A little competition to celebrate the Royal Wedding!!!!

Win one of my handmade felt fascinators.... ideal to wear as a wedding guest.... or perfect for the races!

 Q. What date and what location did Charles and Diane get married?

And a few words about your memories of that special day?

Email your answers to me heidi@extraspecialtouch.co.uk by the end of Bank Holiday Monday, and a name will be chosen at random.

 You can chose one of my felt fascinators from my Folksy Shop..... some of which can be seen here....

 These particular felt fascinators are re-made from vintage felt hats, often using the original trimmings as well!

 Gorgeous green felt with vintage style button...

Gray with pink leapard trim and button...

Good luck with the competition!

Congratulations to Kate & William!

We've all been so excited listening to all the wedding plans and guessing about Kate's dress.... Well, the day has arrived.... and as we all expected, she look absolutely stunning in a vintage style Sarah Burton dress!

I have been hand stitching a vintage re-make hat... while watching the wedding on the tele! Now the suns come out, so a celebration BBQ in our garden and a few drinks to wish the happy couple a very happy life together. xxxxx

Felt fascinations....

I'm loving playing and re-making old vintage felts hat and making something new...

 This is my latest little make....and I love the feather trim with the flower...

 Vintage style button finished off the flower perfectly...

 and gorgeous from the back as well!

For full information.... check it out in my Folksy Shop

Need a hat to match your outfit?

Olivia

handmade silk fascinator with embroidered Rose and crystal button.

 She is made with 100% Handwoven silk and has a gorgeous vintage style crystal button in the centre of the embroidered edged rose.

 Olivia can be custom  made in 160 shades of silk... so I'm sure one of them will match your outfit perfectly!

For more information on Olivia.... check her listing in my Folksy Shop

Playing with vintage felt hats to make something new....

This vintage felt hat was cute in a vintage kinda way.... but was ready for a re-style!

 I've re-blocked the felt into a neat little round fascinator with the petersham trim from the original hat to finish off the edge.

 The flower is also made from the same hat...

and the vintage brooch as the flower centre works perfectly!

For more information, check my Folksy listing.

My work is exhibited with the Kingcombe Group at Killerton House!

Before Christmas I was honored to be asked to join the Kingcombe Group, based down in Dorset. The meet several times a year, and all love embroidery, from hand to machine and every combination in between! The exhibit once a year at Killerton House, near Exeter. This year the exhibition is called "For the Love of Stitch".

 Last weekend, I went to set up my work at this most beautiful setting!

This is part of my display, with a mixture of my embroidered fascinators, and wedding gifts... including Bride and Groom hankies (can be personalised through our website), 

...also, embroidered "Just Married...Do Not Disturb!" hanging hearts and a range of embroidered vintage lace garters. (which can also be personalised through our website). 

If you are in the Exeter area... go and have a look.... the house is gorgeous... the exhibition is wonderful.... and they make a mean cuppa and cakes in the tea room! 

My latest make...

Tonight I have finished my purple vintage felt fascinator with embroidered flower and vintage button, which looks just like a blackberry (that has been in my button stash for years!) It will be added to my Folksy Shop later.

Extra Special Touch named as Folksy Shop of the Day!!

I have woken to Extra Special Touch being named as "Folksy Shop of the Day"!!!! Thanks Folksy :))
Check out Folksy Facebook page

Do you like my new hat boxes?

Arrived home this evening to find delivery of my new hat boxes, various sizes to fit different styles.... and a gorgeous shabby chic pattern!

Roaring Lion Studios: New Featured Artist-Heidi Lawton and her "Extra Sp...

Roaring Lion Studios: New Featured Artist-Heidi Lawton and her "Extra Sp...: "..."

My latest finds....

I have been working in Morpeth today, and during my lunch break, I had a quick look round the shops... and I found some gorgeous things!

 Crystal buttons, from The Sewing Box, and I loved them so much, I had to buy lots!

 The postman delivered this, just I was leaving home yesterday.... vintage embroidered hat trimming.

 A red vintage felt hat, and a matching vintage brooch.... ideal to re-make into a fascinator and use the brooch as a flower centre.

 Vintage glass bead necklace, this will become a tiara with one of my embroidered flowers. The brooches will be a fabulous trimming for a fascinator.

This is the purple fascinator I was hand stitching in my B&B bedroom last night.... I think it looks lovely with one of the crystal buttons!

Playing with felt...

So far all my fascinators have been made with silk, with blocked millinery net and then blocked silk, but it's a long process, keep waiting for fabrics to dry... so I thought I'd turn my hand to felt and have a little play!

So, on Saturday aafternoon, I had a trip round the shops and found a few felts hats for me to "up-cycle" and re-make into something completely different! Using my kettle as a make shift steamer... I blocked my little felt fascinator and an hour later it was completely dry for me to hand stitch the wire edge and bind with gorgeous pink leopard print bias binding for www.macculloch-wallis.co.uk

 

 On Sunday morning, I free machine embroidered the petals and covered a button with the leopard print... stitched the whole thing together... and I'm really pleased with my first felt fascinator!

I like to block the lining, so it follows the shape of the fascinator, and wrap the comb in ribbon to give an extra special finish. Add my label and it's ready for my Folksy Shop.
My Sunday night, I'd blocked a purpley and green felt fascinator... and looking forward to working of those little beauties next weekend!

Special Delivery....

I won this fabulous vintage hat / head block last week on Ebay... just the best place to find stuff you need! I love it! It arrived today... just as I was leaving the house to work away for a few days. I can't wait to get back and start blocking!

My first post!

My first post of many!

I love creating one off special little pieces of gorgeousness for you to wear in your hair! And this will be my place to tell you all about it!

To view my range of fascinators and vintage style wedding accessories... check out my Folksy Shop :)