The idea actually started with the dress cards that I make. Every time I make a dress card, I feel like I want to add a hat to the dress. It's really just a thing I have about hats!
I love them! I so wish that women wore more hats. Having said that - I really do believe that hats are starting to make a comeback, there certainly are more knit and crochet hat patterns than there have ever been on my pattern sites.
I digress - so back to the birthday card - I made a dress card for the birthday gal and I wanted to make a mug rug for her as well, as I had made one for my son the month before. I looked at all my designs and really wanted something different...
So I decided I would try something with a hat.
A hat on it's own is only a hat - but put it on a head, with a neck and shoulders, and you have a lady...
And the Ladies of Summer was born.
This is the one I made for Sasha... she was my prototype....
I tried this design with another arm and even gloves...
but I eventually went back to the one arm, no glove design, mainly because they looked better when quilted...
The second design started this way...
But I didn't like having to paint on a eye, so I lowered the brim of the hat, got rid of the eye and ended up with this lady.
The third lady is shy, pensive and I think totally adorable... and she is mostly hat! I think I might love this one the most!
And the final lady is a blast of style... The hat may be smaller, but it is certainly a statement of it's own!
So far I have only done these 4 styles of hats, but I am toying with idea of doing a bride with a veil, and perhaps some Ladies of Winter - fur hats might be next!
These mug rugs have all been sold and I am working on some stock for future sales and some gifts.
Mug rugs are intended to be little quilted mats that you can put a cup of tea or coffee and a treat on. I realize that these mug rugs have gone beyond that concept a wee bit, but why can't we ladies have something different and pretty to set our cup on instead of a plain old coaster...
So there you have my Ladies of Summer...
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