Melbourne Cup Hat

The Melbourne Cup is a huge deal in Australia. Of course it's biggest in Victoria, where they get a public holiday, but even all the way over here in Perth we get pretty excited. I'm not a big gambler, five years working as a croupier in a casino cured me of any urges of that nature I might have had, but even I will lay down a couple of dollars on cup day - just to be involved.

My work social club is putting on a lunch and there will be a hat competition. I thought I'd make one just for something different.

Here's what I started with - a mini pill-box hat made from sinamay, a bunch of feathers that came from a kit to make a hair clip, and some braid. I think I spent up to $25 tops. Everything came from Spotlight - that place can deliver sometimes even though the experience of going there is almost always a nightmare.

I started by sewing 5 ostrich plumes in a fan shape to the edge of the hat with the curve going over the base. Make sure you give each feather a good tug to make sure it's attached. If your sewing isn't secure the feathers will slide right out.

Here it is from the front. Apologies for the photos, it took me a while to twig that the hat is the same colour as my wall (is it weird that in the nearly four years I've lived here, the only room I've got around to renovating is my sewing room?)

And from the 'hat' side.
Next I sewed turkey feathers pointing downwards, I allowed them to twist a bit as I did it.

Then I added some stripped feathers to the ostrich feathers to give it more dimension.
Finally I added a sinamay flower to hide all my workings.


It's Cup day on Tuesday and while I would have loved to make a new dress, I am taking things really slow at the moment. Wish me luck in the competition! I have no idea what the prize is, I just like being part of it!

Oh yes, and a little bit of good news came today. I have an interview for my job - it's in two weeks. I think my mojo is coming back so I should be okay to make at least a garment, if not a whole outfit.