Making My Elizabethan Hat, and Other Details

Hello world!

I didn't post much during the end of my project because things got pretty minute and self-explanatory: putting hooks and eyes onto my bodice, trimming my skirt, adding buttons, etc.  the new elements are the shoulder poofs, forepart, sleeves and hat.

The shoulder poofs are crescent-shaped pieces of green silk flat lined with tulle net, then gathered onto a smaller crescent to create a 3 dimensional croissant shape.   I applied these to the shoulder straps with a slip stitch, then strung beads over the top in an offset pattern to mimic spiraling.  The beads are on button thread which is tacked to either side of the shoulder strap.

My sleeves are basic fitted 2-part sleeves of quilted silk that came with white beads at the intersections.  I sewed up the back seam completely but only did 1.5 inches at the top of the front seam, then finished the open edges and sleeve cap with piping.  I sandwiched elastic button loops between the piping and the edge, then lined the sleeves with pale green silk to match my poofs.  They have eyelets along the sleeve cap to lace into my bodice.

Now for the fun part: making a hat!

I started out by tracing a crown-rise that is smaller than my head- the rise is 21 3/4" and my head is 22 3/8".  This ensured that the hat would perch on my head, rather than coming down to my ears.  I added 2" to that shape to create the brim pattern, plus a 1" seam allowance inside the traced circle.  I cut that shape 2x out of heavy-weight craft pellon (which is better for outdoor summer wear than buckram, which wilts with sweat and rain).  I pad-stitched the two layers of pellon together and then added millinery wire to the outside edge with a classic buttonhole stitch.  At this point, my friends and loved ones were calling it my "toilet seat hat." 

Next I cut the same shape, plus 1/2" seam allowance on the outside edge, out of my light green silk, which will cover the top of the brim. 

And I cut the same shape once again (this time without seam allowance) out of gold silk, which will be the underside of my brim.  For optimum wrinkle-free tension, I kept it as a full oval and didn't trim out the inside.   I smoothed the silk over the pellon and pinned it, then sewed just inside the outside edge and 1" inside the ring, securing the gold to the pellon. 

You can see my crown-rise (on the left) and my paper pattern (on the right) here.  Next I added piping, made of bias strips from the gown fabric, to the outer edge of the brim cover. 

Now I stretched the cover over the base, and machine stitched it down on the inside, along the stitch line (the line which will eventually sit against my head.  Trimmed out the extra gold fabric with an X-acto knife, then I smoothed everything out and turned the piping seam allowance under and down, covering all the raw edges. 

Better view of the bottom of the brim, with the piping partially stitched down.  

Once everything was attached, I clipped the seam allowance and creased it up

I cut a support band out of one layer of the same pellon, and stab stitched the brim SA to the band.

For the crown, I cut once circle of silk the same size as the hat brim (without cutting out the center oval, of course), and two of tulle netting.  I zigged those three layers together, then pleated them onto the brim, pinning until it looked right.

Once I liked the pleat arrangement, I stab stitched them down.  

Another view of the hat, ready to be trimmed and decorated

Because I am crazy, I decided it was a good idea to make my own ruching out of a bias strip, left over from making piping for the gown.  

Once the pleats were secure on the ruching, I tacked each down and sewed a pearl bead in the center, to create these little bows. 

This took so much time, but it was worth it!  I was panicking because these steps were on Thursday, and my show opened Saturday morning.  I fitted the band over the hat, tacked it down in 4 places, added a huge antique button, and stuck some feathers in.  Voila!