Like most of the fabric covered hats I make, this one was entirely un-planned. I bought the straw frame at a Bakers shoe store, and went to town on it with pieces of an old velvet skirt I inherited. What follows is an explaination of process without the benefit of official millnery terminology.I cut out two ovals with pinking shears following the general shape of the brim and crown. I left some extra space to cover over the top and bottom of the brim and so the crown pieces would hang down a bit. I then cut a strip to go around the band.
The piece around the brim has a hole cut in the center. Through this hole, I slipped the hat. You might be able to make out the little triangles I cut out of it around where the fabric touches the actual straw. This has the effect of making the fabric lay straight on the frame.
Next, I attached the brim cover with a simple straight stitch around it's edge. I then gathered the rest of the fabric draw string style, and tacked it down on the inside, sewing along where the crown attaches to the brim. The crown cover was relatively simple to attach.
Next the band went on, hiding the ragged edges of the crown and brim covers. This was a little awkward, as I used an invisible stitch, which I'm sure has a very descriptive and practical name. I tried to capture it in the picture in thumb #6. I left the inside un-finished, and attached a plastic comb that came with the hat from Bakers. A few pieces of Black Lady Church Hat trimmings later, and we were in business.
Click on the thumbnails to see larger images - as always.
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