Retro Rack

A while ago I did a post about making magnetic hat flowers, so I could have different flowers on my two cream hats depending on the dress.

A Reminder

• The hats have heavy duty magnets under their bands.
• For each fancy I used a hot glue gun to affix strong rare earth disc magnets (facing the correct direction for the hats!) to the backs.
• I also glue a bit of ribbon over the magnet as otherwise the magnet is stronger than the glue and just comes off the fancy.

Some day someone smart will market magnet buttons so they can be sewn on . . .

Since the first session of fancy-making, I have been plotting to do this to a cream headband as well, but have been experiencing technical difficulties.

In the interim, I created more fancies!

New Fancies

Black grosgrain with teapot button decroation

Black on the hat!

For this one I adapted an old royal blue faire favor. Since I don't do faire anymore, it seemed like a good use for an old friend. Added a spray of feathers to the back with a glue gun, and gued down the magnet and covered with ribbon and wha la!

Completed royal blue favor

Re-purposing a cheap headband from Ross.

Before

Added magnet

On the hat

And lastly I did a cheeky red bow with a button.

The final collection:

One of the best thing about these? They pack small!

Retro Rack is also on facebook where I post additional images and fashion thoughts.

So a while back I was rambling through Calistoga, as you do, and I found a vintage store, as I do all the time, and things being as they are, bought this hat for $15.


Searching the net, I found a few others of this shape.




It's difficult to see, when it's not on the head but it's so cute! It's worn tilted to one side and down over the right eye and results in a very Noir look.


I proudly brought mine home intending to clean and and fix (it had clearly once had a feather and such) only to find I have absolutely NOTHING to wear it with. With the exception of two steampunk dresses (already matched to steampunk hats) I actually own very little burgundy clothing. All my reds are true reds. Well, I didn't want to overhaul my wardrobe just for the one new accessory, so I decided I had better learn how to dye a hat!

DIY ~ Hat Dieing 

Internet informs me that one can use paints designed to absorb (for such things as hand-painting silk) that are heat activated. I opted for Jacquard Textile Colors. I also decided on black as I figured it would cover the best and go with the most outfits.


Tools

• Special Paint
• Protective Clothing
• Protective Surface
• Paint Brush
• Water
• Blow Dryer
• Lint brush
• Small scissors

First, I cleaned the hat using the lint brush and clipped any stray threads. The paint seemed a little gloppy to me and it said on the bottle that it could be used for airbrushing thinned 20% with water. So I thinned it out by about that much.


I did a test paint on the back and dried with hair dryer. It looked good and seemed to adhere well so I went to work painting starting with the bottom. I tried to rub the paint in with the brush, so it wouldn't clump or cause too much of a sheen. The paint absorbed and dried FAST.



I dried the underside for a day in front of our big old room heater (the wall wart). Flipped it and then painted the crown and the brim.


The I dried it again for several days, luckily it was cold out so we had the heater on a lot.


During the interim, I bought better wider stiffer brush (just inexpensive ones from a craft store). Throughout the process I also kept having to thin the paint.


Lastly, I did one final coat over the outside with the paint thinned to about 50/50.


The felt became stiffer and less soft than the original hat, but the look is what I wanted. I added a few small feathers and a magnet to the inside of the feather holding tube so that I could put on a flower to match whatever dress I chose to wear it with. (If you want to know how I made those, here's the DIY.)


Conclusion:
It worked well enough, but the hat still has a slight reddish sheen in bright daylight. I didn't paint the interior of the crown, since that won't be visible and I wanted it to stay nice and soft, and not come off black on my hair!

* If I had it to do again? I'd thin the paint 50/50 from the get go and use the bigger stiffer brush. This would mean three thinner coats, but would be faster and worth the effort as I think it would keep the texture of the felt better.

Now I just need a reason to wear it.

Retro Rack is also on facebook where I post additional images and fashion thoughts.

So Etiquette & Espionage (my new YA book and the first in a four book series) launched into the world on Tuesday night. The organizers of the event said they woudl love it if I would wear something steampunk. I was left with a bit of a quandary. With Nova Albion around the corner, a local steampunk event thus allowing me to pack and wear ALL my favorite steampunk outfits and ALL their companion parasols (YES!!), I didn't want to wear one of those to this event. Too much repeat in too story a time. Plus I needed something I could drive in that was a little more casual. I'm rather chuffed with myself for concocting this outfit:



I started with my Fashioned By Flobért gold robe carriage dress (which might, more properly, be called a coach dress) with buttons all the way up the front.


The dress is stained and slightly faded, in a heavy satin. This makes it only suitable for low-light late evening events, and warm, and in ever great need of ironing. I bought it on sale for $10, it needed repairs and new buttons all up the front. I have a great source for vintage buttons in Petaluma and I sourced 32 abalone shell replacements for $10 plus narrowing every single button hole. It was quite the task. I do like the architectural details in the bodice. I'm now in possession of a nice wide belt, which I'll be wearing with it in future when it's not all steampunked. It did steampunk nicely though, didn't it?




It actually has a bit of a train, so the front hem is shorter than the back, which shows off the shoes and looks ever so slightly bustle-like with the waist cinch. It's very robe like, not surprising as it turns out Fashioned By Flobért was mainly a boudoir designer.

Similar styles:


I paired my Flobert with patchwork boots and long dark red vintage gloves inherited from my Grandmother.


I also wore this little octopus necklace. I like to have octopus on my person somewhere.


The hat from my Autumn steampunk outfit, and when I'm not facing a windy San Francisco night I susually perch it far forward on my head.



I was reminded of this recent photo shoot in Restoration Hardware.


Along with the accessories I wore my custom stripped Dark Garden pointed waist cinch as a Swiss Waist with Ruby Blackbird Corset buttons to make it look more belt like. I was drawing on this kind of thing for inspiration.



So there you have it! Another event, another outfit.


Before you ask, the waist cinch is 22" but I don't have it laced fully down.

Something in this vein for the characters?

For Professor Briathwope in Etiquette & Espionage:


For Ivy:

For Prudence:



Retro Rack is also on facebook where I post additional images and fashion thoughts.