Lily of the Valley and Bees Hand-Embroidered Cap in Acid-Wash Denim

Lily of the valley stitched by hand across the front of an acid-wash denim cap, with two bees working above it. Tall leaves arch up from the brim in two greens, and small white bells hang along the stems, each one turned slightly differently. No print, no iron-on patch. Real cotton thread.

The two bees are the reason this cap is not just another floral. Each has a striped body and white wings, and each trails a dashed flight path stitched in fine running stitch that loops up past the seam and onto the crown. Most embroidered caps stop at the front panel band. This one carries a line of stitching above it, which is why the design reads as something happening rather than a motif sitting still.

The leaves are worked in long straight stitches laid side by side, so the blades keep their direction and catch light along their length. The bells are small satin knots with a dot of yellow at the throat. Two greens do the depth: a soft sage for the leaves in front, a deeper green for the ones behind.

The acid wash leaves the denim a soft, already-worn charcoal. Against that grey the white bells stand out the way they do against dark garden soil, which is the whole reason this design is on a dark cap and not a pale one.

Every cap is stitched to order in our Bulandshahr studio by women artisans. Because a person makes each one, no two flight paths curve the same way.

What is on the cap

• Lily of the valley, white bells hanging from arching stems
• Tall leaves worked in two greens, sage in front and deeper green behind
• Two bees with striped bodies and white wings
• Dashed flight paths in fine running stitch, looping up onto the crown
• Small yellow dots at the throat of the bells

Details

• Acid-wash charcoal denim, soft and breathable
• Hand-embroidered, front panel and up onto the crown
• Free size, adjustable metal backstrap, unisex fit
• Curved brim, classic baseball cap shape
• Made to order in Bulandshahr, India
• Spot clean only, do not machine wash
• Stitched by hand, so placement varies slightly between caps

Fit and care

Free size with an adjustable metal backstrap, so it works for most heads. Curved brim, classic baseball shape, unisex.

Spot clean only. Warm water, mild soap, dab at the mark and let it air dry. A washing machine will warp the brim and fray the stitches. The white thread is the part that shows dirt first, so deal with marks early rather than letting them set.

Why lily of the valley?
It is the birth flower for May, which makes this cap a straightforward May birthday gift. It also turns up in wedding flowers, and it carries the old meaning of the return of happiness. If you are buying it for someone born in May, that is worth saying in the card.

Are the bees embroidered too, or are they a patch?
Embroidered, same as everything else. Striped bodies, white wings, and a dashed flight path behind each one worked in running stitch. They sit above the flowers on the crown, which is unusual on a cap and takes longer to place well.

Can I wash this cap in a washing machine?
No. A machine warps the brim and frays the hand stitches. Spot clean it instead: warm water, a little mild soap, dab at the mark with a cloth and let the cap air dry away from direct sun.

Is the embroidery done by hand or by machine?
By hand. Each cap is stitched by one of our artisans in Bulandshahr using cotton thread. The dashed flight paths give it away. A machine would render them as a solid line, because it cannot lift and restart a stitch the way a hand can.

Will the cap fit me?
It is free size with an adjustable metal backstrap at the back, which covers most adult head sizes. The shape is a classic curved-brim baseball cap and it is unisex.