"Caps For Sale" Hat- Part 10 of 10

Trimming styrofoam blocks...

                                                  ...to fit inside each felt cap...

                                     ...and wrapping them in clear packing tape...

                                    ...to keep them from breaking up during sewing.

                                                  Attaching the first two caps...
                                           

                                                ...by stitching them to the hat...

                                              ...with a long, doll-making needle.

                                   Additional caps are added in the same manner...

                                                ...and the colorful stack grows!

                                                I use a sharp, curved needle...

                                ...to stitch one hat to the next (around the edges)...

                            
                                   ...and string an 'X' of monofilament fishing line...

                  ...to help keep the pile vertical, despite its unwieldy proportions.

                                               The finished "Caps For Sale" Hat!

                              The buttons that hold the moustache strap in place...

                                      ...allow the hat to be taken off with ease...

                                        ...and the magnets in the monkey arms...

                                        ...help to hold the hat in place during wear.
         

                                   Me, at the 'Mad Hatter's Parade' at Felters' Fling!

                                                          A view of the back.

                    I actually think I look quite distinguished with a 'stash'!! Giggle.

"Caps For Sale" Hat- Part 9 of 10

Sewing strong 'earth magnets' to each of the monkey's arms.

(To help hold the hat in place during wear.)

                                       Preparing a small square of black pre-felt...

                                              ...and a long rectangle of white...

                                                      ...and letting them dry.

                                         Sketching different moustache shapes...

                                          ...and testing the best one out for size.

                                        Keeping the shape, but enlarging it a bit...

                                         ...and cutting one from the black pre-felt.

                                            Pinning the moustache into place...

                                   ...and adding a layer of thin plastic on each side...

                                   ...to keep it from felting to the white pre-felt strap.

                                                     Mid-way through felting...

                                               ...and the finished moustache!

                                                   Trimming the excess felt...

                                                 ...from the attachment strap.

                                    Cutting a buttonhole at each end of the strap...

                                         ...and hand-stitching around each one.

                          A button is added to the interior of the hat on each side...

                                            ...and voila, I now have facial hair! :)

                                           Next time (finally): the fully assembled hat.

"Caps For Sale" Hat- Part 8 of 10

The fully felted hat...

                                                      ...drying on a hat block...
                               

                                     ...and perched atop a stack of packing foam.

                       The wool yarn that I placed closest to the resist (as forearm hair)...

                                                     ...has felted-in beautifully.

                                              Unfortunately, working inside-out...

                                 ...wasn't as much of a success for the cap itself. :(

                                                   To camouflage the problem...

                                        ...I split some of my leftover felt scraps... 

                                 ...and puzzled out how to piece in the missing bits.

                              I had to get rather creative with some of the snippets...

                          ...in order to match the colors (or at least get pretty close)...

                                ...and I hand-stitched each of them to the finished hat.

                                                It's not perfect by any means...

                                      ...but at least the large white gaps are gone!

                                 Next time: I fashion my boingy peddler moustache!!

"Caps For Sale" Hat- Part 7 of 10

The piece is first rubbed...

                                              ...and rolled in every direction.

                                                   A ridged mat is used next...

                                  ...but the hat is still not the proper shape and size.

                       Clearly, the sizing-up I did on my resist was a bit excessive!

                             (Here's where a sharp pair of scissors can come in handy.)

                                                                    Ahhhh...

                                                      ...much better now! :)

                                                      The felting continues...

                                            ...and the cut edges are 'healed'.

                                                 The fully felted hat, soaking.

                                          Next time: my hat is shaped for drying.