Get Ahead

That saying "If you want to get ahead, get a hat"?  Don't know if that's true today as not many people wear hats.  The recent sunny weather caused me to need a hat when I visited Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour last week.  Using Pinterest I found a 'bucket' hat pattern which seemed simple and so printed out the pattern and instructions.  This was from Lost in Paris blog which has some free patterns on its website of a reversible denim bucket hat.

Not having any denim I backed some blue fabric in a firm Vilene to give the hat some body and left cutting out the lining until I finished the outer of the hat.  My sizing was between small and medium so I cut out the medium size but took a bigger seam allowance.  I found the middle section a bit deep so cut that down by just .25", though could have gone to .5" and again took that slightly bigger seam allowance from 1.3cm to 1.5cm (which is marked on the plate of my machine.  I made the lining from some batik fabric that I had and matched up the seam allowances around the brim.

Top stitching the edge once the hat was turned out was ok, but I had a job accurately top stitching the lining to the outside of the hat on the body and crown.  So the hat won't be reversible but that's ok.  It fits and thats the main thing.

Here it is modelled by my iron (no, it wasn't switched on!)

Then as a selfie by me!

Does anyone else feel they look odd when taking a selfie pic?  Eyes keep going from the screen to see what the image is to trying to look up so it doesn't look as though you're checking out the screen!