The Hat Book - Juliet Bawden

Hats have been enjoying a revival: over the last ten years they have been worn by the young, the fashionable, the stylish and those wishing to make a sartorial statement. They are no longer the preserve of those attending weddings, christenings and funerals, nor of the society ladies. Indeed, hats are no longer produced solely by old-fashioned milliners using time-honoured materials and specialist techniques - many new and innovative hat designers are coming to the fore, creating a great diversity of hats from all kinds of materials in unusual ways which can be emulated by the amateur hat maker with only basic sewing and craft skills.;This book draws on the ideas of the best young hatters to provide simple, step-by-step instructions for making a multitude of wonderful hats and hat accessories for every occasion, for every season, for every style, and for men and women.;The hats featured involve a wide range of different techniques and materials, from luscious silks and satins to paper and wire. Every project, whether a complete hat or a simple adaptation or embellishment is illustrated with full colour photographs, You are shown how to make your own embroidered applique cap; how to steam and cut an unusual felt hat; how to make roses from silks, velvets and paper, how to create innovative headpieces from scraps of net and fabric; how to revive an old straw boater. From the same basic pattern you can create many styles of hat, simply by varying the fabrics and the decorations used to adorn it.