Hat Making Project

Hand-Draped Felt Cloche

Use freeform draping and pleating techniques to create a 1920s style felt cloche with an assymetrical brim.

Hat Making Project

Hand-Draped Felt Cloche

Use freeform draping and pleating techniques to create a 1920s style felt cloche with an assymetrical brim.

Projects / Hand-Draped Felt Cloche

Project Overview

Hand-draped felt cloche hats were popular in the 1920s and are perfect if you want to create a stylish vintage look.

Freeform draping is a great way to create truly unique felt hats – no two are exactly the same. This technique is also cost effective since you don’t need a new hat block for each style you create. You can use a simple dolly head or standard dome block to make your own special shapes.

In this tutorial, British milliner Ani Townsend of The Milliners’ Guild in Bristol (UK) demonstrates how to drape and pleat a 1920s style felt cloche with an assymetrical brim. Ani finds that she gets the best results with rabbit fur felt, although this method can be used with other types of fur felt or wool felt, too.

Category: Hats

Get Full Access

HATalk Subscribers – sign in below to view the instructions for this project.

Not a Subscriber yet? Sign up to begin your free trial and get instant access to all of our projects and e-magazines.

What You Need

  • Dolly head or dome block
  • Cling film (Saran Wrap)
  • Felt cone (hood)
  • Steamer
  • Glass headed (quilting) pins
  • Length of Petersham (grosgrain) ribbon
  • Sharp scissors (optional)
  • Water-based felt stiffener (optional)
  • Shoe brush

Project Overview

Hand-draped felt cloche hats were popular in the 1920s and are perfect if you want to create a stylish vintage look.

Freeform draping is a great way to create truly unique felt hats – no two are exactly the same. This technique is also cost effective since you don’t need a new hat block for each style you create. You can use a simple dolly head or standard dome block to make your own special shapes.

In this tutorial, British milliner Ani Townsend of The Milliners’ Guild in Bristol (UK) demonstrates how to drape and pleat a 1920s style felt cloche with an assymetrical brim. Ani finds that she gets the best results with rabbit fur felt, although this method can be used with other types of fur felt or wool felt, too.

Category: Hats

What You Need

  • Dolly head or dome block
  • Cling film (Saran Wrap)
  • Felt cone (hood)
  • Steamer
  • Glass headed (quilting) pins
  • Length of Petersham (grosgrain) ribbon
  • Sharp scissors (optional)
  • Water-based felt stiffener (optional)
  • Shoe brush

Get Full Access

HATalk Subscribers – sign in below to view the full instructions for this project.

Not a Subscriber yet? Sign up to begin your free trial and get instant access to all of our hat making projects and e-magazines.

This Month’s HATalk Give Away

Win a Ballesté Poupeé

This Month’s HATalk Give Away

Win a Ballesté Poupeé

Enjoy HATalk

Unlimited Access to Hat Making Projects, Monthly e-Magazines and More

$4.99 / month with a 14-day free trial

Enjoy HATalk

Unlimited Access to Hat Making Projects, Monthly e-Magazines and More

$4.99 / month with a 14-day free trial