Good evening. This is my first try at making a hat and I had an adventure.
I created the fabric using needle felting with green and blue wool fibres onto a loose woven fabric base (leftover curtain interlining for a bit of body). I made up the hat pattern as I went and reinforced the outer rim section using steel memory wire (encased in the fabric rim and covered with cord braid to neaten).
Silk fibres and fabric scraps were needle felted onto the background for added texture.
Some free machine embroidery and quilting was also worked into the background.
3D pearlescent fabric paint added more texture. I made a little rock pool in the top.
Then I went mad with the embellishing. The machine embroidered elements were created as embroidery slips onto old cotton bed sheets. These were then cut out and stitched in place. Extra padding was added to some of the embroidered elements (snipping through from the back and stuffing with a little wadding) to give a more 3D look.
Sorry – dreadful pic! The hat inner was made with blue taffeta and stitched to an outer layer of recycled curtain interlining, a strip of stiffer interfacing used for the inner brim (fitted to head). Free machine and decorative machine embroidery were added around the rim to give it structure. A few sequins were also added for bling. The outer decorated hat was then slotted on top, everything held together around the inner and outer rim sections.
I also embellished with real shells and sea urchins too.
I also created some coral made by wrapping recycled plastic beads with organza, further embellished with little pink seed beaded branches.
Strips of the blue organza were gathered and twirled to give the spongy coral effect. The edges were frayed to enhance.
The starfish was created with shell sticks, texture added using tiny glass microbeads.
I hope that you have enjoyed looking through my coral reef creation. I certainly had a lot of fun creating this one and got totally lost in my own little fantasy sea world xxx.
Heather Tree Creative Designs by Anne Waller 