Hold your head high in style with this combo sheepskin leatherworking and stash-busting hat-making class. Work with beautiful, naturally bark-tanned shearling sheepskin from the instructor’s farm, combined with an invitation to play with decorative millinery techniques such as bead embroidery, plaiting, and feather accents. Express your individuality by raiding your stash (or local shops and thrift stores) for beads, yarn, and embellishments to create a piece that is totally unique and yours.

In the order notes, please indicate whether you would prefer the wool INSIDE the hat to be natural white or natural gray.

Kit Details

Custom kit includes:

• Bark tanned shearling sheepskin pre-cut pieces for the hat. (Please choose between white or gray wool).
• Glover’s needles and faux sinew for stitching
• Obenauf’s Heavy Duty Leather Preservative (oil and beeswax product)
• Feathers from the instructor’s poultry.
• PDF of photo essay for additional instructions.

Students Should Also Supply:

• Thread scissors
• Fabric scissors
• Supple thimble (optional, band aids work well too!)
• Beeswax bar or candle
• Craft felt, wool felt, washed wool fabric, pellon, etc. (fabrics that do not fray) in a harmonious color to your beads. One piece we will bead onto, and one piece will back the design.  Backing material can be as small as the size of your hand spread out for the beading fabric, even less needed for the backing.
• Beads—literally anything you would like to try on your project that you can get a thread through. Choose one larger bead or button as your center for the design.
• Sharp beading needle, or needle with an eye small enough to fit through your beads.
• Thread of your choice—I’ve used nylon beading thread, silk beading or sewing thread, or even regular sewing thread. If you have thread in a color that is harmonious with your beads, this is nice but not mandatory.
• If you are using nylon thread, you will want to have a way to melt your starting and stopping knots (set of matches or a lighter works), so they do not unravel.
• Sharpie or marking pen.
• Size G crochet hook.
• Yarns of your choice in colors harmonious with your beads.

One size fits most. Makes 1 hat.

Happy stitching!