Two finishes

It’s been a while since my last post, but I have a good excuse — as usual. 😉 Actually, our guild is having a challenge; we have a piece of red batik we must use (it’s gorgeous!), and we must use a heart somewhere on the front of the quilt. The challenge isn’t due for several months yet, but I had an idea and was afraid I’d forget what I was planning if I didn’t do it right away. So now it’s finished and awaiting the due date, but I can’t show it to you until after the challenge is over! 🙁 

My second recent finish — as of this afternoon — is thanks to a friend of mine who sent me a link to a pattern for a reversible hat. 🙂 As it happens, I’ve been looking for a hat I can use to keep the sun off of my face and neck; in our area, the sun can literally be a killer. I hadn’t found anything, though I’ve been looking for some time. Every time I think I’ve found something good, it’s either not good on me, or it’s so expensive that I won’t even consider it. 😉 However, what did I have to lose with a free pattern, fabric from my stash and a couple of hours of my time? As it happens, I like this one! It covers my head and neck and fits well enough to be secure while still not resulting in “hat hair”.  

I did make a few changes in the pattern. First, I added a layer of pretty stiff interfacing to the brim. In addition, I added a layer of flannel to the crown for a bit of body. Finally, I turned the hat right-side out through the brim instead of the sides and did a few rows of topstitching on the brim for extra stability. I think it will work quite well! 🙂