Gardens of Velvet and Silk

Millinery_031 It doesn’t look like I am the only one who is crazy about millinery flowers. 

I use them all the time, seems like I can’t make anything anymore without adding a posey or two!Millinery_003

If I haven’t actually used them in the composition, I love to twist them up into the ribbons that I hang the piece from.Millinery_006_3

I started out very greedy and hoardish with them.  But now, with my (sorry, I think I mention this a LOT, but it is a major issue with me) New Years resolution to use my good stuff and enjoy it, I have generously used these flowers in globs and bunches and garlands as well as just simple accents.

(all of the projects pictured are listed in my Etsy shop)

2378873363_d8f30e13f1_o If you love old hat blooms as much as I do, you’ll have fun today browsing through blogland and checking out the gardens of velvet and silk that are part of Sugar Sugar and Little Pink Studio’s show and tell.Millinery_012

This is definitely one of my obsessions.  And I store them in a vintage wallpaper covered box, to compliment another of my collection compulsions.Millinery_010

And in a wallpaper covered drawer.

Millinery_022_2 With a little glass full on my desk within easy reach if I need one quickly!Millinery_026

Not to mention the ones scattered here and there on my desk from past  and present projects.Millinery_028

Oh, and the leaves!! I adore the leaves too!!!Millinery_019

There are always hats around for playing dress up with for Twinks and Sugarwings.Holiday_home_166

Aparently this one isn’t quite the right style for her.

The hats aren’t bought to keep as is, I buy them just for the flowers, but store them intact and pluck one here and there as I need it.

Up until lately, I had tossed the naked hats when I was done with them, but then decided they would be perfect to save for the fairy grand baby and I to decorate together when she is older.

Won’t it be fun to invite all of her little friends over for a tea party and give them each a hat and a pile of foof to add to it?Millinery_034_2   I can just see the glue, glitter and doodads flying everywhere in my studio from all the little girls designing their wearable works of art!

These are my latest acquisitions.  The perfectly aged, ROSE wallpaper covered hat box was $3, and the hats were $3 and $5. I almost passed on both hats, the pink one didn’t have many flowers on it, and the orange one was hideous.Millinery_035

But then, I thought about it, and realized that the pink one’s few flowers were definitely worth the $3 price, plus PINK is the best color to find! Millinery_043

And I made myself look past the hideousness of the orange hat, and plucked off all the creamy colored flowers, realizing that I had a bargain!Millinery_039

And after taking off the ugly (or so I had thought) orange ones and getting them away from the uncomplimentary tone of the green leaves, I saw that they were actually a very pretty sherbet shade.

Not a bad haul on that one $5 hat.Millinery_014

My favorite flowers to find will always be the dainty white ones.  Millinery_015

And I never turn down a big velvety red rose.  Although, so far, I have not used any in a project.  They just make me smile when I come across them while digging through the blossoms to find just the right one to finish a project. 

Because you know, it just isn’t done till I add a flower!

Hmm, I think that my giveaway for April should include some of these in some way.  Remember, every comment during the month is entered to win.

69 thoughts on “Gardens of Velvet and Silk”

  1. I KNEW you would have a coveted stash! But that photo of Sugarwings made me want to cry, too! (Probably because I just spent the morning trying to console a friend’s 6-month old little girl who is teething, and her hour-long whimpering turned into a HUGE scream by the time her mom took her home!)

  2. The flowers, the vintage wallpaper box, the hat box and the photo’s I love it all.
    Thanks for the beautiful pictures.
    Greetings Marja

  3. Ohhhhh!! I am loving Show and Tell Sundays! I just knew you would have a fabulous stash (now I know why I don’t have many–I think you have them all! lol) Thanks for sharing–and for the good laugh, both Sugarwings and Tink look so cute in their flowery hats!
    Smiles, Karen

  4. Janice Rehmeyer

    Karla, How adorable is Sugarwings. I just love seeing your work. Hope you are having a great day.

  5. What a gorgeous flower collection Karla, and your storage is just as pretty. I hope you scrapbooked that pic of the baby…too precious! Oh the captions you could use with that one… 🙂

  6. I love those vintage flowers too! I just bought a hat today at the Kane County Flea Market to tear apart!
    It makes me smile to see your posts. Especially when you talk about Lawrence. I’m originally from Kansas City, MO and I feel “right at home” on your website. Your little Sugarwings is just a doll and you are surely an incredible talent!!
    Kathy

  7. What a collection! The picture of the little girl is precious. Wonderful collection!
    For your daily dose of vintage goodness a bit of silliness, stop by Confessions of an Apron Queen, the home of Vintage Thingies Thursdays.

  8. Hi Karla! You have an amazing collection of flowers, hats, hatboxes and vintage wallpaper here! And what a good idea to save those hats for Sugarwings party or parties in the future. That will be so much fun. You offered me to swap with you. I would be thrilled. You could consider to wait and see what I’ll send to Beth( I presume she told you about our expanding button swap?) to see if that’s the kind of stuff you can use. We’ll keep in touch! Have a nice week!

  9. Great photos; I enjoyed seeing your collection! What a neat idea to save the naked hats for a future hat-making party. Now you just have to find some place to store them where you’ll remember where they are when the time comes!

  10. You are doing well with your New Years Resolution to not hoard your treasures:) Fabulous collection as I knew you had:) Poor baby, she didn’t like her hat, as for that dog who is really a child in fur clothes, it loves its hat:) Rachael

  11. Hi Karla!
    Okay, you have SUCH a fabulous collection! WOW! I just want to keep staring at all of your beautiful photos!!!
    Can I come over and play??
    Thanks for sharing your beauties with us!
    xoxo
    Analise

  12. You’ve got a lot of inspiration there – your pictures are great. I love the one of your grand-daughter “not so happy” with her hat! What a memory for the future.
    Lorrie

  13. Karla you have quite a lovely collection of millinery! that is one thing i have a very hard time finding in my area, the only hats i find that are loaded with flowers are always yellow…YUCK…poor poor Miss Sugarwings!!! what were you thinking grandma to put her in that awful hat? LOL!!! that picture melts my heart!!!

  14. Oh, the language of flowers, such a beautiful one, common to all….Love your collection Karla, its so pretty and I am so jealous of your wallpapers boxes they are so lovely Pinkie Denise

  15. Karla,
    What a GORGEOUS collection!!!! You have me BEAT that’s for sure!!! 🙂 I just adore the picture of your Granddaughter what a hoot! Not a happy camper! LOL!!! Thanks for sharing your beautiful millinery with us! 🙂 XO

  16. What a wonderful stash of flowers. I wish I could find some around here like that. Thanks for sharing your pretties with us.
    Claudia

  17. Oh, you like millinery??? Haha! I wonder what would happen if you dropped those orange ones in bleach? Maybe could then dye them any color.
    Poor Sugarwings!

  18. I love the way the flowers and the wallpaper look together. The hat decorating party sounds like so much fun. I think my daughter would have loved something like that.

  19. Hubby just came home (I spent toooo much time reading through the other comments), so this is going to be short. Those are some pretty pink and sherbet pansies you have there…glad you got past the hideous moments and that you were able to see some potential in the color.

  20. your collection is so beautiful Karla… I love that picture of sugar wings. lol 🙂
    I try to use my good millinery for projects but lately my rose stash is running very low.. what will I do if I run out? I can’t bear the thought! lol
    xoxo Heather

  21. hi karla ~ thanks for your sweet comments. love this post ~ love your treasures, and thanks for the laughs too! my kids used to dress our pets up too, always very co-operative, but when babies don’t want to wear a hat ~ oh boy!

  22. Poor little crying fairy. But she’s still adorable, even in full tears mode 🙂
    I’ve got a Monday Morning Challenge called One Little Thing… on my blog that I hope everyone can check out.
    Hugs,
    Pam

  23. Gorgeous — I love them all! I thought of you yesterday as I was considering two (my first) flowers — they were $5.75 and I was close — till I did the pass through on the show and spent it all on recipe booklets and photo cards! I have NO idea how to price things like that — is $5.75 too much for a nice flower (pin)?
    Nice post, Karla!

  24. what a beautiful collection of flowers!! And I just love how you use them in your creations! Thanks for sharing.

  25. I love averything you do… Sorry I never ordered one of your birdhouses from your bling… had some unexpected items come up in the family..

  26. Beautiful. I would be happy to have baskets and baskets of them. Love the red rose…also the idea about using the pretty things we all collect.

  27. Oh My you have so many, they all look beautiful, I just love the velvet red rose. Oooooh Sugarwings you still look cute in that hat even if you didn’t think so!
    Hugs
    Kirstie.

  28. They are beautiful…great idea to use your favorites…that is what I am doing this year. I realize I have been hoarding a lot,
    I have not even made a dent in my collections of treasures….love your treasures!

  29. Patricia Eaton

    Love all your pretty flowers…..love the vintage wallpaper box…love it ALL! Such a treat for the eyes……I’ll be coming back for more! Pat at birdnestontheground.blogspot.com

  30. Patricia Eaton

    Love all your pretty flowers…..love the vintage wallpaper box…love it ALL! Such a treat for the eyes……I’ll be coming back for more! Pat at birdnestontheground.blogspot.com

  31. I just found your blog – a link from a link from a link – and I just love it! I love the millinery flowers also. They are hard to find in my area (FL).
    Lisa R.

  32. I just came across your blog..excited because I live in St Joseph MO. I love your collection-you have the neatest stuff! I will check back regularly..Mitzi

  33. Oh your photos were so funny!!! That would be my daughter when she was that age, not wanting anything put on her head! And Twinkle!!! Well, anytime you dress up the dogs, it just makes me laugh out loud!!!! I was going to say that I loved the color of those orange flowers, but then you realized that they were pretty too (it’s all in the context of what they’re next to!!!). It’s good to be home and catching up with everyone’s work again 🙂

  34. Love your millinery flowers. You can never have enough of them…especially the pink ones. The photo of your doggie with the bonnet on is just precious! Amy

  35. Ele at A bit of Pink Heaven

    I love these hats and flowers. You have sooo many. I am jealous. Where I live there are hard to find and if you do find them, you will pay $20-$25 for the ones with a good number of flowers on them. I really enjoyed seeing your collection.

Leave a Reply to Nancy ~ Fete et Fleur Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top