Gala Nocturna outfit Stage 3 - men's hat and cape
Thanks for all the comments on my last couple of posts! Making an outfit from this era has been a bit of a learning curve for me, just hope i get another opportunity to wear the outfit another time.
Again, crossposted from my own LJ, the final part of my Gala Nocturna dress diary, making the cape and hat for my boyfriend.
Despite Rob's protestations, I wanted him to wear a hat and found this pattern for the Upscale Gathered Hat online
Made a template by measuring his head and adding 2 inches for the brim
cut out 2x layers of sinamay, 2x layers of fleece interfacing and 2x layers of velvet. Noted that I've probably not used the right materials but this was a last minute item to make and I only wanted to use up what i had in my stash - however, the sinamay, when doubled, was defintely sturdy enough for the brim, with some flexibility to shape the hat.
basted the sinamay and fleece together then stitched hat wire around the edge - not as fiddly as I feared it would be.
tadahh!
The velvet layers were stitched together at the inner edge, then the centre cut out
One layer is sewn onto the brim and then poked through the inside. Fortunately this fabric doesn't fray or roll at the edges, so I was able to reduce the bulk by leaving it unhemmed.
now for the most fiddly bit - the free edge was pinned in a rolled hem around the brim and carefully sewn in place, creating a velvet toilet seat!
Using the brim as a template, I cut out another oval 4 inches wider all round than the brim and then stitched three wide rows to make cartridge pleats (not as scary as i thought they'd be!)
pulled these stitches in until the diameter was the same as the inside of the brim and then evened out the pleats
This was then whip-stitched onto the inside edge of the brim.
(no pic)
Added feathers and a brass thing which had been rattling round my jewellery box for ages
The reluctant model :-)
I also made him a cape. Surprisingly the most fiddly project of the lot, so no progress pics were made. It was basically a full circle of velvet with sateen lining, a lined collar and 6m of trim! I had real problems with the sateen lining slipping when trying to stitch it to the outer fabric, combined with lack of space to make such a bulky item. In the end I had to resort to moving all the living room furniture to lay both layers on the floor, then crawling round on the floor around the cape to baste stitch the two layers together more securely than the pins were doing!
Its a good thing he was at work that day or he would have born the brunt of my cursing. ;-)
Fortunately it was worth all the stress and pain as the final result turned out pretty well and Rob likes it. :-)
A full pic of him wearing hat and cape, with the rest of his outfit can be seen in my last post.