red hat society necklace

I've been busy. Mostly ordering supplies and designing. I have a few things planned. Am ready to move on to spring and summer pieces but have a commission for a necklace and bracelet to finish first. The necklace is similar to the heart necklace, which has been well received but not sold, and a matching bracelet. The new necklace will have purple and red Swarovski's, fresh water pearls, and gold fill as opposed to the vintage chain used in the heart necklace. The bracelet will be similar but with a 3 strand memory wire. I chose memory wire for the bracelet because it will be an attention getter.

The necklace and bracelet colors are important because my customer belongs to the Red Hat Society. I am obviously hoping that other red hats will like her necklace and bracelet and place orders. Or I think I'm hoping they will place orders. Recreating the same necklace or bracelet isn't really my thing and I would have to make significant changes in deference to customer #1 also which can be a little sticky when people want 'one of those.'

Still commissions are great and I'm happy to have one. I am hoping to make a similar necklace for my etsy store. I have learned a little about the Red Hat Society too and I wanted to share some of that.

The Red Hat Society is quite simply a social group for ladies over 50. As I understand it, volunteer work is not the purpose of the group. Instead it focuses on fostering friendship between women in the 50+ demographic, though younger women may join as pink hats. The ladies dress in red hats and purple dresses to all of their functions. Functions include luncheons, dinners and tea parties. The purple dress, red hat combo is an idea taken from a poem by an English poet, Jenny Joseph.

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat that doesn't go and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.

This isn't the whole poem, but as much of it as a quick online search yields. It's a great poem and I think it captures what the group is about very well. I would love to join!