This was my hubby’s idea for a blog post… and he’s not far off! I have been sharing with him my “woes” on making this tied bow on the hat for Freida’s newest outfit. Every time I tried something new, I’d “have” to show him the epic “fail!” So it was only natural when I asked him what I should write about for my blog post tonight, he said, call it “How to bungle a bow!” I told him, “I just might have to use that!”
BUT… I was wanting to list the outfit and I just couldn’t quit thinking about that silly hat bow, and as I read over the comments again about the hat bow, I got stuck on Laura’s…she said in essence, “I can see where the bow is tied… and it looks like it’s sewn in between the layers of the hat brim.” AND she was right… I knew it was sewn between the layers, but I just wasn’t able to get it right… so I went back to the original post where I was showing the hat… thinking I had read it all and hadn’t had any problems the first time I made it. This is that hat I’m talking about… the one with the perfectly tied bow in front…
I’ve studied that picture 50 times I bet… wondering what I was doing wrong. How hard could it be to attach 2 ends of a tie and then tie them in a square knot? Let me tell you… HARD! I’ve got fabric pieces tied in square knots all over my sewing room. UGH!
So as I read that original post… I saw this… where I hadn’t seen it before… (I copied and pasted this from that October post…)
After about 4 different reductions on the baby hat pattern, I decided on 55%. I did have to make a few adjustments on the crown of the hat because it was just too tall for Freida’s head. The pattern shows a bow on the front of the hat, but the pattern pieces and the picture ARE NOT the same thing. The picture shows this long bow tied in a knot and looking nice. The actual piece is only about 3″ long and you’ll see how long it actually is.
It was then that I realized I DID DO SOMETHING other than use that pattern piece for the bow… now I just had to figure out how much longer I needed to make it…
Well, long story short… I made a few tie ends and tried them and kept shortening them until I got it right…then I had to open up the stitching on the brim edge of the hat and insert my new ties into the hat… and restitch them… and FINALLY I was pleased…AND I made a copy of my bow tie and marked on it “Freida’s hat with denim bow tie” on it and put that piece in with the hat pattern!
I know you are going to think I’m OCD and I might be, but just over hat bows! :o)
And that is the end of the hat bow story… no more talk about it… You might not even notice a difference but there is…
Yesterday’s hat bow…
…and Today’s hat bow…
I DID manage to get some pictures of Freida outside and now you can see the whole set… and I’ll put the link to Ebay below and over at the right side bar…
I wanted to take some pictures of Freida leaning against my favorite gnarly tree in the yard, but the ants were all over it again… here is a 7 second video of why I didn’t get any pictures by it…
Yes, Marilyn, there is a purse… and a card game inside…
She was happy and I was happy!
Here are all the pieces to this set… 7 in all…
You can see the listing on Ebay, by clicking the picture at the right side bar or click HERE.
Thanks everyone for sticking around while I was obsessing about a hat bow. I hope I don’t do that EVER again…
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Yay, Jeanne!! I knew you’d figure it out! Funny how we can look at something umpteen times and not see what is right in front of us all along! I’ve done the same thing myself. But now you know what you did last time, and you were able to work it out for this new outfit–AND you made yourself a pattern, clearly labeled, and put it with the hat so you won’t have all this angst the next time you make a hat like that!
It’s a darling outfit, and I love all the little accessories that go with it, too.
Je vous l’ai dit; on fini toujours par y arriver ! Belle journée. Georgina.
What a difference that bow makes — and now you have a reminder to yourself (as if you could ever forget now).
And a purse — I knew the picture was missing something — and it’s a perfect purse for that outfit. The bows on the shoes stand out more now with the hat bow. Altogether it’s a lovely casual outfit, something every RRFF girl would want for summer. You deserve something good for this one.
Jeanne, you did a great job on the last bow! I knew you would get it figured out! What a cute outfit this is, and just perfect for this time of the year! What a great outfit for a trip to the zoo! We have a wonderful zoo here in St. Louis, and I just happened to think it would be nice for going there. If bare midriffs were allowed in school, it would also be a cool looking “back to school” outfit! It will be plenty hot in just a few short weeks, when school starts around here.
I did get the blog this morning, and right on time too, plus yesterday or maybe the day before, I got the two that I was missing! Right when I thought everything was going just fine, I had earlier this morning written on the blog, maybe an hour ago, and then when I pressed “comment”, my computer froze, and it would not go through! Of all things to happen, but at least this will be the second attempt, and I hope it works!
Linda, I’ve finally decided that if my comments are of any length to copy them before sending. It’s saved me a lot of grief more than once. One time I sent the comment before going to lunch only to find out when I got back it didn’t go. But I had the copy so I resent it and it worked perfectly. Otherwise I would not have had time to rewrite my comment.
I thought I did that, but my computer locked up before I could copy. But yes, that a good idea! Thank you,
Barbara!
This hat is adorable and very well done. I know it was like a surgical operation.
Sometimes you have the begin at the end and work back (I have done that)
This outfit is adorable
Happy Monday dear dolly friends
How interesting. I happened to catch the Ebay listing yesterday and kind of did a back and forth on the bow. Thinking, did Jeanne, use the old bow? or what? The bow now looks perfectly lovely. I also saw that wonderful outdoor photo with the beautiful yard in the background. My favorite. So glad the mystery of the hat bow has been solved.
Now, Jeanne will laugh, but that outfit I’ve been working on made from holiday towels, went back to square one on the sleeves. I had them ready to sew on the bodice when something in the back of my head reminded me to check the width of the sleeve on my Connie Lowe girl. She has very large hands. Well, whoops, I should have used the pattern piece provided, but didn’t. Good thing that I hadn’t sewn on the sleeve, because I had to rip out all of the gathering and hand sewn edging and start over. I didn’t have enough fabric to cut new pieces on the bias, so I had to fiddle and piece the ends to match. Also had to add new gathering stitches, but did manage to get it pinned together so it will be ready to stitch today. Still will have to hand sew as well, but I think I saved the sleeves. At least the pinafore is looking okay. Ack
And we’re back to more hot weather. It was so nice to have a slight break. Looks like we’ll have several days in the high 90’s. Not looking forward to that at all.
Keep cool everyone.
The hat is now perfect and OCD will be a thing of the past. What an adorable outfit and a purse and card game too!
Seems like the weather has flip flopped this year but it is a La Nina year. Our temps for this week are in the 80s and for next week the low 90s. We did have one year a few years ago where the temps were in the low 90s all summer. This summer started out hot and we were sure it would get hotter so a reprieve is much appreciated. But the sun is so strong here even the 80s seem hot if the humidity is high. We are supposed to get rain today and most of the week but today so far it is bright and sunny with few clouds to be seen. But that’s been known to change at the drop of the hat so David had Jason do the mowing this morning just in case.
Glad you figured out the bow and pleased my comment helped, Jeanne. Now with the corrected pattern stored you’ll never have this problem again. I love the fabric you used for the hat.
So relived for you, Jeanne! what a long process, but we all knew you could do it, and you did. I had a customer who was so picky I was ready to tell her to forget it! She had me changing flowers glued on a hat, 3 times until I told her that I was not a machine. She gave it and was thrilled when she received the outfit and hat!
I hope to send you a few photos of our wonderful water world last week.
Patience and determination paid off – the bow, hat and complete outfit look great!
Like Laura I got my blog post today as well. I have been managing to follow the trials and tribulations of the hat bow by using an old post I hadn’t deleted yet. I am so glad you got it right in the end and it looks lovely. I would have thrown it in the rubbish bin I think lol.
I am glad you are all enjoying the warm and the sunshine. We are having a horrible, miserable, damp and cold winter. Even if it isn’t raining the air is damp and nothing gets dry. Generally, Christchurch has cold, frosty mornings but sunny days in the winter. We have had hardly any frosts just miserable mizzle. Very depressing. It started early as well, in early May which is also unusual. I have to try not to moan too much about it because it isn’t just confined to the South Island but the north have had torrential rain and flooding even through the summer! I think the ski fields are having a bumper year!
I have been busy, especially with the Block of the Month I run for the Guild. I have to trawl YouTube for a tutorial or block that will work with 30 or so different people making it with all their individual fabrics (we have a lot more members than 30 but that is the average number of patterns I sell). Once I decide on the block I have to make it, photographing every step as I go then write up the pattern. I have to be aware of copyright so I can’t use a purchased pattern and I always acknowledge the source. Then I send it to another lady on the committee who makes the block using my pattern and corrects any errors she finds. Once I have fixed any mistakes I print off about 25 patterns (they have three meetings to buy, complete and return the bloc so I can print more if necessary) Then I need to cut any fabric that I am supplying and add it to the pattern, I usually supply one that will unify the block. Then once a month all returned blocks go in the draw to win all of them though sometimes we have enough returned for more than one draw. Last draw two people got 12 blocks and one person got 5 with the background fabric for another block. That one was very popular. It is a lot of work and very time consuming but I have loved doing it, I am half way through my 4th year and have to ‘retire’ in April at the AGM as we can only do 4 years at a time on the committee.
We also have our bi-annual exhibition this year so I am working on a quilt for a wedding present, not to mention the piles of UFO’s I have (unfinished objects if you aren’t sure what that means lol).
Last year Kai and Jono went to Australia for their birthday’s and the friend they stayed with is coming here in about ten days and Kai wants me to make matching sweatshirts for her and him. At least she didn’t ask me to make one for Jono as well! These are not your regular run of the mill sweatshirts, that would be just too easy, These have hoods and zips and pockets and appliques front and back that Kai has one herself from the internet. Oh yes I forgot, they are fully lined as well. Oh joy!!!! I really hope it works.
Have a great day everyone, I’ll try to keep warm while you all swelter.
Anne
The bow perfectly completes the hat!
Thank you!