My New Avatar by Tiffany Inglis

If you're like me, you've always wanted to be a cartoon character.  I don't know why.  I guess I just love cartoons. Well, Tiffany Inglis can draw cartoons, and she is also a master in Photoshop.   You see, Tiffany is a computer whiz AND a brilliant portraitist.  She has a PhD in computer science, and she wrote her dissertation on "Pixelating Vector Art."

Clearly, she's not your average computer nerd.  Anyway, Tiffany recently posted a custom wedding portrait on Facebook, and I was blown away by it.  It looked right out of a Pixar movie.    So I asked Tiffany if she would like to trade some beadwork for an avatar.  I was super happy when she agreed.  I sent her some photos of myself and my art, and with her magic, she made this picture of me, complete with wavy red hair and glasses.  Isn't it amazing? 

I actually look like this. 

In my head. 

But now I look like this on my computer too.  You can see that Tiffany managed to include a Rivoli Urchin pendant, a Sweetheart Pendant, a top hat from felted wool sweaters, and a coat I made.  (These are all things I've written tutorials for.)

In exchange, I made her this Rivoli Urchin Necklace in the colors Tiffany picked.  I'm totally sure that I won this trade.

Thanks for looking.

TUTORIAL How to Make a Top Hat from Felted Wool Sweaters

What do you make with old felted wool and cashmere sweaters? Try this DIY Do-it-yourself Top Hat. Learn to make this full-size, warm hat, a winter topper, so you can look dapper and still stay warm. The hat is fully lined so you’ll stay extra toasty while you look classy. The hat is constructed entirely by hand, without the use of a sewing machine. The PDF tutorial gives step-by-step instructions for drafting the pattern pieces in any hat size from adult XS to XL, preparing and cutting the fabric, constructing the hat, and hand stitching each seam with yarn. The tutorial ends with instructions for the optional felt flower.

Materials and Tools
1. Felted wool sweaters. Choose thicker sweaters (more than 1/8”) for a stiffer hat, and thinner than 1/8” for a softer, floppier hat. Use two sweaters, three if they are very small. The best choice is stiff, thick 100% wool for the most of the hat, and cashmere sweater for the lining. Soft Merino wool would be another good choice for the lining. That’s the part that touches your head, so the softer the better.
2. Thick thread or thin yarn: The stitching will show as a design element, so choose your color with that in mind. I use lace weight silk yarn, but any thin string or yarn would work. Your yarn is too thick if you have trouble pulling your needle through two layers of felt. If you want to use sewing thread, I recommend a heavy weight “quilting” cotton thread, doubled. You will only need a few dozen yards. So if you have yarn remnants, this is a great place to use them up.
3. Paper
4. Tape
5. Ruler
6. Pencil
7. Large eyed needle: long sharp needles work well, with an eye big enough for your thread
8. Regular sewing thread, whatever you have on hand that contrasts with the color of your hat. You will use this for the markings.

This pattern is suitable for advanced beginner sewers. Knowledge of sewing is helpful but not necessary. I assume you know the very basics of sewing (like threading needles and using scissors), but if you've never worked with felted wool sweaters before, this is a great place to start.

The tutorial is 17 pages, including 92 color illustrations and photographs that show how to complete each step. Two of the pages show how to make the flower, and the last two pages show photos of four different felt hats I’ve made with this pattern.

 If you're not the crafty type, and you'd like to purchase one of these hat, hand made by yours truly, check out the hat section in my Etsy shop.

Writing a Top Hat Tutorial

Ever since I took a course on costume construction at our local community college, I've been wanting to write a tutorial on how to make a top hat, but doing a traditional version using traditional techniques seemed like, well, old hat. 

Recently, I tried using one of my top hat patterns with old felted wool and cashmere sweaters. I gifted the first to a friend, kept the second for myself, and then there's the third one pictured here. I really love these hats. 

Felt Top Hat

Warm and fancy without being over the top (like, maybe, my fur hats with ears and horns). I've been taking careful notes of my process and drawing lots of little pictures. I typed up my notes, printed them out, and made another hat.  I've redrawn all of my little sketches at least once.  Now, I'm well on my way through a tutorial on how to draft a pattern and make top hats with felted wool and cashmere sweaters that will fit adult heads from XS to XL.

Felt Top Hat

If you like top hats, but aren't the crafty type, check out which hats I currently have for sale. If you are the crafty type, well, I hope you'll look out for my tutorial, so you can enjoy making and wearing these as much as I do. 

Cashmere Lining