It started with a shoe I’d ordered from Anthropologie. Originally intended to go with a sweater I’d ordered elsewhere but which never arrived, this Brazilian made bootie needed a hat to go with these colors. Of course, we know the answer to that dilemma. I haven’t done a fabric collage in a few years tho’ my collage hats are among my favorites. Finally, inspiration to get back to it.
First, I had to gather some blue and brown fabrics and trace the hat pattern onto unwashed muslin. Then I laid out the pieces of fabric until I had an arrangement that pleased my eye. The collage has to reach beyond the drawn pattern as eventually the fabric will be washed and shrunk before the pieces are cut. It’s a bit of guesswork figuring how much over the lines one has to go - sometimes going outside the lines is a good thing.
Once the pieces were stitched on to the muslin I used my BabyLock sewing machine to free motion stitch around the motifs securing the colored fabric pieces to the muslin. Then I washed and dried the fabric to shrink the cottons and give the fabric texture. I couldn’t resist adding a little satin ribbon into the mix.
Next I cut out the hat pieces using the pattern I’d drafted for a trilby shape.
Then I stitched on some medium weight Pellon as interfacing and trimmed out the seam allowances.
The next step was to pin the interfaced pieces of brim together and form the crown by sewing the center back seam. I couldn’t resist sewing a bead in the fish’s eye for a bit of sparkle.
Poco kept his eye on how things were going.
Seams were trimmed and curves slashed.
Crown and brim were now ready to be joined.
Next I cut out the lining for the crown...
and trimmed the seams.
Looks like colors are working well together but not finished yet...
Lining was now ready to be handstitched into the crown.
Once the crown and brim were sewn together I pinned #19 millinery wire around the outside edge of the brim with wooden clothes pins.
Then after sewing the wire on I covered the wired edge with a cotton bias strip. At first I used just one color but thought the single brown color jarring against the variety of colors in the hat so I took it off and made another bias strip using 3 of the colors used in the hat. Much better!
At last the finished hat! It’s just a bit snug since I used a heavier interfacing than usual and the quilted fabrics added some bulk. OK I’m out of practice. Next time I’ll add 1/4" to the seam allowances as ease. Next, I think I’ll try a Daphne in these same colors.
P.S. I learned this collage technique in a Houston Area Fiber Artists Workshop with Rosemary Eichorn. If you'd like to try your hand I HIGHLY recommend Rosemary's book, The Art of Fabric Collage.
