Greta Garbo and How to Make a New Hat

What does Greta Garbo have to do with annekata? Nothing, really….except, we wear similar hats. And if you want to look like Greta this winter, here’s a little holiday gift. Make you very own “Garbo Hat”. To finish it off, just add some red lipstick. (To the lips, not the hat.)

This hat can be easily sewn in an afternoon without a sewing machine. Don’t mind the washed out quality of the images below. Let’s pretend I used some old color film which was stored in a cupboard for 50 years. As always, this tutorial is oriented toward exploration and experimentation and not a fixed recipe. The measurements will change according to your preferences.

Supplies:

- fabric (felt is good, old wool coats, t-shirt, once you get the hang of it, or linen for warm weather)

- a dinner plate (approx. 12 inches, depending how big your hat should be.)

- tailor’s chalk

- scissors

- pins

- needles and strong thread

These instructions are for an unlined hat. I’ll add the lining steps later this week.

First trace the plate onto the fabric and repeat, so you have two circles. Cut a donut hole from in one of them of 6 – 6.5 diameter (depending how big your head is). Start small, you can always make the opening bigger. Try the “donut” on for size. Don’t worry, you are not trying to look like Greta yet.

Measure around your head (where the hat will sit) and cut a band your measured length plus 0.4 inch seam allowance, approx 3.5 inches wide.

These are all the pieces needed to make the hat above.

Pin and sew the two circles together. Felt has no right or wrong side. If you use printed fabric, place the right sides together. Sew completely around the circles, as shown below.

Sew the two ends of the band together, right side on right side (if applicable).

Last thing to attach is the band. Take a look at the picture below. First pin one side of the band into the opening (right side on right side) of the circle by selecting two opposite points, pulling them and then pinning them. Repeat on the perpendicular points and pin so the band is attached at four points. Finish pinning by adjusting the band into the opening. This can be a bit tricky depending on the fabric you use. Relax. As long as the headband is wide enough, the hat will fit.

Sew the band into place. It’ll look like this:

The only thing left, is to fold the band over and sewing it over the seam. I have no good image of this, because, after all, I’m on vacation, but once you are at this stage, it’s obvious.

Turn inside out and voila, it’s ready. I top stitched the upper seam with a red running stitch, because it keeps it nice a flat and I like how it looks.

This hat is my daughter’s and the softest wool ever. The plate I used was 11 inches, which makes the hat a bit smaller. The step toward a lined hat is really easy and makes the hat reversible. The band has to be a bit narrower and you stop before folding over the band to finish the hat. I’ll have the pictures later this week.

As usual: experiment. There are a million variation to make these.

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