Pattern Hat Runner-up WoolFelt Hat Competition

Susan Freese -
Mostly Millinery
Franklin, IN USA

For this hat I wanted to emulate a hat shown on the envelope of a dress pattern one of my late aunts had owned. I topstitched each of the three pattern pieces by hand. I also hand sewed the three pieces together. The felt, although being thick, was not difficult to stitch through, even the three layers in the flap area. Machine staystitching was used along the lower edge of the sideband to keep it from stretching out of shape. I cut a lining from black dupion (dupioni) silk.

As I stated in the beginning, I chose this pattern for two reasons: it resembled a hat from a vintage pattern and I wanted a challenge. I would not have chosen to work with this type of felt had it not been for the contest. By working with the felt, I found that flat felt is able to lend itself to a wide variety of artistic possibilities. Its malleability could be quite versatile in creative possibilities. To me, it is more of an artistic tool than the usual felt hoods and so on. The wide variety of colors available is another artistic plus. I can envision sculpting and forming all sorts of flower petals and leaves and some free-form hats.

Bio: Susan has been making hats for almost 10 years and has taken classes from instructors at Judithm as well as as Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. She uses traditional materials and techniques, for example blocking hats using straw and wool materials on vintage wooden millinery blocks. The hats she creates are individually unique. No two hats are alike. In addition to her one of a kind designs, she creates special orders for clients.

Source: www.JudithM.com