MAKING A WINTER FUR HAT
I had a lovely fox fur which I got tanned. I wanted to make something beautiful out of it. As I am outdoors every day in winter I thought of a fur hat – an aviator model or something similar to an ushanka.
After I had decided on a model the pattern had to be made. I took measurements on my own head with a papier-mâché form, which I then cut into individual pieces. The pattern was transferred to cardboard. I spread the individual parts on a piece of Italian goatskin and cut out the forms. All individual parts were now sewn by hand with saddle stitch and strong perlon thread. Sure – a sewing machine can do that too and even faster. First I made the half sperical cap out of 6 parts, then I covered the earflaps with fur and sewed them into the cap from the inside. For this I used an awl (model Speedy Stitcher)
The inside of the ear flaps, the flap in the forehead area and the neck were covered with the fur and sewed it on. Finally I made a lining from brown satin (artificial silk). For this I cut out two circles, about the size of a breakfast plate and two long stripes, which must reach once around the forehead. The width has to be kept in such a way that nothing sticks out of the cap but also that it is not too short. Everything was filled with down from a down pillow. The pieces were each sewn inside out, turned to the outside and filled. With the sweing machine I stitched them in a pattern. Both parts were then sewn togheter.
I love this hat and like to wear it when it is really cold. There are people who don’t like to use animal products. Of course you can make a project like this out of textiles, imitation leather and faux fur. I often use my leather shoes and leather goods for years, some of them last for decades. And they produce no micro-plastic…
