Costumaroni & Cheese: Headgear Post #1

Remember this?

the most shit I've ever had on my head at once.

See the blue ribbon around my hair, under the veil? That was a trial run, done in acrylic craft paints.  Just a plain ol' little trefoil-vine design, nothing fancy.  I wanted an embroidered version...so I made one.

Please keep in mind that I've never embroidered anything before, and be gentle with me.  This was quite a feat for me, even though (as I'm well aware) it kinda looks like a four year old did it. It's my first try.  And I'm pretty pleased with myself. :)

1.  First line of vines (I sketched the pattern onto the ribbon with chalk pencil first)
2.  Thicker
3.  Trefoils on the fine ends (little three-lobed plant leaves)
4.  Gold outlines
5.  Stitching a second ribbon on the back to hide the hideous back of my work, with a little blanket-stitch
6.  Reinforcing the ends with a pseudo-buttonhole stitch type situation, because...
7.  Lengths of embroidery floss over the edge, and tied into a fringe, which was then...
8.  Braided into three braids, which were braided together to form a single cord at each end of the ribbon.

DONE. FINALLY.

Why?  Because it's pretty. :o)   And because my wimple is really only half of one - it doesn't go all the way around the back or top of my head, and it's not wrapped:  the upper corners of it pin to this ribbon, which hold it in place, which in turn keeps the ribbon in place.

WHEW.  That took me like two weeks.  I have no idea how people do this all the time.  I don't hate embroidery with a bloody passion like I did before I started working on this - but I sure am tired of it.

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