When thinking of my ‘Happy Place’ what initially came to mind is sewing and being creative. I am also at my happiest when out vintage shopping, so I decided to base my design on a combination of the two, sewing and vintage design. To do this I researched mid-century hat shapes which I could then embellish with a sewing theme.

The shape of the hat is reminiscent of styles from this era, not an exact copy. The style is intended to wrap around, hugging the wearer’s head. I used thermoformable felt in ivory to create the shape, feeling that it would give a soft dreamlike quality.

When it came to depicting images of sewing I called on my silversmithing skills to craft an oversized needle and bobbin shape. I used silver lined bugle beads to represent thread and a line of stitching. Following the embroidered path of ‘stitching’ from the bobbin to the needle, it takes you through a heart shape, representing my love of sewing and creativity. The beading comes through to the front of the flick of the hat and winds its way to where the needle rests, ready to carry on sewing.

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