Klay Blog
The last of our Hats
This year we are going to be focusing just on homeware items, so the current batch of hats (and pouches!) is the last ever ones we are going to make. We have been making and selling hats for several years and they were one of our original Klay items :) end of an era for us. But we want to have more time to develop new homewares so decided to simplify things. I thought I would share some process photos and the story behind the lovely Japanese cottons we have used for this last batch. We made all of these hats in our Auckland workshop.
All of the fabric that was used to make the hats we have left on our website were sourced in Japan. I got the checks from a fabric supplier in Kyoto & the 'sundried canvas' from a fabric store in Nippori Fabric Town in Tokyo (which you can read about in my Tokyo Tips Blog Post).
The canvas we got from Tokyo is 'sundried'. The texture and finish has a bit of a worn in feel to it. It has a matte texture with soft, muted tones. The sundried canvas options are the black, royal blue and light blue. The person at the fabric store gave me this handout explaining how the sundried canvas is a handmade process done in small batches. I was drawn to the texture and colours of the fabric even before knowing about this process :)
The other fabrics we used to make the hats are soft lightweight cotton checks. These cottons are also made in Japan. I got them from a shop in Kyoto that is 200 years old!
These checks reminded me of textiles and interiors from Ozu movies <3
These checks options are thinner than the canvas options. They are great for hot weather - nice and cool.
Calico binding
Our last batch of hats are not lined because we wanted them to be lightweight for hot for summer days. The joins are hidden with calico binding. It is very neat. And quite tricky to sew! Kirsty is very skilled and these hats are finished beautifully. The calico binding strips are overlocked, then cut into lengths, then ends ironed back, then sewn.
The calico binding is also used to house the drawstring on the inside. Our hats just come in one size and the drawstring (and brass toggle) can be pulled to make the hat fit your head perfectly. It is very handy for windy walks too.
The brims are sewn with lines around them for extra structure.
The brims of the check fabric hats (the lighter weight ones) is also fused, to make sure the brim is more structured and not too floppy, while the main crown of the hat (which sits on your head) is lightweight, so your head doesn't overheat.
Because this is our last range of hats, we wanted to offer a lot of options :) we have several fabric options to choose from. If you have ever wanted a hat from us - this is the final call!
