The passage of time and a retirement hat.

I've been reflecting on the passage of time again. There's been a reason that I haven't had time or inclination to write my blog.
I've written about dealing with my mum's different problems over the past few years, and all the time it took up!  My brother- in - law, my sister and me shared the load, but my brother - in - law did the biggest share by far.
During that time, for the last 4 to 5 years, my sister was receiving treatment for cancer.
Endless hospital appointments, operations, radiotherapy, chemo, hair loss - she went through it all with great dignity,  not wanting people to know about her illness, she just wanted to live as normal a life as she could. So I respected her wishes.

I'd say she managed to mostly keep it to herself,  the family and a few close friends. She kept going right up until last Christmas Day. Although she was exhausted, she made the effort. Then on Boxing Day it was almost like she'd had enough.
I went over to England once again on the 29th January to help look after her.  While I was with her there was never any talk of dying, we just got on with it,  then on one of the last days she said,  "I can't do this anymore".

She died at home, on the 6th February, 66 years old. One of my son's read a poem at her funeral. It reflects on how you live your life - 'the dash' between the year you are born and the year you die.

Another event that involves a passage of time is your working life. It seems like my husband has been working for almost as long as I've known him and now he's about to hit retirement age!
Last year I made a thinking hat for my son's 30th birthday. My husband was extremely jealous!
He's been going on about it ever since!

So I promised my husband a hat for Christmas. Well that didn't happen, I was worrying about my sister too much and couldn't settle.
So this week he's got a big birthday coming up, he'll be 65 this Friday, and I've finally got around to making the hat.

I had this remnant, costing 1/6d in old money.  I inherited a lot of fabric from my mother-in-law's stash and I thought it would be nice to use it to line the hat.

 

I quilted the lining and made the hat in much the same way as my son's hat.

Somehow I managed to cut out and stitch a hat that was far too small! So I had to make another one.
Maybe that small one will fit me. His and Hers.

The braid also came from my mum - in -  law's stash. It's old.

I made a tassel.

Then finished it off by stitching his initials.

I'm calling this one the 'retirement hat'.      

Thinking hat.

Someone else can do the thinking now. 

 The 30th birthday was looming and time was running out with my hat making project.  

The button looked bare on the top of the hat. 

I made a sort of rosette with the braid and tucked it around the button. Then I unravelled and knotted the ends of the braid. It looked ok but I could have finished it better and I would have preferred a proper tassel. 

It's the first hat I've made so it was all trial and error. My husband is SO jealous of this hat I've been commissioned to make him one now. I gave my son the hat along with the little 'Studs' box I found in an antiques shop when I was over in England recently. I hope he liked his presents.

Then my daughter-in-law outdid my creative efforts with this Showstopper 'Tour de France'  Birthday cake worthy of the GBBO!

Now I've finished with thinking and moved on to something else ending in 'ing'.

I've signed up for a draw..ing course.

More thinking.

 So, in my previous post I'd cut out the tweed band and crown for the thinking cap.

Should be plain sailing now! I took these photos at night and the colour isn't right.

I stitched a 1/4' side seam on the tweed band and fitted the crown to the band.

It looked ok after a press and I was pleased that the lining seemed to fit well. Not sure about the finished width of the band yet and I'm playing around with it to see what looks right.

I took this photo below in daylight and it shows the true colour much better.
The braid is vintage, I'm just using up whatever I have in my fabric stash. I put my son's initials in.

 

This button is really old and it's going on the top. And I'm starting to think about making a tassel with the braid.

There's still a bit more thinking to do!

Thinking.

I had to put on my thinking cap this week .... just to make a thinking cap.
My son has a birthday coming up and he's just the sort to wear one, I thought.
I texted his wife and asked her to measure his head. A reply came back straightaway, she was curious!
59. 5 cm. I trawled the internet looking for ideas.
I didn't have a pattern so had to make it up out of my head. There was going to be a lot of guesswork!
It's a straightforward shape, but I'm not too confident when it comes to pattern making.  I cut a piece of card for the band, adding an extra 1cm, I thought I'd need to allow for his hair. Then I stuck it together to make the circle.

I had some pure silk samples, given to me from a soft furnishings shop. I cut the band for the lining on the bias, I don't know why but I thought if it turned out to be too tight it would give a bit of stretch. I also thought it would be better to make the lining first and get that measurement right.

I used some natural cotton wadding and quilted the lining.  Then I fitted it it round my card circle and pinned it before stitching the seam.

My next task was to make the pattern for the crown. I just used my card circle as a template, placing it on to another piece of card and drawing round.  Then I used the compass to make sure it was an accurate circle. Complicated, this hat making business!

I quilted the crown and hoped it would all fit together, then I stitched a 1/4" seam.

 Yay! It worked. Lining done.

Now, for the outside of the hat, I'm cutting a piece of tweed. 

I made the  pattern for the crown 1/4" larger to allow for the lining.

I'm worn out thinking!