Bakelite Bangle Bracelets, Hatstruck's Newest Obsession; Plus, a Peak at One of the Plexiglass Hats I Made Recently

OK, I finally took the plunge and became the successful winning bidder on  this set of Bakelite bangle bracelets on Ebay.  Well, I hope they're Bakelite.  I picked up two tiny bracelets labeled Bakelite at my local antique shop earlier this year, but I don't think they really were the real deals.  I rubbed them until my thumb and forefinger almost blistered, but I still didn't get that pungent Bakelite small.  I rubbed them with a cotton Q-Tip dipped in WD-40, but still saw no discoloration on the cotton's tip.  The cost of the two little bracelets was hardly anything, and since I liked them, it was really no big deal.

What really pushed me over the edge was my visit to the book store last night.  While browsing the antique book section, a ran across a book on plastic jewelry; actually I was looking for a book on vintage plastic jewelry.  I was absolutely amazed at what I saw in the book.  So I took the fashion sketching book back and vowed to purchase it later.  After all I had pinned so much of the same stuff on my Millinery Sketches, Fashion Illustration, and Tutorials board on Pinterest.  But since I really love books, it'll be on my book shelf very shortly.

This was not the  first time I had an interest in plastic jewelry.  Several years ago I picked up a plastic jewelry fabrication book.  This led me to purchase several small sheets of plexiglass (acrylic--plastic) for the purpose of making earrings.  Well that plexiglass hung around until I recently made and entered a hat contest on Facebook.  The hat to your right is one of those hats.  The hats were made using the same tools I use to fabricate sterling silver, brass, and copper jewelry.  I'll talk about that at a later date, and I will also do a little tutorial on this very simple creation; stay tuned. Anyway, if you like Bakelite jewelry, let me know what you think of these bangle bracelets.

WOW, I guess I have two tutorials in the oven!

Note:  Check out this image from  Heather Sonrisa, Fairytale Dreams In Fashion.  It is a hat from the 1930s that has a plastic brim.  So you see, this is not a new concept at all.

Hatstruck Couture Millinery's Impromptu Crocheted Infinity Rope Scarf Post

 Sorry to disappoint some of you, but there are no hats in this post.  Instead I thought I would share my first completed Christmas gift, a crocheted rope scarf.  For those of you that don't knit and/or crochet and have no interest in these crafts, please feel free to change the channel.  For those of you that do, stay tuned.

Although I've been knitting and crocheting since the age of 10, I'm no expert.  I can read patterns but I prefer free-from crocheting and knitting.  I have to admit that I'm more partial to crocheting because, for me, correcting mistakes is so much easier, just unravel and proceed on.  Plus, I prefer to be in a meditative state when I'm crafting; I don't want to think about what I'm doing.  Whatever I end up with is exactly what you will be getting.

I made similar scarves last year, but this one was made using a different method.  Last year I made rope scarves using both Crocheted I-Cord and Knitted I-Cord techniques, both of these methods are found on my Crochet, Knitting and Tutorials Board on Pinterest.  I preferred the knitted I-Cord to the crocheted one.  If you decide to make this scarf using one of these methods, make a swash using both methods and choose the one you are most comfortable with.  Also, please note that the thickness of the cord depends on the number of chain stitches you use to start circular tube, the thickness of  the yarn, and the size of the needle.  If you do not crochet and would like to learn how to, I've created a query link for beginning crocheters here on YouTube.


How I Made This Scarf--My Yarn Box Runneth Over!

I really wanted to make a thicker, faster, and easier rope scarf this time around; so, I decided to crochet in-the-the-round rather than using one o the I-Cord techniques.  If you are a crocheter, this scarf will be extremely easy and fast to make.  I chose a chunky (they called it chunky; I refer to the really thick, thick yarn as chunky) and a large crochet needle (10mm--[N]) .  Again, the same applies here as mentioned above about the thickness of the I-Cords, it all depends on the number of chain stitches you use to start the circular round, the thickness of the yarn and the needle size.  Proceed as follows using the yarn, number of chain stitches, and needle size of your choice:

1.  Chain 5 stitches and slip stitch the ends together.

2.   Insert needle into the second chain.

3.  Single crochet into each chain in the round (just go around and around) until you reach your desired chain length.

4.  To finish off scarf when desired length has been achieved, cut thread leaving approximately seven inches, pull thread through last crocheted stitch and pull tight, but gently.

5.  End the rope by threading the excess thread onto a wide eyed needle and sewing in the round until the rope (tube) has been closed and secure.

6.  To hide some of the excess thread, work it through the stitches, and finally cut the excess thread off.  If you don't crochet and you are trying this project, you may want to follow the beginner's link above.

That's it!  I collect vintage brooches, so I just temporarily put one onto the scarf to dress it up for the shoot.  I may even keep this one for myself because the color looks great on my skin tone.  Enjoy!

Mrs. Essie Edwards, You Look Beautiful in That Hat! Contest Winner, Please Step Forward?

For those of you that attended the Rose Garden millinery classes with Mrs. Essie Edwards, well there is great news!  Mrs. Edwards is back teaching there--millinery and sewing.  This is your opportunity to take classes from a master in both crafts again.  Our retired and loved teacher is lending her time to all of us that have been morning her retirement.  So please come out in numbers to support her.  Mrs. Edwards has been a milliner for over 60 years; no fluff here.  This is the real deal.

In case you recognized the hat Mrs. Edwards is waring, it is the hat from my last post, Blocking on My First European-Style Hat Block.  This time Mrs. Edwards won over my granddaughter, because I knew she would cherish and really rock that hat; so, enjoy your gift Mrs. Edwards.

Contest Winner, Please Step Forward!
 
I am so guilty of not visiting my favorite blog sites, and when I visit I usually don't leave comments.  For the second time (or more), I will improve.   So I understand why some may do the same when visiting this site--Oh no! I have to log in?  Let me stop this moment and at least thank you for the number of daily page views I receive; I really appreciate them.  The response to this site has been fantastic.  I have truly realized my goal of giving back through millinery.

 I was thinking, What if I made leaving comments a little more fun?   So, at the end of the last post I asked several questions, for which no one responded to any of them.  The purpose of those questions was to select a winner of my little secrete contest.  Well, what I did was to choose a site visitor that had commented on this site very recently, satisfying at least one of the qualifying answers.  I don't think she is a member of the site (a first and may be the last), and I think she lives outside of the States.  Her name is Georgia Lordorche(?), and she is a student or was a student [from your profile]....  Georgia, since you are a student (you gave me some information about yourself in an earlier post before your last post--new to millinery), I will be sending you some millinery supplies (fur felt and straw, a hat stretcher, some millinery needles, and whatever else I can think of.  Or you may want to make  suggestions as to what you would like to have in your box of goodies--within reason :)   No, all questions contained in future posts will not be contest related....





Log-In for Site Members

Although I set up pages and a test log-in (extreme bottom of page) for site members months and months ago, I thought, This is not why I created this site--exclusivity to some.  A lot also had to do with the people that may be excluded and those that would actually take advantage of this site.  So, the log-in is at the bottom of the page, there for when I need it.  I will use it one day for something; maybe I will create a class for a site contest winner(s) or something.  Also when I presented the private log-in idea, I did not associate it with any contest, etc.; that's because I wanted to be able to change my mind if I became uncomfortable with the idea.  Another thing is that the volume of respondents is usually a little more than I want to manually handle (check membership, assign numbers, etc.).  Also the reason for the secrete contest was to capture the comments of those that took the extra effort to leave them without the coaxing from a contest.

Next Post?

I don't know what my next post will be, but I'm leaning toward an American-style hat block, blocking video.  What I need to do is get back to couture millinery (foundation covered hats), my first love technique.  So stay tuned.  What do you think?  No, this is not a contest question.  Anyway, I'll try to keep the site as exciting for the both of us as I can.  If you have any ideas, just let me know.