Tip o' the 'at to ya, guvnor!

I love hats. Love hats. Back in the SCA, I would make entire outfits just so I could make and wear the hat. I don't necessarily look all that good in hats (at least, I know plenty of people who look much better), but I love making them. I think it's the fact that they are finicky and nit-picky. Anyway, I love 'em! So in designing the Enchantress costume for our Steampunk Avengers group project, of course there had to be a hat. :) I decided on a Victorian-era hat in the same green satin as the costume. There will probably be netting and a gem-type centerpiece. We'll see when I get there!

So, to gather the pieces:

The hat will have a wired buckram base, and those pieces are already cut out and lying on the folder there. They need to be pressed or backrolled to get out the curl. I've had the buckram a while (I buy it in rolls), so I'm not sure but I think it's double-weight buckram.  The dark circle is the top of the hat, already wired (forgot to take a photo before I started!).

You also need:
- wire (I'm using 19 gauge wire I get from Home Depot)
- wire snips
- needlenose pliers (WAY too handy!)
- needles (I have milliners', but any sturdy needles will do)

- buttonhole twist thread (again, you want sturdy)

- scissors

OK, so essentially you then set about wiring the edges of your pieces and anywhere else you think might need some support. For example, the crown has support wires running from the top of the hat to the brim to make it a little less "smashable". Sewing wire to buckram can be extraordinarily frustrating - the wire wants to curl, the thread wants to twist, and nothing wants to play nice. You also need a fair amount of hand strength. Patience is most definitely required, but stick with it. It doesn't last forever! :)

Here's the wired brim and top. It's not pretty, but it doesn't really have to be - no one will see the frame once the hat is done (yay!!). You'll note that the center of the brim isn't cut out yet (it doesn't look like a doughnut). I'm using a Truly Victorian pattern (TV550) for this since it's the right era. The designer also puts her hats together differently than I've done in the past, and I'm always interested in trying new methods. :)

Here's the wired crown. For some reason, the wire hated me for this piece, so it was much more frustrating than I'd planned. But it looks pretty good, so I'm happy with that. :) Note the vertical support wires I talked about earlier. Next step will be closing the open seam at the back there and sewing the top piece to the top of the crown. Then ... fabric! :)

At this point, I've put about 4 hours into this hat. :)

More later! I'm off to enjoy a nice glass of wine to negate all the sewing needle pricks and wire scratches. :)