’s dresses, and sweaters, even gift boxes! Knitted bows are very pretty and very easy to make. Small ones can even be used to decorate mittens and booties or baby shoes! I made one and applied it to the back of a little girl’s knitted coat at the top of a pleat. They are easy to make and have many uses.

The Edward Hopper Inspired Portrait Cloche Hat in two color ways designed by Lady Violette de Courcy

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