Book Review: Happy Hats & Cool Caps by T Elnef & AM Hermansen

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Aug 20, 1999

You may at first not see this unpretentious little book amongst it's larger, glossier cousins on the shelves, but it's definitely one worth looking out for if you're someone who likes to keep their ears warm in winter and not burn their nose in summer. Full-size patterns for more than 20 designs are included on a loose sheet tucked into a sleeve at the back of the book. The patterns are printed over each other so you'll need some tracing paper to draw off a particular pattern, unless you know you'll definitely never want to use any of the others. Each pattern piece is clearly numbered and marked for up to seven different sizes that'll fit children and adults.

The various designs are graded for difficulty. The authors claim that even beginners can use this book and, having read through their instructions, I believe them. The instructions are logically set out in steps and the Sewing Tips section explains all the essentials, such as notching curves, binding edges, creating pompoms and bows, gathering, invisible joining and even creating a simple tailor's pressing ham if you really want to be able to press great curves.

The one thing I didn't like is that most, but not all, of the pattern pieces don't include seam allowances. This is fine if you are following the instructions step by step as then you are told when to add a seam allowance, but if like me, you tend to read instructions only when you can't figure out what to do from the pattern pieces, it'll be all to easy to cut out something without a seam allowance.

Many of the patterns, which range from a baby bonnet to a balaclava to a sailor's hat to a ski patrol hat, have variations e.g. with or without ear flaps. The section on altering allows you to vary the designs even more, whether by altering a brim or changing the stand or crown. It may only be two pages long, but it tells you all you need to know to really start exploring the possibilities!

There are good colour photos of the various hats, worn by extremely happy people, with the exception of two children on p42/3 who look as if they were now really tired of saying "cheese" and please could they go and play!

Happy Hats and Cool Caps to Sew for the Whole Family is published by Lark Books, email larkmail@larkbooks.com.