I have had a bit of a yearning to make the Alabama Chanin bucket hat, and when Gloria from Aube Nouvelle lent me her stencils and sold me some lovely AC organic cotton, I was set!
I made the hat on the plane going to India and had to cut out the upper layer with blunt aeroplane scissors, which is why it looks slightly chewed.
I finished up making the child’s sized hat, and it is still too big. Then again, it’s supposed to look like a bucket – correct?
My stencilling efforts were brilliant on my trial piece and a complete disaster on the real thing. In the end I drew round the stencil with a laundry pen and just stitched it in the same colour. 
I used some Mettler Metrosene cordonnet thread which is used for sewing buttonholes. I bought about 30 of these in an op shop and they are brilliant, and totally perfect for a bit of AC topstitching.
Some shots of the hat in action. On the beach in Mumbai whilst doing my daily constitutional
Around the pool in Sri Lanka and the back view which looks better!
I also embellished a top. The top is an Alabama Chanin top which I got really cheaply from Aube Nouvelle.
In order to overcome my guilt at buying a RTW top, I embellished it with spirals (from some stashed fabric), which I placed randomly carefully down one side, wrapping round the back. I was pleasantly surprised with my placement, it is just how I wanted it – this never happens the first time!
Some action shots: buried alive in a fabric store in Colombo
visiting a Hindu Temple
Walking round Colombo. This street has always been one of my favourites – I love the decaying colonialism. Colombo used to remind me of the Singapore of my youth, but I haven’t been here for about eight years and I note that there is a massive number of large building projects underway.
Oh yes, and outside the previously mentioned fabric store, with fabric in hand!
Before I finish, I thought you might like some more beach shots in Mumbai. This is, of course, the Arabian Sea and it is early in the morning.
The beach was packed with people, and I loved all the squealing when the waves washed up and everyone got their feet wet. Just like at home!
In the beach shots I am wearing some me-made cropped exercise pants, and a Merchant and Mills t-shirt which was a gift from Meggipeg for looking after her gorgeous dog, Truffles. The blue skirt I am wearing is a self drafted pattern made from stretch denim scraps. The swimsuit is Vogue 7498, a vintage pattern, blogged here. I chose to bring this for its modesty as I know that women don’t expose much flesh in India and Sri Lanka.