Sunday, September 6, 2009

September Make n' Tell Challenge, Day #6: Hats & Matching Shoes!

Good evening to you all, and welcome to another episode of the ever-surprising, ever-suspenseful, hair-rising, heart-pulsing, mind-boggling September Make n' Tell Challenge!  (Thump thump thump thump, crowd screaming, running around, one points and yells out, "Look! A giant piece of art is taking the city! Run for your lives ... but stop and take your time to appreciate how cool it is!" I have a bizarre imagination that's fueled with improv acting training, which the motto "'No' doesn't exist in your vocabulary anymore" is more of a way of life.)  Today was a bit better on the head from the migraine I had been suffering for the past few days.  Not fun.  I did venture outside today to have dinner with friends and visit a dollar store to grab some fun stuff for today's Make n' Tell: Day #6.

Hats, purses and shoes are always the end of me whenever I go out window shopping.  Especially if they're on sale.  (The 'shoe hag' that I am, my father always teases me that I "have more shoes than Imelda Marcos" whenever I come home with a new pair, which might be a little bit of a stretch.)  Such were these hats.  I was in a gift shop in Chinatown and picked up a couple of flattop hats in two different colours, and managed to score two new pairs of shoes for $20!  The nice lady said they had only just received them the other day, and thought she'd start them off "with a bang!"  Funny enough, I take my purchases home, and my boyfriend says, "Smart that you coordinated everything."  I really didn't even notice that I had.  Goes to show how stylish my boyfriend is!  (Maybe I rubbed off on him? *wink*)  So, maybe this Make n' Tell could be the start of coordinating a 'handmade' outfit or two?  Oooh, I could do that!  Let's start with the hats and shoes!

 
 

These are the 'awesome deal' shoes, and the hats that I've spruced up for Make n' Tell: Day #6!



I had bought some adhesive pinbacks with the intention of making small brooches with some of my photography.  Actually, I got the idea when I saw them in the store, which gave me the excuse.  I hadn't gotten around to the photography brooch project yet (might be later this month!), but knew I could spare a few to decorate these hats.

I made a visit to the local Dollarama and found these awesome butterflies made of painted feathers.  I picked up some extra glue gun sticks, and figured with all the random ribbons, pendants, charms and beads not used, I could surely russel up something to compliment these butterflies.  When I think of it, I'm appreciating this challenge more and more because I'm using a bunch of things I've horded away for quite a while.  I'm excited to see what more I'll be able to come up with, especially now that I'll be coordinating two outfits for a continual challenge!


I didn't have the hats with me when I went to Dollarama, so it was a bit of a crap shoot.  Either way, whatever I picked up, I would've made work.  Well, I rolled a seven with these butterflies!  I chose a deep sky blue butterfly for the pink hat, and a sage green butterfly for the tan hat.  The pink heart with the blue ribbon was a pendant I had hanging around, and the leather peace symbol was from a pair of recycled earrings.  (I used the other one for a pendant a while ago!)  Everything has a pinback attached to it so they can be removed and put anywhere else you'd like!  I've tested the adhesive strip on another item to see how strong it really is, and so far it seems to be holding.  I will wait until tomorrow to see if my hot glue gun needs to be pulled out.


Hats always seem to have tags of some sort on the back sewn into the rim.  I figured my hats would be no different, so I snagged some ribbon that 'goes' with the colour theme, folded the ends back with double-sided tape, and made small cross stitches on either end to hold it in place.  I then threw an appropriate charm on a jumpring and attached it to the ribbon.  The pink hat I'd decide to make an 'awareness' hat with the small pink ribbon symbolizing breast cancer.  When my boyfriend's sister saw the running shoes I purchased above, she said the pink detail on the side reminded her of a 'pink ribbon'.  This will most likely be a charity listing if it makes it to my Etsy shop!  I ran with the theme the leather peace sign evoked and used a bird charm symbolizing a 'bird of peace' on the back of the tan hat.  A really darling detail, if you ask me!

And finally, a modelling pose of the hat I just may keep for a while ...


Nick and I are off to the Canadian National Exhibition tomorrow to see the Air Show!  The CNE also has a great big building full of handmade artists of all kinds!  I'll be bringing my camera tomorrow and taking non-stop pictures.  I hope to find some particular beads for my next September Make n' Tell Challenge when I make a necklace using the pendant I had purchased from Jesse Jane's shop on Etsy! 

I'm off to bed a little earlier than usual tonight, but I did make a quick visit with my 'Make n' Tell Friends' to see what they did today!

The birth of the 't-shirt' pant!
A Frayed Knot Knits

The culinary efforts of the cafeteria connesseur!
Brainphreak

A pleasant surprise from the past is revealed!
Designs by Victoria

Certainly something's cookin' ... update soon!
Life Stiles

Knitting can be time consuming, so we'll give her some time ... update sooon!
Mrs Gryphon

Have a little fruity pizza pie with a cherry on top!
The Tote Trove


previous September Make n' Tell Challenges:

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