A while ago I bought Nicole Mallalieu's 'Flat Cap' pdf pattern. This style of hat is rather popular in our house and my success with the Sew Liberated Huck Fin Cap, which is basically the same thing, gave me confidence I could tackle an adult-sized cap in a really nice fabric.
First I made the brown cap in 100% wool tweed, which I will probably need to pinch back from Clem to use as a shop sample. Let's see if he's happy about that, hmm. This was a size M, and I was thinking it could be for Jasper but it was a bit small. We're a family of generous noggins, we are.
Then I remembered a pair of suit pants Andy had bought a couple of years ago that was irretrievably large. (He was in Glasgow for work and bought a jacket and waistcoat, plus the only matching pair of pants which he hoped could be re-tailored to fit, but alas not.) Anyhow, there was a large volume of extremely beautiful dark wool tweed just waiting to be harvested, and miracle of miracles (for our house), the moths hadn't got it. So I am now in production of a set of matching hats for Jasper, Charlie and Andy. Here Jasper wears a size L and I will go right up to the XL for Charlie and Andy.
The pattern is a lovely one and as I found with my previous experience of Nicole Mallalieu's USB Fob pattern, the instructions are very clear, with useful photographs, and care in the detail that makes for a very satisfying result.
The outer cap fabric is meant to be used to make the inner band, which I chose not to do because I thought the wool could be a little irritating against the forehead. On the brown cap I used twill tape covered on the outside with voile, however this was narrower than the band ought to have been... it's fine, but not quite what it should be. On the second cap I used some black corduroy, cut and attached exactly as per instructions, which I am really happy with. The hats are both lined in Anna Maria Horner voiles which are smooth, light and breathable, not to mention pretty!
Okay... I have some more caps to sew! Including - if I am not totally 'capped-out' by then - one for myself, what do you think?
- Jane x
These are all fabulous, Jane - looking forward to the family hat pic :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review of the pattern too - my father loves this hat style; maybe I should be brave and give it a go...
Yes I would highly recommend the pattern - maybe just go a bigger size than you might think, I would say the band and general shape of the hats tend towards the smaller side - but then we're all big-heads!
DeleteSwoon! I'm in love! I have that Sew Liberated pattern but just haven't gotten around to making it yet! Now I feel the need to!
ReplyDeleteAnd lining the cap with voile just sounds (and feels) like the best thing ever!!
Oh my goodness! You are on FIRE! Look at these fantastic caps! Excellent!
ReplyDeleteI bought that pattern and only got as far as printing it out...oops. Your caps look great, more inspiration for me to get cutting and sewing!
ReplyDeleteYour caps look so professional which doesn`t at all describe how fantastic and cool they are as well. You SHOULD definitely make one for yourself .
ReplyDeleteThanks Janine - I have just cut mine out, I am a hat-making machine!
DeleteI love them and even more so for the fact they are in tweed! As I'm a good old Yorkshire girl at heart, the general thought is everyone up there (ie the North of England) wears a tweed flat cap, keeps racing pigeons and has a whippet. Must make some for the boys, so they can get in touch with their Yorkshire roots, then maybe we can get the whippet! Beth/thelinencat xx
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