Derby Hat Swap!

I'm a little late posting these but better late than never! Friday I was getting ready for a party yesterday which I will tell you more about in another post but here I am, bright and early Saturday morning, ready to share what I gave and received for the Derby Hat Swap!

First of all, thank you to Bristol for hostessing this swap. She did a great job and everything was so well-organized and fun!

O.k. Sweets...are you ready for this? I got partnered up with the fabulous and adorable Dede Warren for this swap and oh-my-gosh did I get lucky!! This is an absolute CONFECTION of a hat, as you'll see in the photos. It is so me and looks right at home on my side table in my dining room. Just look....

Look at the vintage millinery flowers.

And this incredible vintage hat, swathed in ivory organdy.

Don't miss the sweet little netting and pearls!

And now for what I made for Miss Dede. I asked her if she had a style/color preference and she told me she is loving Marie-Antoinette-inspired blues and browns so that's what I aimed for. I spent hours looking at all sorts of hats and was particularly taken with the wide-brimmed hats that seem to be typical of the Kentucky Derby. But I watched Sophia Coppola's Marie Antoinette again and took special note of the hats the women wore in it, and for the most part their hats were....diminutive. The type that perched on the front of their head with the big coiffed hair we associate with Marie towering up behind the hats. So I turned my attention to tiny hats for the "base" of my creation and everything just sort of "happened" from there. I love creating a little outside of my normal comfort zone....it pushes a person creatively, don't you think? By the time Dede's hat was completed, I wanted to keep it for myself, which is always a good sign!

Here's the package Dede recieved....the hat is wrapped in blue satin and ivory tuling with some millinery flowers on top. The picture of the lady in the big hat is actually a sachet I found at a little store near my fav antique shoppe.These little beauties seemed made for Dede. Rather Marie-Antoinette-ish itty-bitty vintage porcelain figurines. Only about 1.5" tall!And here's the hat!I bought the blue vintage millinery rose specifically for this project but the ivory rose was one I've been hoarding for a long time, just waiting for the perfect project!I dyed some cheesecloth the right shade of blue and I love the effect. Sort of dreamy and ethereal.

That's it, Girls! I'm going to add a piccy of me wearing my hat from Dede later today after I've gotten ready (still in p.j.'s over here!). You'll have to go look at Dede's post where she's modeling the hat she gave me! ADORABLE! And I really hope she decides to model the hat I sent her, as well!

Hugs to you!