2018 HATalk Competition Entry

Faith Butler

Faith Butler – United Kingdom

Red Sky at Night

Category: Traditional

Description

My immediate thought when I saw the title was nuclear fusion – two atomic nuclei combine with the release of large amounts of energy. I have used two basic materials, felt and sinamay. They are joined together in the shape of fork lightening with a colour burst of feathers. As the hat evolved so did another interpretation, that of day and night perpetually melting one into another at sunrise and sunset. The navy felt being night, the sky blue sinamay being day with the red, orange and yellow feathers the sun. I keep sheep and was reminded of the weather forecasting rhyme : Red sky at night, shepherds delight, Red sky in morning Shepherds warning.

Hence the name – Red Sky at Night. (I prefer to be optimistic). I have made the feathers detachable as I actually prefer the clean lines of the hat without them, a total absence of the sun! So much for optimism.

Materials

  • Felt Capeline
  • Sinamay
  • grosgrain ribbon
  • satin ribbon
  • feathers

Techniques

  • Felt part of hat blocked from capeline.
  • Sinamay part of crown blocked and machine stitched to brim.
  • Inner band machine stitched in place
  • Brim bound, felt with grosgrain, sinamay with sinamay bias binding.
  • Inside raw edge covered with narrow satin ribbon.

Tools

  • Hat block
  • pins
  • steam iron.
  • Sewing Machine

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