Victorian Rose hat

This is a really beautiful summer hat!!

…reminiscent of the elaborate Victorian hats that our grandmothers, several generations back, may have worn.

It’s not difficult to do, it just takes perseverance, because it involves several steps.

I started this hat in a previous hat tutorial, Hats Top it Off!

First, I machine stitched a lace trim around the edge of the brim.
Next, a wider version of the same lace pattern was hand sewn to the base of the crown.
Using a fancy oblong doily for the “train” in the back of the hat, I hand stitched that on, so that it adorns the back of the crown—as a backdrop for the flowers, and gracefully cascades from the brim.

I had wanted a taupe color for my ribbon, to match the dark tips on the rose buds, and create a contrast. But… I couldn’t find any! However, I really like the cream color I got. 🙂

Wanting the bunch of roses I would put on the back to be the center of interest, I made two small bows instead of one big bow.

500x500-joyce — Sweet Memories photo restoration

I preferred to sew everything on instead of gluing. I thought it would hold better and wouldn’t be so messy, and show glue globs.

My “bows” (above) consist of three loops of ribbon, pinned to hold them, until sewed.
Surround the crown with a length of ribbon, placing it midpoint on the lace hat band, overlapping it a little at the back, and pin in place till sewed.

Attach the bows on each side of the doily, even with the band of ribbon, to look as though it is tied from the ribbon on the crown. Add a couple of ribbon streamers coming from the bows.
Slip the leaves off the stems of the flowers and begin to put them randomly on the back of the hat, to make a setting for the roses.

In planning my flower bunch, I wanted the full roses to cluster, with buds extending beyond them—three buds on the back, and saved two buds and one full rose for the side. I bent the bud stems so when I sewed them on, they would be more secure than straight stems. Above, I’m holding one of the bud stems in place to see where to sew it on. I also continued attaching the leaves.

These three photos (above), shown increasingly zoomed in, shows how the bent stems are sewn on securely.
Take the roses off the stems to sew them on. Just stick your needle right into the flower to attach them to the hat, in and out several times.

Below is the finished product: side and back. 😀

The hat was found at a thrift for $1.50; I had to pay $4 for the roses (which were in a teapot); the ribbon cost $1.97 @ Wal-Mart; the doily and lace I got at a bin store ($1.19/ lb).