My Happy Place.

The design was created following a family holiday by the sea. This environment is relaxing, mindful and such a happy environment to be in. For me it’s always been a special place and brings back fond memories of family holidays and having fun. As you sit at a beach you hear the laughter of families enjoying holiday time and creating wonderful memories for years to come. It’s also a diverse eco environment and cares for so many beautiful marine animals. My hat was designed using the movement of the sea and the curl of a wave.

I used 3 layers of sinamay as it’s a natural material, as I wanted to stay away from using plastic where possible due to the devastation of plastic waste in the sea. I stretched the sinamay base over a large double brim block to create the base. I stretched the centre of the brim over an apostrophe block to create a raindrop shape in the centre. I used this block to create a hat base in the same shape which was hand stitched to the inside of the brim. This was lined with coordinating fabric and a Petersham ribbon added. I added a headband to securely fit the hat to the head but elastic could be used also. Glass beads were used to add a wave detail to the base and larger pearls added as accents. The brim and base were wired and I created a double base brim which created a wavy line emulating the movement of the sea.

Note: Entries have been not been edited or proofread to protect the integrity of the maker's original meaning.