Let me just preface by saying hats are not my forte. I don't actually enjoy making them from scratch, so more often than not I just dress up a straw base.
This hat started as a straw blank from Colonial Williamsburg. They carry really nice quality ones and I always like to pick one up to decorate every time I go. To make the hat I wore with my pink polonaise jacket, I first started by zigzaging a piece of millinery wire to the edge of the brim. This helps to stabilize the hat, as well as allows you to easily shape the hat.
Then I took a wide strip of teal silk taffeta and pleated it around the inside of the brim. I eyeballed the pleats rather than measuring, and tacked each one in place on the inner and outer edges of the brim. The excess fabric was folded over the edge of the brim and trimmed to 1/2 inch.
Next, I covered the raw edge of the fabric with some black velvet ribbon. The ribbon was simply tacked down to the fabric and straw. I added a strip of puffed taffeta around the crown to finish the base.
For trimming, I added a pink ribbon "fan", a taffeta bow with a vitage cut steel buckle, and black ostrich feathers. In then end, I'm not 100% pleased with the trimmings or with the hat and the pink polonaise together. Before I wear the hat again, I think I will remove the pink ribbon and add a much bigger teal bow, leaving off the buckle.
Posted:
5/27/2012 3:29:00 PM by
Aubry | with
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