how to make a newsboy cap

this may seem like a random thing to post but i can explain.

i am currently working on a historical documentary film. as half of the 2 person wardrobe department, which includes, among other things, dressing about 400 extras over 2 weeks of filming.

date range from 1910-1936. whoo hoo!

it's keeping me busy from roughly noon-2am for 3 weeks.
here's a scene they want to recreate:

and so - the newsboy caps.

cut out a pattern that looks like this - essentially a large circle with a smaller one inside.

i've got 22 inches across the big outside one, then within it drew a 16 inch one. folding the paper made it easier to cut the triangular wedges out.

for the moon shaped piece i traced the edge of a baseball cap and it's about 3 inches across at the centre of the 'moon.'

in a tweed-ish fabric, cut one of the large piece and 2 moon shapes. then cut one moon of cardboard or plastic. (i used cereal box cardboard but i'd recommend something more solid & washable if you'll be using the hat for more than a one time costume - ie part of a pop bottle. you'd also want a lining.)

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pin the brim pieces together and pin the large piece so each triangle cut out becomes closed again.

the hat will start to take shape...

when sewing the main part of the hat, curve toward the centre as you go - it will make the hat more circular on top. put the cardboard in the brim and sew it right sides together to the main part of the hat. tada.

that was easy right? uhhh... ha ha sorry. it is more simple to do than it is to explain...

repeat as needed.

i'll see you again when the film is wrapped. so happy canada day this thursday!

Update:  While I appreciate the interest, I have been getting emails and questions about this post daily.  It has been over 4 years since I have made the hats.

Yes the pattern size was as described.  If the hat is too big, sew with larger seam allowances and remember that the floppy excess gets pulled forward and tacked to the brim. 

Adjust the pattern for hats for children. 

Playing dolls

hello all!

this is a fun flashback.

my good friend shannon is a photographer. we met when working together at a camera shop and bonded instantly. before i moved away we would try to plan a photoshoot once a month.

we'd pick a theme of some sort, get dressed up, and model for each other so that we could practice.

eventually we even shot weddings together.

this is one of the theme shoots: dolls.

chelsea

kristen

shannon (poor girl had short hair and all we could find was the cheap blonde wig.

she never did like the shots all that much)

and moi. photographed by shannon lepere.

i'm really looking forward to doing a couple fun shoots this summer, now that we're in the same city for a while.

highlights of the cannes film festival

i still can't believe i was there to experience it.

the fact that i got the job in france, on the riviera, in one of the world's film cities.

that we lived so close we could hear screaming fans from our apartment.

that we got to act cool and say "ugh - tourists." haha.

it was a great time.

and now - i know what you really want - the pictures :P

the palais des festivals, where all the action is :)

this was my fave thing.  they screened films on the beach! for free!

the movie screen is built on a dock in the ocean.  they also gave everyone blankets.  the man walking is selling roasted nuts.  toes in the sand - best way to watch a movie ever.

the famed red carpet :)

the collection of ladders that screaming fans stand on.

waiting in line...

crazy weird and expensive cars. (this one was in Monaco on the night before the Formula 1)

and now i present:

the adventures of mel's only 'fancy' dress

"I'M ON A BOAT" ridiculousness on a yacht in Monaco.

 on the way to the VIP room club.  we got in! michelle rodriguez was the dj! it was a crazy fun night.

& the final adventure of the dress: 

i won tickets to see the closing night film at the Cannes Film Festival.  they drew less than 500 names for the whole city and i won! tux & bowtie mandatory (which i loved) steve had to borrow one.  

we got to walk the red carpet.

perfect end to a great year.

i miss you already cannes.

7 down - 15 to go!

it's a good thing none of my goals for may included blogging often. 

it's been a crazy month. 

a month of vacation, loads of beach time, good-bye parties, the Cannes Film Festival, packing, and returning to Canada.  somehow i managed to squeeze in some of my 2010 goals.

the ones with progress:

learn french well enough to have an entire conversation with my grandma & apply for bilingual jobs
i actually called my grandma one afternoon at the beginning of the month and we chatted in french for about 10 minutes! including laughing a lot and teasing each other.  i won't cross this one off, i am not satisfied with my level of french yet, and still plan on studying a lot more.  

a french lunch with my grandma is in order as well. 

master the use of photographic flash &
  portfolio building preplanned photoshoots

a bit of progress on these 2 goals.  2 really great photoshoots with friends in the last few days i was in france.   as much as i still prefer working with natural light, i did use flash for some of the shots.  

meet chloe

 and katie

get accepted to a stock photo site

i have been accepted as a contributor on istock.com!

apparently though, that's the easy part.  now i have to submit each individual image for review before it gets accepted, and have to have model releases signed for anything i want to submit.  but, it's a start, and possibly a little money to be made from my photos.

post a worthy photo to flickr everyday for 21 days

done and done!
from may 1-21 i forced myself to post to flickr before visiting any other websites.
it was trickier than i thought, with life getting in the way - huge respect for anyone who has ever done a 365! that is dedication.

whoo! 2 more goals down and solid progress on the others.  i'm liking how this is going.