An enormous hat

I always wanted to make a really big hat ever since I've seen Titanic back in the 90's. Now it finally happened!!! With my previous hat projects I now feel confident enough to try a huge hat and even create a bit of a pattern myself.

My inspiration is this hat from a 1910 issue of La Mode Illustrée. This I found in JoAnne Olian's "Wedding Fashions 1862-1912".

I own the Lynn McMasters pattern for the Titanic hat, but that is an oval brimed one and I prefere a round brim instead.

After I decided to go with a round shape I made a circle from buckram and added millinery wire to the outer edge. Then I formed the wire to lie flat. The object to the left wouldn't work as hat, right?

The I covered the buckram form with one layer of muslin and white silk which I originally bought to make a dress, but after 4-5 years in my stash I have the feeling that this dress is not going to happen...

Millinery wire is very strong!

Sure, I brokea needle before, but never like this!
Usually it's just the sharp edge to come off, but this time it looked rather scary...

A first attempt to decorate

The self fabric bias binding isn't sewn, but glued o the edge

The lining is made from the same silk as well. I will add a sweat band later on.

 

Decorations waiting to get attached

The wires of the roses are wrapped with a strip of white silk to prevent the green from shining through the tulle.

 

 The tulle isn't white, but sort of ivory. There are 4 metres of tulle gathered on the brim, but not yet attached since I am not quite sure if the material is stiff enough to hold it's shape.

Figureing that out will have to wait a while since I am very busy preparing the HSF challenge #17 yellow...

More on that later so stay tuned!!!