Category Archives: felt hat

Top hat

I’ve been itching to make something with all the silks I brought back from Woolfest last weekend and today I finally found a few hours spare to make a hat.

I used a mixture of hand-dyed silk hankies and tops over a base of hand-dyed merino.


I didn’t set out to make a top hat but it just seemed right to stop folding down the pleats at this point. It’s drying at the moment so the colours might change slightly and I’m hoping the silks will become more shiny as it dries.

I like it best from the back, is that a bit perverse?

Chinese year of the sheep

This weekend I felt (pardon the pun) inspired to make a hat in honour of this being the year of the sheep, it was inspired by the curly horns that some rams display. I took a bit of artistic licence with the colours…

Front

Back

I think I will add a few discreet stitches to make sure the horns stay in place and I’m also toying with the idea of adding some fabric stiffener. I have some spray on ironing starch and some CMC but have been reading that milliners paint on a specific hat stiffener on their felt hats. What do you all like to use?