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Friday, April 29, 2011

I Want the Queen's Hat!!!

Did anybody else watch the wedding? I got up an hour too late to watch it the first time around...I am willing to get up at 4:30 AM each and every morning, but 3:00 AM is just asking way too much!

Tessie came in and watched the tail end. Then she insisted on looking at some of the lady's fashions on the net.

When we got to Queen Elizabeth's yellow outfit, Tessie looked me straight in the eye and said in an imperious voice...."I must have the Queen's hat!"

I explained to her, "There is no way that hat will fit over your bun. You will have to take your hair down if you want to wear a hat like that."

She just hissed, "I want the Queen's hat!"

Rather than argue with her, I simply told her that I didn't have any yellow silk....I thought that would end the whole thing.

She disappeared. When she came back, she was holding a piece of yellow cotton. It was sprigged with tiny ochre flowers.

I said, "This will never do. The Queen's hat is plain yellow silk."

"Turn it over." she ordered.

Leave it to her to find plain yellow on the back side of a piece of fabric. She informed me that cotton would do in a pinch.

Luckily, it is a very, very simple hat. Don't tell her that! Thank goodness she didn't want any of the other ones....Did you see some of those things hanging off of the sides of women's heads? I don't see how they could walk upright and still keep them in place!

Anyway, here's the pattern if you want your own version of the queen's head wear. I used plain old index cards as the basis for the hat.

The brim is a 1 7/8" ring with a 3/4" center cut out of it. The side piece is straight up and down. 2 1/4" by 1/2".

I covered the crown piece and pinked the edges, wrapping them to the back with glue. If you want to be fancy and line it, simply cut another piece the same size as the pattern and glue it over the back. The same goes for the other pieces. Trim flush with the edges if needed.

The half inch strip gets the top and ends of the fabric bent over with mitered corners and glued to the back.
The bottom edge of the fabric is cut a bit longer and pinked along the edge. This fabric is to glue inside and under the hat brim.

The brim is covered the same way as the crown. Cut the center fabric into about 8 wedges and wrap them to the other side with glue and do the same with the outer edge, pinked and glued. Don't forget to cut a piece to the size of the pattern to put on the underside. Glue that piece on last.

I looked on the net and the description of the flowers on the side are yellow roses with peach colored petals. I used some French variegated ribbon to make the roses and plain peach silk ribbon for the leaves. I covered the seams with matching yellow bunka.

When I was finished, Tessie took one look at it and said...."Thanks. That will look great in my closet....What?". Then she announced, "Surely you didn't think that I was going to change hairdos just for a silly hat!"

She flounced off to the closet and the last I saw of her, she was carefully trying it on each shelf. She insists that HER hat is the original. The Queen's is a copy.....

I am going away now and ignore the Royal pain....

See you tomorrow.

19 comments:

Katie said...

How smart of Tessie to find the right fabric! I LOVE the hat!! Pretty cool! I want one....

Plushpussycat said...

You made a beautiful hat--I'm very impressed! Thank you for the tutorial. I might have to make one to sit on the master bed in my dollhouse! :-)

Unknown said...

Pues le quedo identico. Menos mal que no le gusto a Tessie, el sombrero de las sobrinas XDD

Besos

Elga said...

HaHaHa!!!! Tessie can be so funny!!!!The hat looks great and yes I did watch the wedding, the whole thing, fortunately I am only an hour ahead of England, so no need for any unearthly hours. The bride simply looked stunning, some others, well I guess money doesn't always buy style as well.

rosanna said...

I did watch it... it was nice to look at he ladies outfits. Some "hats" were really outrageous ;o) Have fun, Rosanna

Lotte said...

Casey, you are amazing! Tessie got a great hat, just like queen's one ;)

Joy@aVintageGreen said...

Its really lucky for Tessie that she had some space left in her closet for the 'Queen's Hat'.
- Joy

Merri said...

LOL my style-handicapped hubby took one look at the wedding and said, "Why are all those ladies wearing crooked hats that look like they're falling off their heads?" I told him, "Doh, that's called Style, Dear." But then he's been wearing the same clothing his mother used to dress him in since age 8..so what does he know?"

You amaze me, did you sit up all night to make that hat, I LOVE IT!!! You are so much fun.

I wanted the hat that Beckham's wife wore, that tiny little thing with the pheasant 'antlers' that went outrageously zooming from the crown. I wish American designers would force hats back into fashion. I love them.

Papillon Bleu said...

Ha!ha!ha! This is a gem!!!!

Daydreamer said...

I was up early to watch.... only 4:30 in the morning here on the East Coast! I Loved the hats... but I especially LOVED that Wedding Dress!
Your Queen's hat is FANTASTIC!

Eliana said...

it was identical! Amazing ...

Drora's minimundo said...

This a queen of hats. When I saw the "Hat Parade" on TV, yesterday, I remembered your fabulous hats. Some of them could compete and easily win.

Unknown said...

:) :) :) Lovely hat!
I liked the wedding dress. Surprised that Tessie did not ask for that, just so she cut put it in her dressing room.
Mona

Debbie said...

I watched it all day Casey. I really enjoyed the whole thing and I thought Kate, looked absolutely stunning.I loved the bit at the end, when William borrowed his Dad's Aston Martin and he drove Kate back to Clarence House. Brilliant..
The Brits certainly know how to throw a party. It was amazing to see all the people in London.
Thanks for sharing your Hat tutorial..xxx

Vanessa said...

Tessie cracks me up! She would drive me crazy. Love the hat! I will have to try to make one for my Barbie. What is the white piece made of that is shown in the picture? I happened to be up, so I saw the whole wedding. It was magical. I never expected to feel the way I did. I found myself tearing up several times. I never even cried at my own wedding. I made up for it though. I cried just about everyday for 4 yrs the day after my wedding. Then I divorced my husband and have been happy, happy, happy. LOL!

cathy said...

I love the hat unfortunately my doll wanted the carriages, I love your site.

miniacollection said...

I too watch the wedding and enjoyed it a lot.
Tessie in front of the tv made me laugh and the story of Tessie and the hat is very good. Now she has got a wonderful hat.
Geneviève

Jollie said...

Very pretty 'Mad Hatter' hat! :) Loved the whole story ;)

Hugs Jollie

María José- LugArt petit said...

Jajaja, Your imagination is incredible!. I love the hat and the speed with which you worked. Once again I congratulate you.
By the way, very brave the Queen, dressed in yellow! Very discreet ...
A hug