The "Whimsy" Giveaway!

Hooray! A giveaway! 

ConstantlyAlice will be giving away a prize package that includes the Sweetheart Beret from my recent blog tutorial and 50% off any one item in the ConstantlyAlice Shop! 

Entering is simple..simply be a subscriber of the ConstantlyAlice Newsletter "Whimsy".

When you subscribe, you will be eligible for exclusive reader discounts and special features (so really, it's a win/win ;) You can subscribe here on the ConstantlyAlice blog , or on Facebook.

Contest is open to all entries and will run until 12/15! Good Luck ♥

Hugs and Smooches,
D

Sweetheart Beret Tutorial

I love berets.  They're chic, easy to wear, and fit just about anyone!  Here are a few of my favorite ways to wear one..

Credit

 The "Faye Dunaway".  Quintessential chic.

credit

Marilyn Monroe.  Sultry beret at a jaunty angle.

Credit

 Nina Foch.  Simple and sweet.

Now that you have some ideas on how to wear one, let's talk embellishment ;)  I am currently addicted to "spiffing things up" with felt shapes and embroidery and berets are the perfect medium for this type of project!  Here's what you'll need:

1.  Begin by cutting a heart shape out of your felt.  When you have it the size and shape you like, decide where to place it on your beret.  Once you have it where you like it, pin it in place.

2.  Thread your embroidery needle with two or three strands of embroidery floss.  Begin sewing the felt heart onto your beret with evenly spaced stitches.  You can choose to do it with a running stitch, as I have done in the photo at the start of this post, or you can use an overcast stitch.

credit

3.  Once your heart has been secured, use your embroidery thread to create the "arrow".  Create the arrow point on the top, a stitch in the middle of your heart at an angle in line with the point, and complete it with the base of your arrow following the same angle.

4.You can embroider "sweet" in a few different ways.  I chose to do it freehand using a backstitch because I wanted it to have a "handwritten" effect.  If you prefer a different type of font, I would recommend printing or tracing it onto tear away stabilizer.  You can then just place it where you like on the beret, embroider over the letters and tear the stabilizer away when you are finished (be sure to keep some tweezers handy..they sometimes help to pull the stabilizer out from under the stitches.)

5.  Trim all threads and place on your head at the angle of your choice ;)

Hugs and Smooches,
D

Fall Magic

How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days. ~John Burroughs 

Fall Magic by constantlyalice on Polyvore

Another Sneak Peek at some of the fall items coming to ConstantlyAlice!  A lovely camel colored corduroy jacket with suede elbow patches, a hand crocheted cowl in a pretty fall orange and a needle felted beret with fall leaves.

Hugs and Smooches,
D

How Can You Miss Me if I Won't Go Away??

Hello friends <3  Just popping in with a little update on how things are going!

I have my very first craft fair coming up this Saturday.  I'm SUPER excited and I hope all goes well, because I'd really like to participate in a few more over the holidays.

I've been working on crocheted cowls in various colors like this one:

I plan on making some out of more luxurious materials to sell in my Etsy shop as well (with my fall launch, which I am really looking forward to!)

I'm also going to be adding a few felted hats and berets like the one shown below.

..and speaking of my fall launch, I will have some lovely models (in the form of my daughter and her best friend) to help me out with my photo shoot :)

And one final bit of information..I'm going to be attending this AMAZING exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum in October about Hats!  I especially love this painters palette one by Dior.

I'll be sure to do a post with plenty of pictures :)

Hugs and Smooches,
D

Style it - You CAN wear a hat!

I LOVE hats.  They cover up a bad hair day, frame your face, add a little "something extra" to an outfit and keep your head toasty on a cold day.  A lot of people I've chatted with like the idea of a hat, but think that they can't pull it off, that it doesn't look good on them, or that they aren't a "hat person".  I think everyone can be a hat person, you just need to find the one that speaks to you!  Here are a few hats that have been in the shop and suggestions on how to wear them.

The Leopard Print Bucket - I think this hat would pair nicely with a simple tailored pea coat.  Something that doesn't detract from the hat itself.  The brim is great if you have a fuller face (like I do!) and are looking for something to make it look slimmer.

The Cloche - This hat is a summer weight hat and would be best suited to a pretty floaty sundress or a romantic lacey top with jeans.  It looks ADORABLE on gals with shorter hair (I mourn my bob everytime I come across a cloche!  I have very thick hair and when it's longer it doesn't tend to fit properly with this style of hat, as they are meant to fit close to the head.)

Headband and Pillbox hats - These are great if, like me, you have a larger head or very thick hair because they either stretch to fit (the headband hat) or sit on top and attach with an elastic that hides under the hair or little combs stitched into the hat.  Headband hats come in tons of styles and can be cute with a dress or to add a little visual interest with your winter coat.  Pillbox hats are also cute with a vintage suit or coat.

There are many other styles that I will cover in a later post.  There's the toque, the beret, the fedora, there are fascinators and tilt hats.  Hats to suit everyone's taste!  As you can see, my tastes run towards the older pre-1960's style hats, but there are some fun hats in later years as well (the floppy brimmed 70's style hat comes to mind..)

I will leave you with a few pictures of me in some of my favorite hats for ideas on how to style them.  Feel free to leave any questions you may have in the comments!

A really neat 60's red velvet hat

50's/60's Cream colored Pillbox

A gorgeous 40's/50's beaded beret

A Red Fur Felt Beret circa 1960

(I've also noticed a whole lotta fur in these photos.  I tend to wear hats more often in the winter because I never keep them on in the summer unless I'm gardening!)

Hugs and Smooches,
D