Friday, August 1, 2008

headin' to the beach

At least that's where I was going when I made the hat. I foolishly decided I needed a sun hat for my visit to the ocean a week ago. The sewing was started the day before I left. Perhaps not foolish, just stupid.
The pattern is Amy Butler's Big Sky Hats. The fabric is 100% linen with cotton duck interlining(two layers in the brim, one in the crown). The lining is also linen.
I'll say this much for the pattern - I followed the measuring guidelines and it does fit. There are only two pattern pieces to deal with, but there are many of each. It was the layers, oh the layers, that killed me.
I'd forgotten to take into account that I would be sewing on the bias as I went around the brim and small parts of the crown. Can you say "shifting"? The looser weave linen also moved around a lot against the solid duck. The main hat was finished in time for the trip(if you don't count the hand sewing of the lining on the way to the beach). The extra three rows of top stitching were my addition and were done when I returned home. That's where the layers became my nemesis. I won't show you the underside where all three rows made a pleat in the lining. Fortunately, it's near the back and not visible when worn because I'm not ripping it all out. (Notice I'm showing you the close up of the nice side with no ripples.)

See, it does fit. No pictures of it being worn at the beach. Sorry, I was too busy fighting the riptides.

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5 comments:

Rebekah said...

cute hat! Too bad about the wrinkles. that last photo of you with the camera blocking your face reminds me of Wilson from Home Improvement :)

Susie Sunshine said...

I forgot how much I liked this hat until the photo of you wearing it! Hats generally look like utter crap on me, but this one was awesome.
The brim is just floppy and large enough to be very movie star-esque as Martha so expertly demonstrates.

MsCellania said...

I LOFF that hat!
Could you baste from the hat edge to brim in like 7 places and then sew your edging perpendicularly (is that a word?) so it wouldn't bunch up at the start/stop points? I have to baste alot with anything lined or quilted.

blackbird said...

I will attest to the fact that it fit beautifully, was impeccably made and looked adorable, riptides notwithstanding.

It's jellyfish this week - dozens of people being stung. We had good timing.

A Spoonful Of Sugar said...

Love the hat - it looks lovely in linen!