When you sew, anything is possible right? I’ve made clothes, quilts, bags, toys, why not try a hat? I have made hats for the grandkids – so what about me?
I’ve had this pattern in my stash for a while, time to break it out and use it. One reason I don’t call this kind of hat making millinery is because – it isn’t really. I noticed right away that even on the pattern envelope the hats have a handmade quality, so yes I knew what I was getting into.
I like version A, the large floppy one.
I grabbed my fabric and some horsehair. Horse hair is a sew in lining used in making suits, since it adds structure but is still very malleable. For hats there is something called buckram – which I don’t have so I used what I did.
Sewing in the crown, taking my time and using a lot of pins. Hand basting would have been better, but I didn’t have any problems.
Although this pattern didn’t call for this, I know that some hats will have wire in the brim so that one can shape it and not have it too floppy. Raiding my beading supplies.
I didn’t take a picture of the finished hat, it was just too floppy and big. So I put it aside and returned to it the next day – with a solution, remove 1.5″ from the brim, it will still be large but not so unmanageable.
Another adjustment was finding a thicker stronger wire. I have some very thick copper – it would be too much. I also had this steel wire, left over from some beading project, so I used it. Sewing very very carefully but not carefully enough. Of course the machine needle hit the wire and broke. 
Finished hat posing with the excess fabric. I’m now wondering, what if I had interfaced the fabric with a thin interfacing as well? I may try that sometime. Also, notice how I’m putting my new trims to good use?!
Without the wire the hat would never hold this shape.
Here we are, not on display but on my head.
I’m probably being way too critical, the hat is adorable!
I even wore it out for a long walk, it stayed on my head nicely…
And did it’s job, keeping the sun off. I was a little concerned about the weight of the buckle, no problem at all.
The one thing I haven’t made yet is a bathing suit and I actually have a very good pattern, so maybe this summer will be another first in sewing for me.
Leah