Crafty Tuesday the Tale of the Chicken Hat

This all started because of a meme posted by my friend Karen Taylor who is an amazing poet and social worker among her many talents.


(for the VI: this is a black and white photo of a woman with dark hair wearing a very stylized chicken hat with a bowtie on her head. The caption reads, ”Somedays you add a bow tie to your chicken hat and get on with life as best you can.”)

Karen said in the comments that if she had a hat like that, she would wear it.

That put the idea in my head to create the chicken hat which turned into a bit of trial and error to make and I did learn a bit about millinery along the way.

I started with a pattern for a deerstalker hat for the basic shape. I put buckram between the outside of the hat and the lining to keep the form. The head was a bit of geometry and there are some failed heads on the scrap heap.

The feathers were an adventure with the added fun of four cats wondering why I was taking away their new toys.

Behold the chicken hat.

Front view

(For the VI; This is the front view chicken hat. The beak is gold. The chicken is wearing a bow tie.)

Side view

(For the VI: This is the side view of the chicken hat. The wings are tipped with gold.)

It got to its new owner and she took this photo promising to think only deep thoughts

Karen models her chicken hat


(for the VI: Karen is wearing the chicken hat. She is looking off in the distance like the meme photo. She is wearing a purple shirt and glasses.)

I am very proud of this hat and am glad that idea stuck in my head.

Next P5 mice.

I am grateful I can make things like this.