Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Crazy Hat Lady

Have I ever mentioned that I love hats?  I have quite a collection, even if you don't count the handknits. 

A few weeks ago when I cut out the fabric for my coat, I had quite a bit left over.  I started to formulate a plan to make a matching hat, and last week I bought this pattern:

Burda 7117

This is a basic bucket hat with four different brim styles.  The pattern includes an impressive 5 different head sizes!


I have a smallish head, measuring 22 inches in circumference, so I went with the middle size (22 1/4") and the fit is just right.

On Sunday I decided to make the hat up.  It's a very simple pattern and only took me about an hour and a half.  (It does involve hand-stitching in the lining.)  I decided to make the hat with the closest-fitting brim, View D, so that I could play around a little with how to wear it.  I also think it has a retro vibe that goes well with the coat.  I opted to leave off the bow, because my fabric has enough going on!


Here's how my finished hat looks:

from the side

I used Pellon Shape Flex as interfacing to give the hat nice flexible body.  My good friend Andrea turned me on to this interfacing recently and I've been using it in a lot of projects.  It's what I used on the coat as well.  Thanks, Andrea!

Inside, I lined the hat with some leftover cotton/linen blend from my quilt:


lining and outer

And now, let me regale you with some orange bathroom mirror shots of the hat.  I like this shape because it can be worn in several different ways: 

Brim down:

I actually cut my fabric so the pink flowers would be on the side.


Brim up on one side:


And brim up on both sides, fedora-like:



from the side

And here's how it looks from the back with the brim down:

Quite a tall bucket!  That's what makes it look retro to me.

I'm really happy with how the hat turned out.  It was easy to make, fits well, and I think it looks pretty cute!  It will help keep my hair out of my face and the wind out of my ears this spring.  I'll definitely be using this pattern again - I'd like to try all four versions eventually.

It seems that it's not so easy to find sewing patterns for hats.  Do any of you have any others you can recommend?

25 comments:

  1. Feliz Cumpleaños to you, crazy hat lady! Your hat is super nice and it looks great on you. I'm glad the shapeflex has come in handy.

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    1. !Muchas Gracias! Hehehe (don't know how to do the upside-down exclamation mark!)

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  2. I love it! Quite the opposite of you, I have a large head so hats in stores never really fit because one size doesn't fit all! I should really try to make one.

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    1. This pattern was so easy, Sarah! You should try it!

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  3. I'm a great fan of 1920's style flapper hats myself. This one has that look with one side of the brim up. Really lovely.

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    1. Yes, I think that's my favorite way to wear it. I agree - it does look a little flapper-ish!

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  4. Making a hat is on my list of things to sew this year... particularly one that would work to block the sun in the summer. This will likely be the pattern I use now (the wide brimmed version.) This hat looks great on you. Thanks for sharing :)

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    1. Thanks, Kathy! I think I'll probably be making the wide-brimmed one too this summer, for that very purpose. Will be great on the beach . . . wish I were there now!

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  5. okay i have to admit that my first thought was "hmmmm...." until i scrolled down and saw your pics. the hat is sooo cute and it looks perfect on you! i love it with the brim one side up. i wish i could wear hats, every time i put one on my head and look in the mirror i recoil in horror.

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    1. I agree it looks a little weird on the model, and I think it's because she's wearing it higher up on her head - in effect, wearing a hat that's a little too small for her.

      I think you could pull this off. You just need a little hattitude!

      (Couldn't resist!)

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  6. OMG, Gail, I love this to death, especially the brim variations. I'm a hat addict too, but haven't ventured into making my own. You're totally changing my mind. Thanks a million for the Pellon tip. I am just in awe of these looks. Too cute!!
    You asked about hat patterns. This may seem a little morbid, but I discovered a great site for making hats for cancer patients, http://www.brimmingwithlove.com/patterns.html There are really neat patterns, most of them free. I made the Creative Kindness Beret for a friend in no time at all, and had only been sewing a few months.
    I also just saw this adorable pattern on Butterick, and may have to indulge since their patterns are $1.88 for the next few days.
    http://butterick.mccall.com/b4532-products-5906.php?page_id=380
    I also own Vogue 8681 but haven't tried it yet. It has interesting variations and appears to be fairly easy to make.
    Thanks for the inspiration! (Can you tell I get excited about hats? ;) )
    Shelley

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    1. Ooooh, thanks for all those tips, Shelley! I will definitely be checking all of those out! I have a pattern from the '90s that I'm thinking about digging out too.

      I also saw a men's hat pattern (I think it was a Vogue) that was fedoras. I wish now I'd bought it, although the fedora isn't one of my more flattering shapes.

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  7. That is so cute!! Adorable! The fabric is so pretty ~ it looks great on you. I think this would be a really fun thing to try. I'd love something like this to wear out on sunny days.

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    1. Thank you, Jenny! It was fun, and it's so satisfying to finish up a project in just an hour or two.

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  8. Wow, you've done more than an excellent job - your hat is better than the pattern and it suits you so much! So cute! I'm really looking forward to your version of style A, seems a great summer pattern.

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  9. I love your hat -- so cute!! I bought the book Sewn Hats a few weeks ago and it has lots of great patterns. I've already made one, need to blog it!

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    1. Oooooh! I hadn't heard of that book! Put it on my Amazon list! Yes, blog yours quick - I want to see!

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  10. OMGosh, you are too cute. You did a terrific job on this bucket hat. And you are too cute in it.

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  11. I bought the pattern and am cutting it out tonight! I'm going for the wide brim for maximum sun blockage. We'll see what happens!

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    1. Oooh, can't wait to see it, Kathy! I had hoped to make a wider-brimmed one in the leftovers from my coral coat, but ended up not having enough fabric.

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  12. I wish you had the video. I have the pattern but can't figure out the sewing. It's like instructions are missing.

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