Prickly Pear Cactus

Kerri Ferrara

United States

• Feather Flower Project by Rachael Nixon
• Feather Peony Project by Amy Fowler

There was a local Kentucky Derby- inspired event while I was in Phoenix, Arizona, and I was inspired to make a cactus derby hat... (,... because when else will I actually be able to wear a cactus on my head??)

I love to make tall outrageous hats and really push the limits. I also added a (socially distant) cactus mask to complete the outfit. I wanted the hat base to look like sand, so I created an irregular shape and added beads and gems to look like sand and stone.

• Felt
• Toothpicks
• Metallic spray paint
• Assortment of beads- glass and plastic. Larger gems are glued on, smaller beads are sewn on
• Millinery wire
• Polyfil
• Buckram
• Bias tape
• Cotton lining fabric
• Black elastic cord
• Hot pink goose feathers
• Gold paint and pre-made stamens
• Fringe; gold colored
• Gem tac glue
• Thread: green and tan

• Buckram fascinator with wired edge
• Molded buckram, felt and lining
• Cactus is reinforced with millinery wire, tied to the base
• Spines are painted toothpicks, and base of spines is covered with sewn-in beads
• Flower tutorial was changed to look more like a prickly pear flower. The center stamens were added in the center, and then covered with a ball of 3″ L of cotton fringe, and then trimmed down to look like the flower center