This adorable penguin sweater is from 1946 and is knitted in 33-36 inch bust sizes. Enjoy!

Check out my Free Patterns page for more free vintage knitting, sewing and crochet patterns



 * this pattern was posted for free for everyone to enjoy. Please do not sell this pattern but please do share it! *

Flowers are a perfect way to add some classic vintage charm to your look. Wear big ones or small ones, singles or clusters, all colors and varieties! Throughout history, ladies have adorned themselves in colorful blooms and our favorite vintage decades are no exception.

I picked a gorgeous hair flower from ChatterBlossom to show you 10 ways to wear one hair flower. Chatter Blossom flowers are lovingly handmade, using authentic vintage flowers. The backing has multiple slits so you can move the clip around and style the flower differently.  I picked this cluster of white blooms with green leaves to stand out in my orangey hair and you can't go wrong with white, it goes with everything! Throughout October, Jamie is giving Va-Voom Vintage readers 10% off their order at Chatter Blossom with code VAVOOMVINTAGE10 throughout the month of October 2016!

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Here are 10 ways to wear a hair flower....

Dress up a scarf turban

 My hair is in pin curls here but if I have to go out with pins in, I like to take out the front pins and keep it curly and put a scarf turban on. Fold a pretty scarf into a triangle and put the scarf on, with the point over your forehead and the long edge at the nape of your neck. Tie the scarf on top of your head. Fold the triangle backwards and tuck it into the knot. Tuck the long ends into the sides. Clip your hair flower into the side of the turban




With a Poodle Updo
 
  
Now I've taken my pin curls out and my hair is super curly. Pull the back section of hair into a ponytail on top of your head. Section the front into 3 sections, two ponytails on each side and leave the bangs down. Pin your bangs up if they're too long. Arrange the curls to cover your head, hairline and the hair ties. Clip a hair flower into the side



Betty Grable rolls 




I've taken that curly poodle down and section the hair from in front of my ear out for the rolls. Roll the first, large roll, then clip your large hair flower in. Place the last roll right next to the flower. See my full Betty Grable victory roll tutorial for more detailed instructions on this look and how to get those rolls just right.



 With a snood 






Section a large semi-circle out for the faux bangs. I've taken a mesh hair rat (mine is called Hot Buns) and rolled the hair around it snugly. Pin into a u-shape and smooth the hair over with your fingers to cover the rat. Bring the rest into a snood and clip the flower into place on the side.  Don't have a snood? Check out my shop, Tinseltown Accessories for lots of handmade snoods made by me.




  
 Gibson roll



  On hot days a gibson roll is a favorite quick style and much fancier than a pony tail! Take a mesh bun form and pin it into a U shape at the back of your head. Gather your hair up and tuck it into the mesh, pinning all along. Clip your hair flower into the middle or off to the side

                                             




To conceal non-cooperating victory rolls 




Some days, no matter when you do, its impossible to get two matching rolls or sometimes, the hair on one side just won't cooperate! Pin your first roll into place and pull that irritating other side back with a side comb or bobby pins and clip your flower in. The bulk of a large flower balances out one victory roll



Sleek and chic pageboy or flip


A simple and elegant favorite starts with a basic pin curl set. Spray dry shampoo into the bangs and back comb them for height. Sculpt a wave with your fingers. Use a comb to brush from the top of the head to the base of your head. Shape the ends of the hair into a flip or brush them under for a Dita-inspired pageboy. Clip a hair flower to the side. See my full tutorial for how to style this pageboy, including a pin curl set.

                                                    


In a chignon


  If your hair doesn't want to cooperate with a gibson tuck, a chignon is a great alternative. My mesh form snaps together to form a donut. Pull your hair into a ponytail, I like mine down low. Slide the ponytail through the donut and cover the donut with sections of hair, pinning them down. If your hair is long enough, you can roll the donut downwards as you roll your hair around it, like this tutorial. Pin your flower to the side of your chignon

                           



With a braided updo 


This is an easy 1940s hairstyle that I found in a magazine ages ago. Clip a long scarf to the top of your head. Part your hair down the middle and braid two pigtails, incorporating the scarf into the braids. Wrap an elastic around the ends and tie the scarf ends into a bow at the back of your head. Clip your hair flower over the bow or on the side of your hair scarf. 



As a corsage

Aside from a hair accessory, you can use your hair flowers to embellish a handbag or as a corsage on your coat or dress.




Thank you to Chatter Blossom for supplying this beautiful hair flower and be sure to stop over and check out her selection of authentic vintage flowers in her etsy shop!

Here's another vintage hat tutorial today, using some scraps from your stash and a hat base from your recycling bin. This little cocktail hat is an open fabric band embellished with millinery veil and little autumn berries.


You will need:

scrap of fabric- wool, velvet, whatever you like
a cereal box
millinery veil- available from JoAnne Fabrics or on etsy
flowers or berries of your choice. I found these from the dollar tree

PATTERN: download the pattern for free from Dropbox right here


trace your pattern onto the cereal box and cut two pieces



glue the two pieces together for more stability


cut your fabric band on the bias, so it bends around the age a little easier
glue the hat base together, forming a circle and whip stitch the fabric to the hat base.



cut your veil 1 yard long. Gather the veil by folding the long edge like an accordion, with small folds. sew back and forth through the accordion folds to secure.


Use a few anchor stitches to attach the veil to the hat band.


decorate the veil with berries, flowers or fabric bows. I used hot glue and tried to anchor most of the berries to the base and the center of the veil. If you like, you can cover the center of the veil, were most of the berry or flower stems are with a little bow. I found this vintage velvet ribbon in my stash.


You can also sew little hair combs to the inside band of this hat, if it doesn't want to stay on by itself.

          

 Today we're continuing our weekly vintage hat tutorials in honor of National Make a Hat day, which was September 15th. Today I'll show you how to make a 1940s style halo hat with a few inexpensive craft supplies and very little need of millinery know-how. This is a great little hat that can be worn with lots of different hair styles. Wear your hair down and curly or in a snood, with victory rolls or bangs or a poodle! Lets get started....

You will need:
a thin headband, plastic or metal, mine is from the Dollar Tree
 Stiff wire. You can use wire from the hardware store or a coat hanger works fine
craft felt (or wool felt if you're feeling fancy)
trimmings of any kind- feathers, sequin trim, beaded trim, flowers, etc.
sewing needle and matching thread or sewing machine

PATTERN:  Download the pattern for free from Dropbox right here!

Cut out two pieces of felt. With both pieces together, stitch along the curved side, 3/8 inches from the edge.



Turn, press seam (as best as you can with craft felt, don't melt it to your iron!) and stitch again along the curved side, 3/4 inches from the edge to form a channel


 Insert wire into the channel and trim the wire so there's about 1/2 inch of open space on each side of the channel.


Carefully stitch along the flat edge, 3/8 inch from edge, being mindful of the wire.


Stitch along the flat edge again, 3/4 inches from the edge to form another channel


Snip a little hole and insert your headband into this channel. You may need to trim the headband down to size. I used scissors on this plastic dollar store headband.

*note- you can reduce the bulk of your headband by removing any decorative fabric around the plastic or metal base*


Stitch the hole closed.

Bend the wire a little to shape your hat


Now time to decorate!! The sky is the limit here. Add flowers, beaded or sequin trim, leave it plain, whatever you like. This hat is based on one of my favorite 1940s hats from my personal collection so I'll show you how to make these felt pom poms just like my original!

Use black and blue felt (or whatever colors you like) and cut 5 circles of each color, 2 inches across and 5 strips of thin felt about 7 inches long.


Snip a hole in the middle of each circle and snip fringe along the outer edge of each circle. Tie a knot in the end of one of the felt strips and string a blue and black circle through each strip.


Hang the pieces at different lengths from the side of the hat. Cover the ends with a little felt bow. I used hot glue to stick these pieces on but sewing would be nicer.


I hope that you enjoyed this hat tutorial.We'll have one more next Tuesday!