Deerstalker

[usonian]

Insofar as deerstalkers tend to come up in "what hat do I wear with my kilt" discussions around here, I figured people might like to see this one that I made yesterday:




This post on Cation Designs' blog was quite helpful, particularly the link to the assembly instructions for the deerstalker pattern included in Simplicity 2517, a pattern which also comes up in discussions about Inverness capes.

[artificer]

Very sharp indeed! Nicely done.

ith:

[usonian]

Thank you! I'm fairly pleased for a first effort; it has its flaws and the brim is not as stiff as I would like... but I don't know if my machine would be able to handle anything heavier. (I used plain old cardboard for this one.) The final assembly --sewing the liner to the shell, peaks, and earflaps, as many as five thicknesses in places-- was pushing the limits of my consumer-grade machine as it was.

[Phil]

Well done. I'm not sure about the cardboard brim - just don't go out in the rain, and the ear flaps are usually tied with a ribbon material. Otherwise it looks a great job.

[TheOfficialBren]

Very nice. I had an old tweed flatcap brim restiffened with a piece of plastic from a milk jug once. No reason that wouldn't work here, too. Not too thick, just stiff enough.

Well done.

[mookien]

Very nice hat. Congratulations! I do think that your head should have been under it instead of that scruffy other guy.

[HippieLee]

Very cool! Every day this place inspires me...I've been watching some "how to sew" vids on the youtubes...someday I might even try it lol...my main problem there is I am really enjoying leather work and I don't want to sidetrack my practice in that and I don't think I'm smart enough to start 2 new hobbies at once. And if I am smart enough to learn both I don't think I'm smart enough to talk to my wife into spending even more money on new hobbies lol...of course, one reason she let me get into leather work is she saw some nice handmade purses and had visions of handbags dance in her head...

I agree with mookien regarding your hat model.

[Liam]

Well done!

[ratspike]

Agreed with all the above compliments. It's super sharp looking, very nice work. Hats, IMO, are tough. I make the occasional cycling cap and have a hard time getting the stupid brim centered and straight.

You might try using a plastic yogurt container for the brim on the next one. Nice and stuff without being thick, and you shouldn't have any trouble sewing through it.

[brewerpaul]

Looks great, nice material used in the construction. Ive made this same hat except I left off the ear flaps and had a basic "Fore and aft." Im not keen on ear flaps but that is my personal preference. As others said you can try thin plastic from milk cartons or water bottles for your brim. Old three ring binders made from thin plastic work well to and dont have a curve already molded in like a milk container. I just used two layers of stiff interface in mine so it wouldnt be so stiff, might be too soft for your needs. Also found that leather sewing machine needles help for the thick stuff. Below is a shot of my fore and aft taken from the same Simplicity pattern, the cape is the other half of the pattern set though I modified it quite a bit. Have fun making more of these, I wear mine quite often in the winter with my kilt and breeks.