I'm enchanted by the cloche hats on Downton Abbey. A lot of them would be very wearable for modern times, especially for folks like me who live in a mild-winter California climate and walk a lot. We need to protect our skin (in addition to our SPF 50!) and keep the sunlight out of our eyes. So far I've mostly created fabric caps for this purpose. I like those, but I'd also like something with a brim that goes around an entire hat, not just a bill in the front, like a cap has.
At this point, I can start creating a pattern that fits my head, with or without a brim.
Alvan's Crafster post about making a duct tape cloche hat form helped me with my form. Thanks! http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=gjkdubsculiivgd9tu5t1g50k3&topic=361109.0
Floracraft makes an Inexpensive form for base of a head block - a foam wig stand http://www.michaels.com/floracraft-wig-head/10315631.html
I use an inexpensive foam wig stand for storing this straw hat I produced from the first millinery class I took (Wayne* blocked the straws for us, we trimmed them). See the tissue sticking out underneath? I need that because my head is 2 inches bigger than the crown of the stand. My hat is 3 inches bigger than the stand (for comfort) It's important to store hats on something that holds the material of the hat in place, because otherwise eventually, they will collapse. |
The wig stand is only 21" around the crown The crown of my head is 23" - and that's a very tight fit When I make a hat, it's 24 or 24 1/2 inches, for a comfortable fit. |
I want to create a pattern for a cloche hat. This one measures about 24" around, after I strapped a number of layers of duct tape tightly over my head. My cloche will have some kind of a brim to keep the sun out of my eyes, but the first thing is to get a well-fitted shape around my skull I made this one out of duct tape and a nylon stocking (the knee high kind) The stocking (more or less!) kept the duct tape from sticking to my hair I got my ideas for this form from this post on Crafster After I peeled the duct tape form off my head (pulling out a few stray hairs along the way!) and trimmed the knee high stocking, the rest of the stocking started to peel away, so I applied leftover (tee shirt) cotton knit scraps on the inside. Then I reinforced the edge all the way around with more duct tape. It was actually helpful, making the head/hat block more stable. |
The cloche form needs to be stuffed with something to fit well on the foam head block I could use leftover cotton knit scraps (I left the scraps sticking out in this photo just to make the point) |
Or I could stuff it with tissue scraps (again, I'd actually stuff the tissue all up inside) |
~ ~ ~
Web Resources
My tapestry cap inspired an Enchanted by Sewing show. In August of 2014 I recorded an entire audio podcast about sewing fabric caps, including technique and pattern talk http://www.enchantedbysewing.blogspot.com/2014/08/ench-by-sew-023-capping-off-summer.html
*In this posting I talked about my experiences in Wayne Wichern's millinery class. We focused most of our time on a fabric-covered buckram hat. http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2013/09/matters-millinery-making-my-own-hats.html, Early this year, I'll be taking a three full day hat making workshop from Wayne in his studio in Burlingame. I expect to block my own straw and felt hats there.
My first fabric cap in 2013, was a lovely subtle denim print. I've just about worn this out! http://meencantacoser.blogspot.com/2012/06/caps-off-chewing-bun-with-tuppence.html
Floracraft makes an Inexpensive form for base of a head block - a foam wig stand http://www.michaels.com/floracraft-wig-head/10315631.html
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.