Sew a 1960s hat

From Reveille newspaper, 1964:

"This is the hat of the year. We saw it in the South of France, the Italian Riviera. In Spain and Portugal, too.

Bikini girls were wearing them in cotton as sun hats or bathing caps. Now girls are wearing them in velvet, or taffeta for parties... This is a wonderful little hat. It suits every face. Already girls who dislike wearing hats are changing their minds. You can see them around. You will be seeing plenty more. So practical if your hair looks untidy. Tuck it under the hat. It hides all those straggly ends."

Would you like to make this quintessentially 1960s hat? You'll need half a yard of 36 inch wide velvet, or material of your choice; half a yard of 36 inche wide net; 5 inches of elastic; five-eighths of a yard of beaded trimming.

Make a paper pattern from the diagram below. Each side of a square = 2 inches. Allow for turnings. Line D - E on diagram marks the grain of material.


On single material and net cut out shape A. Also cut and join a strip to measure 34 inches long and 3 inches side when complete - this will be the hat band.

1. Place net on wrong side of velvet. Make 9 pleats at outer edge, as marked with arrows on diagram.

2. Make a casing at back, between X - Y marked on diagram. Thread through elastic as marked on diagram. Make up headband in double thickness and stitch to pleated edges of hat, leaving 6 inches ends to tie at back.

3. Top trim head band with beaded trimming as pictured. To wear hat simply knot tie ends at back.