Summer flower hat

For my IBW year-long bead challenge, I made a Summer flower hat. The flowers are not very big - my aim was not a sophisticated look-, and I am very happy with the result. It is very nice to wear, and the colors of the rainbow make it look very happy.

Hopefully it will trigger conversations and maybe it will tempt some people to try the art of beading!

It was very nice to make. The only not-so-fun part of the making is that I stung my fingers a lot while sewing the flowers onto the hat. I'm a much better beader than seamstress...

Although I designed most flowers and leaves especially for this hat, there are several older flowers I've written patterns for: the Fuchsia Flower, the Calla Lilies and the balloon flower, the latter being feattured in the document available in my "From Petal to Pod" Facebook group. In the photo below, the peachy-pink sweet pea flower is new and ok-ish, but not yet how I want it, so I will have to work at it some more. The yellow flower is just a play based on my daisy flower in the Petal and soliflore pattern. You will find these in company of my Lily of the Valley, Peace Lily and Tiny Tulip here.

The Bumble Bee above the Fuchsia Flower is also available as a pattern, which is a fundraiser to help the charity "Planet Bee".

The other flowers are new, at least in my "catalog" if I may say so, and I am showing them with their inspirational picture below.

Little yellow and apricot ranunculus (or Macintosh rose)

This flower - the apricot one, to be honest - was a real struggle. As much as the yellow one went well, this one went not well at all.

Also, I made an attempt at the typical ranunculus folliage and failed miserably.  

I think that I might ask our BWG chairperson, Liz Thornton to explain her method!

Peachy-pink anemone

Little red aster

Hot pink ipomea / morning glory

Purple anemone

Platycodon, or balloon flower open - there is a 2nd open and a third half-open flower on the hat (same flower, just more closed) and if completely closed, this beaded flower actually forms a ball shape.

Blue ipomea / morning glory

Tiny light blue aster - On the hat there is a 2nd light blue one, of the same size as the little red aster.

The leaves are also new experiments.

A trefoil, Oxalis rubra (nicknamed Trefoil of Canton Vaud, Switzerland, where I live). It has tiny pink "periwinkle-like" flowers.

A fern, Maiden's hair

Rose leaves

And a bit of grass.

And now the big question: with all the books about beaded flowers already available on the market, would you still be interested in a pattern for one of the flowers above? Please, share your thoughts with me in the comments! Thank you!

A few more photos to show the composition better.

Thank you for reading me!

Cath