Remember a few posts back, where I talked about how designing the last few Hats of a collection can be the hardest ones to work on because it’s those that pull a collection together? Petiola was the other Hat that needed more consideration as to how I’d combine leaf and line to balance up the collection.

Featuring one large leaf motif, not dissimilar to Rivurvare, Petiola is outlined, a method we also see in Penumbral, only this time as a statement piece with an incomplete outline.

It’s considering these elements that make a collection. They’re not all the same, but each one shares something with another Hat, maintaining the theme whilst also creating distinct designs. I think this is why I love designing smaller collections based around a tight theme – I get to push it and see how far it will stretch whilst maintaining enough difference and integrity between the final Hats.

crown view of Petiola

The grey and yellow combo here is subtle, and looks far moodier in the oak forest than it does in my studio! We shot these in June, when the sun was high and the light about as strong as it gets, and still we managed the moodiness that I love, even if it impacted this yarn combo a little. I know lots of folks love this colour combo but I’m not a huge fan of it! Yet it suited the rest of the Hats, because combining colours and getting an even spread is another factor that helps a collection feel cohesive. This combo works far better on this Hat than it would, say, Feuille. I think this one would look incredibly striking with just a hint more contrast – that bold motif won’t take a lot to grab your attention!

left view of Petiola

The last Hat in the collection may be a familiar friend to many – I’ll explain more in my next post!