Livery Rosette

[creagdhubh]

I'm guessing it's pewter.

The reason why I ask, is because they offer clan badges in both pewter and sterling silver options at Celtic Studio.

[creagdhubh]

No. This one is pewter. I antiqued it by covering all the low spots with acrylic artist color (Mars black) followed by buffing with 4-0 steel wool.
Louis does do fine work in sterling.

Best regards,
David

Very nicely done, David! It looks great!

[David Thorpe]

I should mention that I ran a small bead of Fray Check along the cut-edge ends of the loops.

[Gael Ridire]

This looks a lot easier then the normal rosette I had just bought ribbon for. Will take mine back and get smaller size.

[unixken]

I just picked up some 5/8" wide ribbon in several colors, to try my hand at making a few of these. I grabbed some blue and white to replicate something like the one in the OP (for my XMarks cap badge), and some in the colors of the Buchanan tartan, to mix and match with my clan crest.

After talking about these with the woman at the craft shop, I'm thinking the easiest way to build these up is to mock them up using straight sewing stick pins, on a piece of soft pine or balsa wood, as a sort of jig. I have a small very sharp leather-working awl with which I plan to drive two small holes through the hub where the ribbons all come together. Into each of those holes I can push small silver scrapbooking brads like these...


That should hold the ribbons together without trying to stitch through 12 layers of ribbon, or with having to mess with hot glue that will dry and get brittle over time anyway. A pair of brads a quarter inch apart should prevent the ribbons from rotating relative to one another, and should prove quite durable. I'll play around with it to see how the idea works out.

[unixken]

Well I tested my method of securing the ribbons tonight, as I slapped together a couple of prototypes. I will re-make each of these with better proportions for the ribbon-lengths, cleaner cuts for the ends, and some Fray Check to seal the ends. But as a proof of concept, the brads worked pretty well, I think.

My XMarks badge... (I'll likely be wearing this on my Balmoral, this weekend, at the Ohio Scottish Games.)



My Buchanan clan badge... (shown mounted on my Glengarry)



DrummerBoy - Thanks for the neat idea.

[Scout]

Gents, as a newbie to this whole business I must plead ignorance to all things regarding bonnets. Is there any protocol or custom behind wearing a rosette like these? I like the look but don't want to step on any toes tradition wise. I'm of Irish descent and I thought a similar rosette (green and white) would look good with a claddagh style badge on a caubeen.

Also, an amazingly basic question: How do the badge and rosette attach to the hat itself? Does the badge just pin straight through the ribbons into the hat?

Thanks for your help (and patience with newbie questions!)

[Harold Cannon]

Gael Ridire what style were you planning??? I am always looking for a new way of making them.

[Gael Ridire]

Harold - I actually spent a sleepless Friday night for I couldn't find my balmoral with my own badge and metal feather. Just found them! I bought several spools of ribbon (grogain sp?) in green and white to match my livery. I've down loaded several types that you have made for an example, I'm guessing I'll try them all.

[unixken]

Scout,

The historians on this forum will likely provide the most complete answers as to history and protocol of the cockades. But in it's simplest definition, a cockade is meant to display or demonstrate an allegiance or affiliation with an organization or group. They've also been used to communicate rank or office.

My motive for doing up the XMarks badge was to deliberately add a splash of color which, along with the dandelion, would help draw attention to the badge and possibly aid recognition by other members who might have been present at the Ohio Scottish Games today. In a crowd of pewter cap badges, the XMarks badge by itself, would never have stood out. So I added a splash of color with the cockade and dandelion.

As for how they attach to the hat... In my case anyway, the cockade is more or less just sandwiched between the badge, and the hat. The pin does not pierce the cockade in any way.