I have been really fighting a cold....well, I have actually caught it and am now attempting to try and keep it from descending into my lungs. I had pneumonia a couple of years ago and DO NOT EVER wish to have it again. So, yesterday while relaxing, I decided to work on my 1863 hat. Really, it was very relaxing. I just sat in a chair and calmly worked on my hat and today, I feel so improved! Huh....does this mean that whenever I get sick I should work on a hat? I think so!!
Anyway, I didn't want to make this hat from scratch as I just didn't feel it. And I didn't have a pattern to work from and was to tired to make one up. So, I went to my costume/supply hall closet and rummaged around until I found this beauty!
A cheap costume shop top hat that a friend gave me a while back. Perfect! The brim was just the shape I wanted for the hat and the crown, when cut down to size was perfect as well! Yeah!
Lovely side view!
The first thing I did was wire the brim. I had to hand sew it as it wouldn't fit my sewing machine.
Next step was to figure out where I wanted to cut it apart. For no apparent reason, I chose to make my cut line 1" above the "hat band" line that was creased into the hat. I used tailor's chalk to make hash marks all the way around the crown.
Using an xacto knife to start and then surgical scissors to finish, I removed the top of the hat from the bottom.
Now I had to figure how how short I wanted the crown. Again for no apparent reason, I chose to make connecting marks 1" down from the crown tip. This line was where the top of the bottom part of the hat would meet the bottom part of the top of the hat! hahahaha!
Top and bottom matched up and pinned together...
Top and bottom sewn together! Yeah!!!
Now it is time to re-cover and decorate!!!
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