Princess Catherine Inspired Hat(let)

Pintopia Week 2: Kate Middleton is known for her extensive hat collection. What better time to copy a princess than Easter?
This is the hat that I pinned off a blog and thought the construction would be similar to the mad hatter hat that I made for my husbands halloween costume

In retrospect, there are a couple of things I would have done differently. When I made the made the mad hatter brim, I pulled the fabric as tightly as I could. So tight that the wire starts to warp. I didn't do this. The hat looked great the first time I wore it, but the second time (when the photos were taken) it looked sloppy from the fabric getting stretched out. Secondly, I would either sew some ribbon to bottom edge of the hat, or wrap it to give a cleaner look, or construct the hat differently by serging a tube for the wire and then sewing the fabric directly to the wire filled tube. Third, I would link the wire instead of just taping it and use stiffer wire (this will be shown in a future tutorial..) because my wire came loose and that added to the sloppiness.

If you make this hat(let), please link a photo because I would LOVE to see it :)

Ok, Here We Go!

Supplies:

1/4+ yards of fabric

Wire (I used 19 gauge but a coat hanger might work better)

Plate

Lots of pins

Optional Ribbon and flower fabric

Step 1.)

Make your oval pattern.  I traced my plate on onion paper.

I then found the center of the circle, and traced the plate again

Draw a line mating each edge and cut out your pattern

I felt like mine was too big, so I folded it until it was the length I wanted

Step 2.)

Trace the pattern onto the fabric. Cut outside the pattern and then fold and iron to your traced line.

Stitch your fold down and then cut a length of wire to go around your drawn line. I taped it with electrical tape. It would be smart to use needle nose pliers to hook the ends of the wire like links, then tape around the outside.

Step 3.)

Fold over and pin. Start with four points and then work your way in between them. Pull it really tight! It will warp. this freaked me out, so I took it out and I shouldn't have.

Step 4.)

Change the foot on your sewing machine to a zipper or piping foot and sew as close to the wire as you can. GO SLOW! and maybe have extra needles on hand just in case :)

Step 5.)

Make your flowers. I made the burlap one by stitching a strip if burlap in half, gathering with embroidery floss, and then stitching into the shape I wanted. I made the denim one by following this tutorial! I also set it on my head where I liked it and placed two pins where my bobby pins will go.

Step 6.)

Create little thread loops for your bobby pins and wear :)

 HAPPY PINNING!!