The Twins and Their Robin Hood Caps...and a Wrap-front Dress Update

We've been living with Robin Hood and his Merry Men lately, and have introduced them to Tinkertoy longbows and plastic jewels. Yesterday, it was time to be formally inducted into the gang, and so we made caps of felt.

I looked online for patterns, found them needlessly complex, and made up my own.  Two seams, a cut with the scissors, and two tucks, and you're done.

All you need is two rectangles of green craft felt, a pair of scissors, and needle and thread. I suppose the rectangles were somewhere about 15 inches long. Forgot to measure them and now it's too late, but they're the standard Craftology small size sold at Michael's craft store.

Here's a schematic for how to make them:

1. Sew two rectangles of craft felt together along one long side.
2. Then sewn them together along one short side.
3. When turned inside out, you have sort of this shape. I've drawn the seam on the outside so you know where it is, but the seam allowance is actually on the underside of the cap.
4. Flip up the fabric at the left side of the cap to make the back brim, and flip up the bottoms too to make the brim along the sides. Trim the brim along the sides so that each side angles down to a point in the front. You can trim them straight or with an interesting curve. (Consult books about Robin Hood and look at the illustrations for help. Each artist seems to draw the cap differently.)
5. Punch down the top to create a nice dent. Now, pinch one side into a tuck, with the fold facing towards the back of the cap, and tack that tuck down; I made two tacks in each tuck. Do the same on the other side. This tightens the hat and shapes it to the head a little.

You're done! You can cut slits to add feathers...we did.

The boys enjoyed adding feathers and denting their cap tops to taste.

A Wrap-Front Dress Update

I finished the bodice yesterday, except for arranging the neckline folds into place and invisibly tacking them down in one or two spots. Will show pictures this evening if I get a chance!

Now for the sleeves and attaching the skirt. This project is so slow and painstaking that it is becoming rather dull. Cannot wait to move onto the accessories.

Also, I purchased for a song an old plain gypsy hat constructed in Italy. Since it's so basic and the current trim looks like it was chewed by a dog, have no compunction in reshaping the crown into the shape I need for my hat.