Carole Curtis – United Kingdom

Yin Yang Balancing Hat

Description

Yin Yang, literally meaning ‘Dark’ – ‘Bright’, is the ancient Chinese symbol of harmony coming from Taoism. It reminds us that life is a balancing act of negative and positive, a universal balance of complimentary opposites.

Nothing is completely Yin or completely Yang, each aspect contains a piece of the other. The contrasting colours in my design represent night and day, negative and positive, Equilibrium.

This head piece consists of 4 pieces for the main structure, and 2 pieces for the support structure. I have used a lustre fabric in ‘Midnight Sky’ and ‘Sassy Yellow’ for each Yin and Yang shape, with satin chiffon, feathers and stones for the decoration.

Each piece was constructed separately with a Buckram wired base covered in Domet prior to hand stitching the top fabric.

Using a Rouleaux turner I made tubes for the decorative “Y” on both pieces.

A contrasting peony, made from circles of chiffon, stretched and torn at the edges represent night merging into day and day into night. Feather edging and Preciosa stones complete the piece.

My “Balancing Hat”.

Materials

• Buckram
• Millinery Wire
• Domet
• Interfacing
• Lustre stretch Lycra
• Satin Chiffon
• Preciosa Stones
• Feathers
• Various thread

Techniques

• Made pattern in tissue
• Wired Buckram pieces using millinery “wire” stitch
• Hand sewing fabrics onto the structure including supporting disc
• Fabric flowers made by stretching and tearing the fabric
• Rouleaux tubes using a rouleaux turner
• Headband cover made using sewing machine
• Attaching stones on top discs using stoning glue