hat making?!

I've been working on a costume for an upcoming convention.  It's one I've always wanted to do, and felt I would be good at imitating - Mary Poppins!  I also feel she'd be a good character to tweak for various themes.  I've seen tropes for her in Harry Potter and Doctor Who, and I think she'd be a lot of fun to turn Steampunk.

carpet bag in progress

Mary Poppins is an easily recognizable character.  A particular hat, a carpet bag, an umbrella, heeled boots, long skirt, and a little red bow.  Easy, right?  I had everything I needed except the hat and the bag.  The carpet bag was easier and harder, and will get its own post because I ended up making the silly thing.  The hat . . . the hat drove me crazy.

I looked at lots of pictures and of course the movie, particularly the moving in scene.  It's essentially a straw boater, or skimmer, hat.  Black.  4 Daisies with 8 cherries, one of them quite wonky on the side.  I could NOT find a hat the right shape and color anywhere.  Well, ok, I found one, but felt $44 for a costume hat was a bit much.  I was unwilling to use spray paint, but since I couldn't find the right shape anyway, it didn't really matter.  I was planning to just make one out of felt, but an inner voice just kept telling me it would be WRONG.

Finally, I stumbled across this page on Violet LeBeaux's blog.  Take apart a hat and remake it?  OK!  I found a $9 big black sunhat at Walmart.  It'll do.  It's squashy, which hopefully means it will survive longer and add to the floppyish look it has in the movie.  Then I got to work.

Photo Montage!

Original shape, I had just started taking apart the center when
I thought, "I don't need to take EVERYTHING apart" and
hopped down several rows to start cutting the seams.

The squashy straw material meant I could run it through the machine!

New shape!  Not perfect, but still, my first hat!

Not finished, but placement ideas.  'Berries' are small painted
wooden doll head beads.  They certainly distract from the unevenness!

All finished, with an obligatory prop shoot.

I'm excited.  I feel the hat is vital to the costume, and it's just hard to find.  I may have to paint the cherries darker.  I have some black grosgrain ribbon, hopefully it's not too thick.  I may have to line the inside to help it fit better.  Finished pictures will follow!

Now, everybody go visit Violet's blog and say thank you!