Wonka of Wonderland Top Hat #5

Last night, I finally finished a custom order for another top hat.   This one is number 5. 

What these photos don't convey is how springing this hat is.  If you bend the brim, it will spring right back into shape. 

What you also can't see is that inside of the silk and cotton fabrics are stiff double buckram and wire, which together, give this hat its form.  Double buckram is two layers of cotton fabric with a thick coating of sizing.  Sizing is a combination of glue and stiffener that can be re-wet with water or steam to sculpt it.  When it dries again, it stays in whatever shape you left it to dry.  To shape this hat, I only used a bit of steam as the wire is doing much of the work.  I really love the sculptural possibilities of wire and buckram, but they require a very firm grasp when working with them, and sewing through the buckram requires strong fingers.   

I learned that a thimble and pliers are invaluable tools for pushing and pulling the needle through the sturdy buckram.  All of that grabbing and squeezing is really hard on my hands.  So for the mean time, I'm putting these materials on hold, and I'm going to play with some soft fabrics for a while. 

Want to own one of my hand made hats?  See what hats are for sale in my Etsy shop.  Thanks for looking!