Fascinator making tips for the racing season.

Racing season is upon us, and with it the perfect opportunity to go wild with hair accessories!
Ascot is next weekend, so there's still time to rustle up a perfectly wild fascinator

Chrisse King from Hat Therapy has given you some tips on making fabric flowers or YoYo's. YoYo's are also known as suffolk puffs, and are a great way of tying in a colour scheme across your outfit.

Check out this fab suffolk puff fascinator for inspiration from Knit and Purl Stitch

To make a sheer fabric flower/suffolk puff  you will need.

1. A woven headband (randall ribbons in Luton sell them on black and ivory) tel 01582 721 301
2. Some fabric you want to use
3. A dinner plate
4. A button or bead for the centre
5. Some hand sewing thread and a needle

Cut a circle, dinner plate size for a larger flower or smaller if not.

Knot the end of your thread and sew along the edge of your fabric.

Pull gently as you sew creating a little bag then secure together with a few small stitches, cut off thread.

Decide what you would like to trim your piece with, here's a few ideas.

• sequins, 
• buttons,
• beads, 
• another smaller circle in a contrasting fabric
• ribbon

Starting from the back, pass a threaded needle through to the centre of your flower and start to build up a trim. This will pinch together your sheer fabric in the middle.

Once finished you can attach to your headband by sewing together or pop on a comb or hair clip.

If you want cover your headband cut a piece of your fabric on the bias (across the fabric where you feel the stretch) Pin and sew, turn inside out with a safety pin then push the end of the band into the tube, sew at each end to secure

Enjoy

Chrissie