Cloche Hat Part 3: Fin.

Brace yourself.  This is a long, picture filled post.

Once I was done sewing in the wire for the brim I folded the extra felt over it and sewed it in place.  Then I cut the extra felt off.

Normally the next step would have been to add the embellishments and be finished.  But the hat had some wonky ridges in it that were pissing me off.  Because the hat had to be perfect, you see.  I've inherited a terrible gene from my mother, the family perfectionist.  So, even though this was my first attempt at making something fairly intricate, it still had to be perfect.  Or at least better.

It's a terrible thing to put those kinds of expectations on yourself.  It makes no sense.  But that's the way I'm wired so I did something drastic.  I doused the hat in boiling water again and reblocked it.

It did the trick.  I have to say that the felt hat stiffener DOES NOT MESS AROUND.  When the hat dried the stiffener was still doing its job.  Crazy.

 Once it dried I added a thin strip of burgundy felt around it and a flower I made.  That flower took FOREVER.  But oh, it was worth it!

And now the final product, modeled.

 

Side view.

Just being goofy.

Yes, I'm very happy with it!

Now it's on to the second hat.  This time I'm going to use a fur felt hood made from rabbit fur.  Don't worry, no rabbits were harmed in the making of the hood.  Well, except if the person collecting the fur pulled too hard on the rabbit.  Have you ever heard a rabbit scream?!?  FREAKY.

Addicted

I am obsessed with Local Natives album Hummingbird.  The track Three Months is one of the best expressions of loss I've ever come across.  Check it out, along with the rest of the album.  Lurve!

Cloche Hat Part 2: Well Ventilated Rooms Are Valuable.

Also, we bought a house.  More on that at the end.

The hat FINALLY dried.  I love that the instructions told me to put the hat in my drying closet.  Because everyone has a special closet to dry hats, naturally.  I took the pins out and removed the excess felt.

 

That done, it was time to remove the hat from the hat block.  I'd read that some people had a hard time doing so without ruining the shape of the hat.  Mine slid right off.

Next I had to apply felt hat stiffener to the entire inside of the hat.  I was dubious that it would really help hold the shape of the hat, but I gathered the tools anyway.

Paintbrush?  Check.  Container to hold the liquid?  Check.  Felt hat stiffener?  Check.  This was the first time I opened the bottle of stiffener and HOLY CRAP.  No wonder you're supposed to use it in a well ventilated room!  By the time I was finished coating the inside of the hat I was seeing unicorns playing Candy Land.  The fumes.  The fumes are no joke.

Hat stiffener applied, I put the hat back on the block and waited for it to dry.  THANK GOD it only took an hour.  Yes I'm impatient, especially when it comes to trying something new.  I was completely wrong to doubt the hat stiffener.  It does exactly what it advertises.  Take a look.

Very unfloppy hat.  I salute you, felt hat stiffener!  Maybe the next time I use you I'll get to see who won that game of Candy Land.

The next step is to sew wire onto the brim in order for it to hold its shape.  See wire above.  I had two choices for wire placement.  I could either sew it right to the edge of the brim and then later finish it off by covering it with ribbon OR I could sew it half an inch from the brim and later fold the brim over to cover it.  Originally I was going to use the ribbon method but I didn't like the color of ribbon I ordered at the suggestion of the supply company.  So half an inch in was the only option.

This took A LONG TIME.  You can see the chalk lines I used to measure the half inch so the wire would be even.  Plus sewing thru wool felt and hat stiffener is tough going and takes a long time.  You have to make sure the wire is lined up with the chalk lines so you don't get a wonky brim.  The further along I go with this project, the more respect and understanding I have of people who do this for a living.  There's a reason traditional cloche hats are pricey.  The one that I own was $40 and it doesn't have near the intricacy and detail of of this hat.  Milliners, I salute you!

Now the house.  SQUEE!!!  Our bid was finally accepted on a gorgeous house.  Big rooms, all hardwood floors, a huge tub for long soaks, newly renovated with a lovely deck and back yard.  And a basketball hoop in the driveway!  Love.  House hunting was a long process and the negotiations went on for over a month.  Kudos to our realtor who knows her stuff, made good suggestions, and was ready to walk away at one point with us.  I learned so much about the realty game and know, without a doubt, it's a career I NEVER want.  Too lucrative.

I am keeping my excitement in check though.  We still have to get thru the home inspection.  But still I can't help dream planning paint colors and rugs and furniture.  It will be so nice not to rent anymore.  Fingers crossed.