UFO Revisit 2: Faux Shearling Pillbox

Next up, my Russian hat. Heartless that I am, I’m replacing this long-lost John Lewis faux fur hat with a younger model:

Many a happy moments I had in that warm cozy hat, for it is very handy in damp cold Blighty. And I felt a billion Russian roubles in it! I was heartbroken when I lost it for the second time. (I eventually found it after the first parting. But no such luck second time around.)

I resolved to replace it. And as it’s a simple pillbox, it seems easy enough to make one myself. I had found this faux shearling in the same shade of brown at B&J in NYC. I had the simple oval and rectangle patterns drafted. I went as far as cutting out both pattern pieces. Then I stalled.

Why? Because I was terrified of the fabric.

I’ve never sewn furry fabric before. And while I’ve sewn faux suede before, the faux shearling looked too real and I got it into my head that this one will be unforgiving like real leather and suede. One sewing slip and your project is ruined. So it languished on the UFsO pile.

Circumstances (sloper fiasco & freezing wind) finally forced me to take baby steps with this ridiculously simple project. So here we are.

OK, so it’s more of a Fez than a Pillbox. That’s because I forgot to add ease for the thick hem. Always the ease! Bane of my sewing! But I think it’s still perfectly serviceable. In fact I’ve already worn it a few times out now.

Now of course I wasn’t going to be content with just a faux fur pillbox. It would be an abominable waste of an expensive faux shearling fabric! Actually, I lied, I was going to settle. So in awe of the task of sewing such fabric I thought I better not push my luck. But as luck would have it when I tried it on inside out while deciding what to do with the seam allowances, I fell in love with the shearling side too.

Don’t I look like a pixie in this one? Just needed some pointy ears!

Feathers courtesy of a friend. They must have had a pheasants & friends feast. I got a whole bag of loose assorted feathers. As for feather styling idea, well, time for some Ralph Lauren visual feast from my clipping piles again:

Love this jacket too, though I’m not sure I can carry it off with my non-Glamourzon frame.

Now that’s what I call feathers! Make mine look so puny. Now I got a serious case of Feather Envy.

And for a more everyday wear with my every(Winter)day faux shearling coat (good old John Lewis again)…Oh yes I would. Feathers don’t scare me.

2  down, 4 more to go!

Stay tuned.

0 comments on “UFO Revisit 2: Faux Shearling Pillbox

  1. Mekaila says:

    Hi there, just wondering if this is a double sided fabric and if it is still available at BJ. I would like to order some online to try this but they require more info on the product. Any help would be awesome.

  2. Thanks Julija!

    I’m not sure if it’s a good thing that it looks real but it definitely feel lush. And at $42.95/yd it better too! 🙂 I could only afford a yard. But I’ve already got this hat and a stole. I’m hoping to be able to make another even warmer hat (like Burda Style 10/2011 #149) from the scrap. Who knows, I might even manage to squeeze a fur collor or fur ear-muff out of the yard.

  3. What a lovely hat! Looks really warm. And the fur doesn’t look faux, at first I thought it was real fur 😀

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