I would like to introduce the second fur felt hat I learned how to make at the Saucy Milliner’s in 2011: the ‘Juliet’ cap.

1. Back of the hat; 2. Bird’s-eye view of the hat

I don’t actually have a name for this hat except for the one the Saucy Milliner had already given to the hat block – Juliet cap.

The Juliet cap and Augustine cloche were blocked on the same weekend in November 2011 but I had no idea how or when I would wear the Juliet cap so it remained hidden in my closet for quite some time.  I had originally attached a bow (which I’d learned to make from the Saucy Milliner) to the back but it looked like cat ears so I removed it and left the cocktail hat untrimmed for a year. When I saw the Duchess of Cambridge wearing a Lock & Co black beret, known as Fairy Tale by Sylvia Fletcher, I was inspired to create some roses out of the extra fur felt from my hood. This would give the hat a less-rounded appearance and [possibly] give a more asymmetrical look. Furthermore, it would make the cocktail hat look less militaristic.

I did not use a template so I was simply working with an imagine in my head as I cut out ‘petals’ in various shapes and sizes. Sewing the petals together was the hardest part and would have been impossible without sewing pins. I made one initially but it still appeared rather plain to anchor one fur felt rose to the hat so I created two more from the hood and attached the roses around the bow. I wasn’t completely satisfied with the overall appearance and thought of creating more roses in different sizes. I still had one more ring of extra fur felt from the hood of another beret I’d blocked, after all.

The day before Remembrance Day, I spent the evening sewing two additional roses. I would have created more but the fur felt was even harder to work with than I’d remembered so I filled up the ‘space’ near the bow and hoped it would do for now. I wore this hat to the Remembrance Day ceremony yesterday and wore my hair in a low bun. I would like to point out that this decision was not at all influenced by the Duchess of Cambridge but had already been decided on the week before. Just in case you were wondering.

What do you think of the hat? Should I remove the bow? Should I add more roses? Suggestions are welcome!