I have always liked the look of a Pork Pie Hat, stylish but fun. I admit, I was a little daunted when I started this pattern. There were a whole lot of holes to punch. Also, I was using veg tan leather so I was going to have to dye it and I was worried about inconsistencies in the coverage. But with a little trial and error I was very happy with the end result.
Once the dye was fully dry, I got to stitching. Since the leather was veg tan, I was able to use a wet mold technique to accentuate the tight bend of the rim of the crown, otherwise it would be more rounded on the top edges which I didn’t want. I added a sweatband to give a more finished look to the interior and I also prefer less contact with the raw side of the leather. I use a sealant on the final product, but a little extra material is not going to hurt and it looks nice.
Overall, I have made this pattern a couple of times now and have been very happy with the end results. One caveat, be conscious of the sizing, watch your cut lines for the crown piece, especially if you are dying the leather, cause it might shrink slightly.
If you’re interested in picking up a copy of this pattern, here’s the designer’s link.
