Cream Baby Alpaca and Black Velvet

Cream and Black Softness



This new hat is all softness.  It's made of light cream baby alpaca with deep black velvet slipping in and out on the rise for a sharp contrast and a more tailored look. 

The small, adjustable bow allows for making
this hat slightly smaller or larger.

 

Selections of my hats are available at Edenside Gallery in Louisville and at Anne Sawyer (Hats) in Lexington. Others may be purchased directly from me. For purchases, special orders or questions, please e-mail me.

My email: mailto:marylarue@bellsouth.net

My blog: http://marylaruedesigns.blogspot.com/

Chartreuse, Cinnamon and Browns

Flowers and Curls



This hat is chartreuse and black wool with a ruched silk hatband.  The silk poof in front acts as a backdrop for the flowers which are a blends of several colors of wool roving. 

Each flower has an Austrian crystal in the center.  Hand dyed curly locks accent the flowers. 

 

Selections of my hats are available at Edenside Gallery in Louisville and at Anne Sawyer (Hats) in Lexington. Others may be purchased directly from me. For purchases, special orders or questions, please e-mail me.

My email: mailto:marylarue@bellsouth.net

My blog: http://marylaruedesigns.blogspot.com/

Black with White Flowers and Pink Centers

Three Flowers from Billy's Locks

Once again I have used those wonderful locks hand-barbered from the sheep named Billy to make flowers for a wool hat.  Most of the flowers are made from Billy's natural color locks but each center contains a piece that I have died a peachy pink.

There is a large freshwater pearl in the center of the middle flower and medium sized pearls in the centers of the other two. 

A peach/pink ladybug and leaves add interest to the back. 

Selections of my hats are available at Edenside Gallery in Louisville and at Anne Sawyer (Hats) in Lexington. Others may be purchased directly from me. For purchases, special orders or questions, please e-mail me.
mailto:marylarue@bellsouth.net
My blog: http://marylaruedesigns.blogspot.com/

Black and Red Redux

Black with Red Rose Redesigned

Last week, I decided to make changes to the black and red rose hat that I created earlier in the year.  For the redesign, I removed the stiff netting and added a ruched band and poof of dupioni silk to soften the look.  I also shortened the length of the rose stem. 



Luckily, I had made the rose and stem separately on the original hat and hand sewn them into place.  This made it easier to detach the flower, stem and netting and begin again using the silk.  I left the leaves that had been felted into the hat.  The small white flower that I included in all of my hats last winter is now hidden by the hatband, although it is visible in the picture below.

As I had hoped, the redesigned hat has a softer, more luxurious look and feel.

Selections of my hats are available at Edenside Gallery in Louisville and at Anne Sawyer (Hats) in Lexington. Others may be purchased directly from me. For purchases, special orders or questions, please e-mail me. My email: mailto:marylarue@bellsouth.net

My blog: http://marylaruedesigns.blogspot.com/

Purple and Magenta Merino with Silks

Luxury Merino and Silks

This purple and magenta hat is made from pure Merino wool which gives it a soft, luxurious feel.    The lavender flower is of hand dyed tussah (wild) silk with a freshwater pearl sitting in the center. Hand dyed curly locks accent the flower.

The hatband and poof are hand ruched dupioni silk (silk shantung). 

Selections of my hats are available at Edenside Gallery in Louisville and at Anne Sawyer (Hats) in Lexington. Others may be purchased directly from me. For purchases, special orders or questions, please e-mail me. My email: mailto:marylarue@bellsouth.net

My blog: http://marylaruedesigns.blogspot.com/

Gold and Blue With Hand Dyed Flowers

Gold, Blue and Hand Dyed Locks

The curly locks on these flowers have all been hand dyed to produce soft, natural looking colors, although the orange/copper did turn out rather brighter than expected.

Each flower has a round Austrian crystal at the center.
The leaves are made from wool mixed with silk tussah which adds a slight shimmer.



Selections of my hats are available at Edenside Gallery in Louisville and at Anne Sawyer (Hats) in Lexington. Others may be purchased directly from me. For purchases, special orders or questions, please e-mail me.

My email: mailto:marylarue@bellsouth.net

My blog: http://marylaruedesigns.blogspot.com/

Black with One Curly Locks Flower

Flower and Leaves on Black

Once again, I have made a flower using Billy's beautiful curly locks. 

In the center is a curl of hand dyed locks, three small pieces of turquoise and a 9 mm freshwater pearl.

The leaves are highly textured.  For these, I used several types of wool including dyed curly locks to achieve a pebbled effect.

 

Selections of my hats are available at Edenside Gallery in Louisville and at Anne Sawyer (Hats) in Lexington. Others may be purchased directly from me. For purchases, special orders or questions, please e-mail me.
My email: mailto:marylarue@bellsouth.net
My blog: http://marylaruedesigns.blogspot.com/

Black and White Hat, Silk and Wool Flowers

Silk and Wool Flowers

As with my others, this hat body is made from knitted and fulled wool yarn. 

The flowers and leaves of this new hat are made from fine wool roving mixed with tussah silk roving. 

The leaves are somewhat sculpted, i.e. not completely flat.  Flower centers are made from 9 mm freashwater pearls.

Selections of my hats are available at Edenside Gallery in Louisville and at Anne Sawyer (Hats) in Lexington. Others may be purchased directly from me. For purchases, special orders or questions, please e-mail me.
My email: mailto:marylarue@bellsouth.net

My blog: http://marylaruedesigns.blogspot.com/

Chartreuse with Small Brim

Autumn Chartreuse

 

 

This latest chartreuse and black hat has a smaller brim than previous ones and three flowers instead of four. 

This slightly different shape changes the look, making it, perhaps, a little less formal than the larger versions. 

  

The flowers are wool and  merino wool roving with accents of hand dyed curly locks.  The centers are 9 mm freshwater pearls.

Selections of my hats are available at Edenside Gallery in Louisville and at Anne Sawyer in Lexington. Others may be purchased directly from me. For purchases, special orders or questions, please e-mail me.

My email: mailto:marylarue@bellsouth.net

My blog: http://marylaruedesigns.blogspot.com/

Maura's Chartreuse and Black with Autumn Colors

Maura's Autumn Colors

  

This chartreuse and black hat is for my friend Maura.  It's just finished and she hasn't tried it yet but I know that she and the hat will look beautiful together. 

Maura is petite but has a personality big enough to wear this with panache.     

The flowers are in autumn colors again and the centers have bits of hand dyed curly locks as well as 9mm freshwater pearls. 

Beginning in late-September (or when we finally have cool weather again!), a selection of these hats will be available at Edenside Gallery in Louisville. Others may be purchased directly from me. For purchases, special orders or questions, please e-mail me.

My email: mailto:marylarue@bellsouth.net

My blog: http://marylaruedesigns.blogspot.com/

Sepia Pillbox with Billy's Curly Locks

Curly Locks from Shepherdess Marlene's Billy

These exquisite curly locks make a simple pillbox into a hat with a special appeal.  The locks come from Marlene H., a shepherdess in Pennsylvania, who hand-barbers the locks from her sheep Billy. 

Last winter, I used them to decorate what turned out to be one of my favorite hats.  (A picture is included at the end of this post.)   Billy must be a beautiful sheep.

There are a few small, light blue locks scattered among the white ones and a few small blue glass beads also, adding just a hint of color.  The blue ladybug adds a bit more.

Last Winter's Black Hat with Billy's Curly Locks

Beginning in mid-September, a selection of these hats will be available at Edenside Gallery in Louisville. Others may be purchased directly from me.  For purchases, special orders or questions, please e-mail me.
My email: mailto:marylarue@bellsouth.net
My blog: http://marylaruedesigns.blogspot.com/

Chartreuse and Black Autumn Hat

Emily's Chartreuse Autumn

This chartreuse and black hat for Emily B is embellished with large, lush flowers in autumn colors - golden yellow, cinnamon, cantaloupe and green.  A freshwater pearl sits in the center of each flower- 9mm in the two middle flowers and 7mm in the side flowers.  Under the pearls are pieces of hand dyed curly locks in complimentary and contrasting colors.

Leaves are sculpted from chartreuse roving. The sculpting is more pronounced than on my other hats and gives the leaves additional dimension.

A ladybug climbs up the brim on the back.

This hat is not for sale.

Beginning in mid-September, a selection of my hats will be available at Edenside Gallery in Louisville. Others may be purchased directly from me.  For purchases, special orders or questions, please e-mail.

My email: http://www.blogger.com/marylarue@bellsouth.net
My blog: http://marylaruedesigns.blogspot.com/

Red, Red Roses on Black Hat

True Red Roses

This is a hat I made last April.  I was inspired by all of the Derby hats I knew would be around for the race and, so, I made my own winter version.

This hat is not for sale.

My blog: http://marylaruedesigns.blogspot.com/

My email: marylarue@bellsouth.net

Black & White, Flowers & Pearls Hat

Black & White, Flowers & Pearls

This black & white hat is made with a wool that produces a lovely halo effect after it's fulled (felted).  In the center of the three large flowers are 9mm freshwater (cultured) pearls.  There are smaller freshwater pearls in the centers of the other flowers.

Since the average woman's head size is between 21" and 23", one hat size does not fit all.  Commercial hat makers generally seem to make sizes on the smaller side.  Consequently, I've heard a number of women say that they have a 'big head' and have a hard time finding

hats that fit.  With a head size of 22 1/4", I'm one of those.  To accommodate the differences in head sizes, most all of my hats are made with a good measure of stretch.  In addition, most can be stretched permanently for larger head sizes.

Beginning in mid-September, a selection of my hats will be available at Edenside Gallery in Louisville.  Others may be purchased directly from me.

For purchases, special orders or questions, please e-mail:  marylarue@bellsouth.net
My blog: http://marylaruedesigns.blogspot.com/

Edwardian Hat in Dove Gray Heather Wool with Curly Locks

Curly Locks on Dove Gray

As I was knitting during this summer's terrible high heat and humidity, I was thinking of light, summery colors and flowers.  This hat, in a medium gray with white curly locks all around, is one result.

The large center flower has a 9mm freshwater pearl at its center while the seven other curly locks flowers have 7mm pearls at their centers.  There is also a small flower with a pearl on the top.  ... And a ladybug on the back.