Straw Hat {Updated}

Not a lot of sewing happening at MiH, it is so hot! I am working on mini-projects that will be useful in this heatwave. On the positive side, I am getting a tan, in the UK, not even on holiday - I know, amazing!

I bought this straw hat last year (at Marks & Spencer). I tried many hats before finding the right one for me, I am super picky with hats. I wore it on holiday last year, hoping that I would do something about that brown ribbon. I did not happen. It is really time to get it out this year, and the brown ribbon had to go. 

You can find a similar (cheap) straw hat at F21

A wider butterfly ribbon is now adorning the brim. It works much better for me - the straw hat has now a bit more humph - and has become a bit more of a statement. 

To make the ribbon, I used some polyester fabric that I have in my stash (it is intended to be used, soon, very soon, well when I get my sewing mojo back). I added a light interfacing to give it a bit of hold. 

For the width of the ribbon, I browsed the net, and tried to work out what the best proportions were - in my case it was 4 cm considering the height of this hat. I think it was worth spending on time researching this, especially if you want the ribbon to make a bit of a statement. 

I made a simpler side feature - a flap that doubles as the fixing of the ribbon. It is a bit more masculine, but the butterfly keeps it quirky enough. 

I attached the ribbon to the body of the hat. You can see some of the blue stitching if you look very carefully above the arrows. I wanted to make sure that the stitching between the brim and the top of the hat remained hidden, but without adding glue (just in case I change my mind about this ribbon as well!).