I had a bunch of handsome gentlemen in need of a spring hat for the last Passejada amb barret, and decided to start from scratch and design and sew a stylish hat for them.

Do you remember that a while ago I sculpted a hat with plasticine and extracted a flat pattern from it? If you don’t remember or want to see it again, follow this link.

Well, for my gentleman’s hat I decided to follow the same process. I used a round block as a base in order to save on plasticine (aka Play Doh), and as you can see it starts quite messy and seems hopeless, but little by little it takes shape. I like to smooth it out really well when it’s almost finished. Once the shape is ready I cover it with cling film and ideally I use masking (painters) tape to cover the whole shape, carefully following all the curves. When I made this pattern I was out of masking tape (and it was Sunday, so no hope of finding any) so I used packing tape which is messy and does not adapt as well to the shape, but in the end it did the trick.

Then I drew lines with a felt pen where the cuts (seams) were going to be. I think this is the trickiest part of the whole process, trying to visualise where the seams should be, but it’s a process that can be repeated as many times as necessary, covering the form again if we need to, and marking different seam lines. Once happy with the tape pattern it’s time to transfer it to pattern paper and true it up with a french curve.

I believe I got really lucky because I love the resulting pattern (the crown is made from one piece of fabric), but I should point out that the finished hat is not exactly as the plasticine version… if you check it out carefully you wil see that I marked the seam to be on the top edge of the sideband, but on the finished hat the top edge is a fold and the seam sinks down. When I had the prototype sewn I saw that it had to sink down, there was no other way.

If you check all the pictures I’ve taken of the sewing process you will see that I cut the iron-on interfacing without seam allowance, then iron it to the external fabric, and then cut the fabric with the allowance. That minimizes the bulk, and serves as a guide when sewing… I’m not really sure if it’s a good idea of just a crazy one but it worked for me…

In any case, the pattern still needs some perfecting. The last version is the one being worn by Paco Peralta (my couturier friend, the one on the far left picture), and you can see how the brim curves better than on the other ones (Peter and Joaquín).

THERE IS MORE…

(more…)

Last Sunday, April 11 2010, we celebrated the VI Passejada amb barret (Hat stroll) in Barcelona, and that was an excuse for a couple of friends to stop by, try on some hats and decide which one they wanted to wear for the event (about which I will blog shortly).

Above you can see the lovely Helena (a wonderful storyteller, checkout the blog that she writes along with my brother José Manuel: http://escuchandoconlosojos.blogspot.com/), she’s in front of the harpsichord which is serving temporarily as an exhibition area for my hats (I knew it would come in handy one day… naaah!! just kidding!!! Sorry Peter!!).

My friend Eulalia also visited me to try on hats and they both had a great time, and had to try every single hat (some of them more than once!).

It was a pleasure for me to see others taking pleasure in my hats. Thank you Helena! Thank you Eulalia!

El próximo 11 de abril 2009 (domingo) te esperamos en Barcelona para dar un paseo con sombrero. Es la sexta edición de la “Passejada amb Barret”. Quedamos en frente de la tienda Gratacós (Paseo de Gracia con Diagonal) a las 12 del medio día. El paseo será a lo largo de Rambla Cataluña para luego subir por Paseo de Gracia y acabar en el punto de origen. Es la excusa que necesitabas para comprarte (o hacerte) un sombrero nuevo. Los participantes en este evento recibirán una chapa conmemorativa ¡Nos vemos!

Come to Barcelona and wear your hat! Next April 11th (Sunday) at noon we will wear our hats and take a stroll down Rambla Catalunya and up Passeig de Gracia. This will be the sixth edition of the “Passejada amb Barret” (Walk with a hat), our version of the Easter Parade that takes place every year on the Sunday after Easter. We will be meeting in front of the shop Gratacós in the corner of  Diagonal and Passeig de Gracia. It’s the excuse you need to get (or make) a new hat. Those who participate will receive a commemorative badge ¡See you!

El pròxim 11 d’ abril 2009 (diumenge) t’esperem a Barcelona per fer un tomb amb barret. És la sisena edició de la “Passejada amb Barret”. Quedem al devant de la botiga Gratacós (Passeig de Gràcia amb Diagonal) a les 12 del migdia. El passeig es fará baixant per la Rambla de Catalunya per després pujar pel Passeig de Gràcia. Es l’excusa que et calia per comprar-te (o fer-te) un barret nou. Els participants rebran una xapa commemorativa. Ens veiem!

Here is a collage of pictures taken by Andrea Fisbein during the recent Passejada amb Barret. They are beautiful close ups of some of the people that took part in our parade, and their hats of course! (all pictures are from Andrea, except two of the pictures -the one of Peter and me, and of Gloria Gratacós and my mom, those were taken by my brother).

I want to thank Andrea Fisbein for sharing her pictures with us, if you click on the collage you will be able to see all her pictures.

I also want to thank Salvador Blanco Heredia who has sent his beautiful pictures of the passejada (click here to see his pictures), and Paco Peralta, who also shared his pictures of the event with us through his blog.

My mother has been feeling under the weather for quite a long time now, and although I really wanted her to come to our “Passejada amb Barret” (Walk with a hat) I was not sure she would be able to make it.

Finally she made a big effort and joined us, and I arranged special transportation for her, a rickshaw bike that carried her and some delighted little friends when she was too tired to walk.

She asked me for a hat for the event, one that would show her blue hair, so I came up with something (in inspiration quite similar to last years creation for her) mounted on a head band and with the look of casually piled up ribbon and wire mesh. I did this hat (a whimsy you may call it) in 6 hours on the evening before, so I hope you will take that into account when you look at it.

The head band underneath is a simple thin metallic one, and I covered it with black elastic velvet from Mokuba. The blue velvet ribbon on the other hand is vintage and has a thin wire embedded, and the wire mesh is a modern material very light and can be pulled and stretched.

I kept on twisting, turning, looking and positioning the wire and the velvet until I liked the position. Once everything was pinned I sewed the whole thing in place, bit by bit, very carefully, so as not to destroy the feeling of flow and airiness.

Halfway through the process I realized the whole thing was not stable and I was afraid that a gust of wind would make it tumble so I added a wire for stability. The wire runs as an inverted u inside the structure and finishes as a circle on the underside. Just that tiny circle sitting on the head gives lots of stability. Of the wire I only covered the under circle and painted with a blue felt tip pen the wire that runs through the structure to camouflage it.

So there you have it… considering the time frame available I’m happy of the result, but I must confess that the front view in the best. 

This year’s Passejada amb barret (Barcelona’s hat parade) has been a great success, in no small measure because of the cooperation of the Gratacós shop. The passejada started in front of  Gratacós, and they exceptionally opened their doors on a Sunday for a short while so that people that wanted to participate in the parade and had no hat could borrow one, and of course many of their clients could not resist such temptation!

The sun shined on us and we had a wonderful time, also this year the Passejada got a mention (with pictures) on the press (La Vanguardia) under the title Barcelona se pone Sombrero (Barcelona wears a hat).

El próximo 19 de abril 2009 (domingo) te esperamos en Barcelona para dar un paseo con sombrero. Es la quinta edición de la “Passejada amb Barret”. Quedamos en frente de la tienda Gratacós (Paseo de Gracia con Diagonal) a las 12 del medio día. El paseo será a lo largo de Rambla Cataluña. Es la excusa que necesitabas para comprarte (o hacerte) un sombrero nuevo. Los participantes en este evento recibirán una chapa conmemorativa ¡Nos vemos!

Come to Barcelona and wear your hat! Next April 19th (Sunday) at noon we will wear our hats and take a stroll down Rambla Catalunya. This will be the fifth edition of the “Passejada amb Barret” (Walk with a hat), our version of the Easter Parade that takes place every year on the Sunday after Easter. This year we will be meeting in front of the shop Gratacós in the corner of  Diagonal and Passeig de Gracia. It’s the excuse you need to get (or make) a new hat. Those who participate will receive a commemorative button ¡See you!

El pròxim 19 d’ abril 2009 (diumenge) t’esperem a Barcelona per fer un tomb amb baret. És la cinquena edició de la “Passejada amb Barret”. Quedem al devant de la botiga Gratacós (Passeig de Gràcia amb Diagonal) a les 12 del mig dia. El passeig es fará per la Rambla de Catalunya. Es l’excusa que et calia per comprar-te (o fer-te) un barret nou. Els participants rebran una xapa commemorativa. Ens veiem!

Foto del año pasado… Pidture from last year… Foto de l’any passat…

The day arrived and there we were with our hats on.

The weather smiled on us, it was a warm and sunny day, and around 80 hat lovers gathered together for our anual stroll with hats.

Nina and I had been working these last weeks in making our own hats, and I also worked on a hat for my mom (you can see her wearing it on the left).

Mom’s hat is made with a gorgeous iridescent blue vintage cellophane straw. Cllick here to see a picture of the back of the hat. I’m happy she could join us, and I thank her for making the effort. She has been feeling under the weather these last months and I know it was a great effort for her.

This year we made pins to distribute among the participants (you can see one on my mom’s lapel, by the way she sponsored those!), and we also made leaflets that we could give away to curious by-standers.

In addition, and generously sponsored by Peter, we have a new domain www.ambbarret.com (meaning “with a hat” in Catalan) where we will post pictures and posters, and also an email address: passejada@ambbarret.com where people can send us an email in order to receive information of future parades or events.

Nina’s hat was really spectacular. Made of a cream colored cellophane straw, it’s a gorgeous, labor intensive top hat that swirls around on the sides. I really loved the result! Here is a picture of Nina’s hat… what do you think? 

Then there’s my hat, also made with vintage cellophane straw, but a much wider one. I will post some pictures of the making process of the hat in the near future, but I will tell you right now that working with cellophane straw is really difficult because the thing tends to rip very easily, running the needle through it is a no-no, so the idea is to sew through the gaps of the braid (not easy!).

There are more pictures… check the rest of the post!

(more…)

El próximo 30 de marzo 2008 (domingo) te esperamos en Barcelona para dar un paseo con sombrero. Quedamos en Rambla Cataluña con Diagonal a las 12 del medio día. Es la excusa que necesitabas para comprarte (o hacerte) un sombrero nuevo ¡Nos vemos!

Next March 30th (sunday) we look forward to seeing you to take a stroll with your hat on. We will meet at noon on Rambla Cataluña with Diagonal. It’s the excuse you need to get (or make) a new hat ¡See you!

Will you be there? If you’re anywhere near Barcelona on Sunday 15th April 2007 at noon you should drop by Rambla Catalunya (where it meets Diagonal Avenue) because it will be there that we will start our “Annual Hatted Stroll”.

Nothing as massive as an Easter Parade (check two wonderful pictures from the NY Easter Parade posted on 9 April in the Satorialist blog), quite the contrary on this Barcelona stroll it’s just a bunch of friends (no more than 50 perhaps) that decide to take a walk together… with our hats on.

The beautiful poster on the left is the one that’s been made (don’t know by whom!) for the occasion. For those curious it’s written in Catalan, the regional language.

Anyone is welcome. I hope to see you there!