Today I made the tip for my top hat. I used my sideband to generate a pattern that I cut out of the 1/32" thick plastic sheeting. (McMaster-Carr) Then I zigged a 21 gauge wire around the edge of the tip and the top edge of the sideband. Then I did a dry fit of my electric components to see where I would need to mount things.
The magnetometer will be mounted flat in the tip, the 16 NeoPixel ring, the Gemma, the tactile switch, and the fiber optic feather spray will all be mounted on the left side of the hat. To offset the weight, I will mount my battery inside on the right. I made a pocket to hold the battery and sewed a piece of fabric on to the inside of the tip. This will give me a place to sew on the magnetometer later without sewing through the hat.
Once the strip and the pocket were sewn into place I mulled the tip and sideband with flannel. Mulling is when you use another fabric to smooth over stitches or wires or bumps. It also allows a place to sew to without going through the structure. Mulling is most often done with lightweight flannel or plain cotton. I used a little spray glue just to hold it in place, but then I sewed the fabric down to the form to provide an anchor for later sewing.
Here is a step by step video outlining my process so far. (no sound)
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