Friends, this challenge turned out MUCH better than I had ever anticipated. I was quite nervous about making a hat because I own no hats. Well, I own baseball hats, but those aren't quite "dressy" enough ... even when covered in sequins. You've seen them, you know what I am talking about.
After my journey to Cincinnati, I brought back this lovely little number:
That fabric! Those buttons! Those shoulderpads!
Well, I was mostly done with the outfit refashion when I realized I still needed a hat. What to make a hat out of? Silk was not going to be able to stand properly on its own, so I needed a foundation to cover and decorate. And that is when Meg the Klutzy intervened. I kicked over the garbage can in my sewing room, and out popped these two beauties...
Shoulder Pads!!!
I pinned them together, added some black trim around the edge, made three fabric flowers, disassembled a broken, unloved necklace and stole its beads, and added some fabulous blue flower bobby pins from a high school dance to hold it all in place!
Here is the hat with the new fabulous outfit!
I took off the sleeves, repurposed the shoulder pads, stitched the jacket and skirt together at the waistline, added a black ribbon belt, created a V neck line, closed the jacket front, inserted a zipper in the left side, added the leftover buttons to the dress bodice, and hemmed the skirt.
I. Love. It.
A close up of the fabric and buttons - I like that they are closer together and are so sparkly. I think it gives this outfit a little pizazz!
Throw on a black blazer, pop that collar, and I am stylish and ready to go to work!
Me with the television - Will and Kate are about to kiss! Squee!
I got up at 3am CDT to watch the entire wedding while finishing my hat- and friends, it was FABULOUS! Kate was stunning in every sense of the word, and Will was oh-so-romantic when he wouldn't turn to look at her until the last second! Harry was quite the rascal and the hats were marvelous to behold. I had the best time chatting up my sister in Texas, who also woke up at 3, and talking about the guests, the dress, the romance - I had a great time, sis!
It was all so magical :)