Hats off to our 50th Threads!

I wonder how many other people have been teaching children how to make baskets, when they suddenly discovered that they can put their baskets on their heads and make a hat.
Basketry has been used for making hats for probably as long as people were making baskets. From Panama hats and boaters to elaborate flowery summer hats.
In England rush hats are still being made for dancing around the maypole in the summer solstice. The Haida people make beautiful Sitka cedar hats, and I have seen basket makers with hats made using birch round reed and even bittersweet.
In future Threads we will look at various hats that can be made by basket makers. In this issue we will look at making a hat form which is a huge help when making a hat.

Making a hat form

When making a hat, one of the most useful things to make is a hat form. Olivia Elton Barrett from England, taught us to make this newspaper form which is quick and easy and can be made to measure.

You need;   

• A pile of old newspapers   

• Plastic sheeting   

• Wide strong sticky tape
  Measure the circumference of your head. Fold two layers of newspapers into a long piece of folded newspapers about. 5" wide (see photo)

Then start to roll them up to make an oval shape. Keep attaching more folded newspaper pieces until the oval is the same size as your head. Stick it together with tape.
Now you need to make a crown for the top. Use smaller folded pieces and shape it all into an oval head form.
Using the sticky tape fix the crown in place by sticking it all together across the top sides and bottom, then cover it with plastic to protect it from wet basketry materials. I will enclose a photo of mine , probably made at least 30 years ago and so it is looking a bit old and discolored. No matter, it is still in good 'working order!
Now for the .... 50th THREADS CELEBRATION.I am inviting readers to submit a picture of a hat that they have made.