Even more hat making!

The Jagermonster outfits continue. There will be hats! I've got two of the three hats for the family finished now. Basic construction involved buckram and wire. I started with a hat for the munchkin first.



The basic framework, with wires to support the sided. I then padded it with batting. The munchkin picked out her own fabrics, and picked this tapestry sample as the lining:



Keeping this form in the back of my head for future reference, as it'd make a pretty cool crown.

Put the top on and it's starting to look a bit like a demented bishop's mitre:



And the finished piece:



Still looking for something to tack on to the center of the top, as it's a bit bare.

The hat concept I'd initially developed for my husband was something along the lines of a mad hatter tophat, but when I initially sewed the pattern pieces together for his hat, I really liked the boxy shape with the seams on the outside:



Again, hoarding remnants comes in handy. He picked a bronze and black brocade and a milk chocolate brown corduroy for his hat:



The buttons are antique brass military pieces that I found at a thrift store at Pike Place Market a couple of months ago.

One more hat and a jacket to go. Dere vill be jagers here, ya!

Hats and Spats!

I started out the evening making some simple hat bands for our tophats, to go with our matching outfits. And then I tried my hand at making a pair of spats. Very happy with how they turned out, so much so that I will have to make another pair (or three or five), and describe the process. So expect a tutorial at some point!



Remember, every successful outfit is made by the accessories.



~

A year in the making, day 239

Happy May Day! Ours is overcast and cool, but still a lovely day. And I'm all a-bubbly. One of the advantages to making nice things is that sometimes I can trade them for other nice things. In this case, it's a parasol I'm making for a friend in exchange for a beaded purse, hand-crocheted with antiques silver fittings. I got to see it in progress today, and it is beee-you-tiful! Burgundy and black, of course. Are you surprised?

Today I played around with a hat I found some time ago. I'm sure it's meant for a bigger doll, but it's adorable as a mini-sunhat, for some lovely goth or lolita lady. There's heavy lace and two different kinds of trim, hand-sewn onto the base, along with feathers and a vintage brass button for accent.

Miniature OOAK Black Velvet Sunhat EGL Goth with Lace and Feathers







I'm hoping this will inspire me to do something with the stacks of hats and parasols downstairs that have been sitting around languishing, waiting for me to give them love and lace.