Look what I found- Myung Urso made this brooch using loofah- a much more manageable size I feel!

The finished product

Although the loofah had a mind of its own, I managed to shape it into something resembling a brim. I like the way the light filters through the loofah after I dyed it with the biodegradable packing peanuts. I wanted to create the effect of sunlight shining through leaves. Well it looks like a sunhat although not the most elegant at that.....

Work in progerss

All seems well at this point!

Needlework against the odds

Hemp may be a good choice for stringing beads, but it is barely manageable when knitted. It certainly gave the skin on my hands a hards time!

Loofah is never like loofah

To make a brim of a hat out of loofah is close to impossible! The material has a mind of its own, and although some shaping is possible by making it wet it tends to revert to its own shape after a while. Oh well. Thanks goodness I`m not a milliner- it`s a tough job!

hats

The REI hat made from paper,
A traditional japanese hat, interesting because it allowed room for the particular hairstyle men wore at the time.
A hat with solar panels to add heat to the head- interesting concept because it makes use of the suns power.
A parasol made with a green leaf pattern recreating the shade cast by trees- how lovely is that.

hats

Well, there are millners and other designers making hats, but there has to be something more interesting than this!