The magical academy is a place of wonder and enchantment. Hidden away from the eyes of ordinary humans, it serves as a training ground for young witches and wizards to hone their magical abilities. At the heart of the magical academy is a sprawling castle, with tall towers that seem to touch the sky. Inside, students can find classrooms filled with ancient tomes and potion ingredients, as well as laboratories for conducting magical experiments. The curriculum at the magical academy is diverse and demanding. Students learn the fundamentals of spellcasting, potion making, and magical creature care.
The Free Pattern is from Lynn McMasters, who makes amazing Hats and Hat Pattern! Go check her Website out.
If i remember it correctly, the Pattern is in Letter-Format, so i had to print it as a Poster in Actual Size with markings on the corners of the paper. The caricaturization, combination and evolution of the past is what defines our current ideas of Halloween, from witches and vampires to butterflies and hamburgers.
Students learn the fundamentals of spellcasting, potion making, and magical creature care. They also delve into the history of magic and its impact on the world. In addition to traditional subjects, the magical academy also offers specialized classes in fields such as divination, herbology, and transfiguration.
A Study in: Witch Hats (+ Headform)
Let´s start with the Headform. I found the link to the Free Pattern through a video of a great Costuber, Miss Philomena.
The Free Pattern is from Lynn McMasters, who makes amazing Hats and Hat Pattern! Go check her Website out.
I started with measuring my head and printing out the pattern, which i didn´t need to enlarge. (All the scales and sizes are given). If i remember it correctly, the Pattern is in Letter-Format, so i had to print it as a Poster in “Actual Size” with markings on the corners of the paper. Every Printer is different so you probably have to try out. There a Control-Boxes in inch and cm, so it shouldn´t be a big problem to get the right size.
The pattern consists out of three pattern pieces. The Head Side, the Head Center (which you have to glue together) and the Headbase (which you have to trace from the Head Side).
I used some boiled wool for the Headform, but you could also use some canvas or other strongly weaved material, i think.
Nice Quality, i don´t know where i got it from, but it is a leftover.
For the Headbase i used cardboard. I cut out four pieces and glued two pairs together with a hot-gun. (This was the first time i used a hot-gun, and i really liked it…oh those things i now can make…)
To make the base a bit heavier, i glued some nuts between the two pairs. So i ended up with a cardboard/nut sandwich.
I used a thick cardboard, which you can´t easily bend. Different Nuts in the same sizes. I think i used up about 20 of them. I also glued some into the middle of the circle.
I cut out the other pieces from the Wool, cut the markings and pinned the Head Center to the Head Side (twice). After sewing it, i clipped in the seam allowance every one or two cm and ironed it flat open. Then i closed the center seam, clipped in the seam allowance and ironed it flat open as well.
After turning the Headform inside out, i saw that i made a mistake. The Head Center does have a front and a back, which i forgot to mark. I measured the circumference of the Headform and it still was ok…so it was fine with me (and i was too lazy to correct everything).
I tried to fill the Headform with cabbage (cut up fabric leftovers), which took me quite a while to cut up, but the head got so heavy it wouldn´t stand on its own, even with the heavy Hat Base. I sacrificed the innards of an old pillow, mixed up with a bit of cabbage and it did work out in the end.
The Cabbage – i think i will make me some Tailor Hams, where i can use it. The leftovers of the pillow.
After filling the Headform, i put in the Head Base and secured it with a strong Thread (i don´t know if the thread sizes/diameter are international, but in german i used a size 16, which is quite a sturdy thread.)
Thread it through from one side to another, till the Head Base is secured enough.
The last step was to cut out the Head Base piece from wool (don´t forget to add some additional seam allowance) and sew it onto the Headform.
I added about 2 cm.
And the Headform is finished. A quick and easy project, which is really useful if you plan on making more hats in the future.
And the first project, where i needed my new Headform, was my Witch Hat. I always wanted a Witch Hat, preferable in Black…but i hadn´t any stable/strong material in my stash. So i decided that the hat should be a Forest Witch Hat in Green. Later on i added some Mushrooms, because what is a Forest without mushrooms?
First i drafted the Pattern for the Hat Base. For this you need your head circumference + seam allowance and some extra wiggle room. The thicker your materials are, the more you should add. It is always better to add a bit more than you need, because in the end you can sew in a thicker head band/tape in the inside of the crown.
My head has a circumference about 54 cm, so i rounded it up to 56 cm (i should have added a bit more, because in the end i used some different material than i planned. The Hat is tight, but it works.)
The Radius of 56 is 8,91 cm (Formula: U=2·π·r – which you have to convert to r=U:(2π) and than fill in and calculate.)
The Diameter is 17.826 cm (Formula: d=2·r) and the width of the Hat Brim is 15 cm.
I cut it out from another piece of boiled wool i had left, marked and basted the seam allowance and the “middle markings”.
I needed to baste the markings, because they vanished quite fast. And i knew that i wouldn´t finish the Hat in one day.
After that, i tried out some interfacings i had at home. Because my first plan/hope was, that the interfacing was rigid enough, so i didn´t need to put in wire and so on. But alas, neither of the two options i had was rigid enough. The Brim was still really floppy.
I ironed some of the heavier cotton interfacing to the brim, and decided to cut out another Hat Brim piece. This time i used a thin gabardine in olive green, which i also stiffened with the same interfacing.
I needed some tunnels for the wire (which was the same i used for my other Hat-Project). I marked where they should be sewn on and used a twill tape, because it was easier to sew it around the curves (now i think it would have been smarter to use bias tape, but i hadn´t anything fitting at home back then).
I kinda just eyeballed it…so it is a bit wonky. Here are the three circles sewn on (really badly i know, but first: after ironing it was much better and secondly: it is inside the hat…nobody will see it ever again.)
You can see at the picture above, that the first tunnel is already filled with wire, which was the easiest. The second wire took me forever to get through. Only when i nearly got mad, i had the idea to put some adhesive tape around the edges of the wire….this was such a game changer. The third wire went in really smooth. I ironed some small pieces of interfacing onto the tunnel ends, because i feared they would come apart with the wire.
It does look weird at the moment, but it worked out. Some small fitting. Better than i thought.
After this i basted the Outer Brim Layer to the Inner Brim Layer.
Basting is my friend, and it should be yours too! The basting stayed in, till the Hat was completely finished.
Now it was time for the mushroom applications. I never made applications, i always just bought them. I probably will change that in the future, because it is really easy to make them yourself.
I searched for an comic-style drawing of toadstool Mushrooms (or what are they called in english?) , printed them out in the size i wanted and traced them onto a new paper twice, because i wanted some different styles.
As a pair.. and single mushrooms. The part of the mushroom that will be from red fabric got cut away.
I used up some leftover red and white cotton fabric, layed the pattern pieces of the mushroom onto the fabric and traced them onto it. Then i ironed some interfacing onto the back of the fabrics and cut the pieces out. I marked the details with a pencil.
First i tried to sew and embroider the mushrooms onto the hat…but that did hurt my fingers and would take me an eternity. I just glued them on with some Textile Glue, redraw the details with a black fiber pen and some white Textile dye/colour.
Here you can see the two options of the lining and the wool tape for the brim edge.
I wanted the lining to look like gills of a mushroom. So i measured the outer circumference of the hat brim and multiplied it with 1,5. This gave me enough length to gather for the inner circle of the hat. I cut some strips with a Width of 17 cm, serged the shorter edges and sewed them together, that in the end i had one strip with 220 x 17 cm.
The strip got sewn into a circle and gathered to the width of the inner circumference of the hat.
First i basted the lining to the inner circle, then individually layed the gathers/pleats out. Ironing from the middle outwards does help a lot. After that i basted the lining down with wide stitches.
I sewed the wool tape to the outer egde of the brim (all by hand) and started to draft the pattern for the crown.
The area where the crown meets the brim is not perfect, i shouldn´t have drawn it so rounded. But it kinda works, and for the next time i know where i can improve. I wanted the crown to be curved, so i added some darts. It did surprise me, that it work out great!
I cut the crown out of the fabric and ironed interfacing to it (leaving the darts out). Then sewed the darts and the back seam. Turning the crown inside out was a bit of a fight, you definitely need something long and sharp to push the tip outward.
This was the last picture of the assembling process…i thought i took more, but i don´t know where they went. (Probably into the abyss where all my missing sewing notions are).
I managed to sew the crown to the brim by machine…well at least the half of the circle, the rest i finished by hand. Then i cut away a bit of the seam allowance, clipped in the rest of it and sewed the wool tape, which i used for the edge of the brim, over it. So everything is nice and tidy.
At last i decided, that there were not enough mushrooms on the hat. So i added many more.
This project turned out way better than i thought. I really like my Witch hat and i learned so much new stuff while sewing it. Hat making is still quite new to me! You really never stop to learn, and it doesn´t matter how much you already know…there will be always something new or something old from another perspective.
Thank you for reading and thank you for your patience…the last weeks have been a bit rough for me.
These classes allow students to explore their unique magical talents and develop their own style of magic. But the magical academy is not all work and no play. Students have the opportunity to join clubs and extracurricular activities, such as the Quidditch team or the magical arts club. These activities provide a chance to socialize with fellow students and showcase their magical skills in friendly competitions. Living at the magical academy is an experience in itself. Students reside in dormitories that are cozy and magical, with floating candles and moving portraits adorning the walls. The academy grounds are vast and beautiful, with enchanted gardens and a lake where students can relax and unwind. The magical academy has a rich history and is filled with legends and mysteries. It is said that hidden within its walls are secret chambers containing powerful artifacts and ancient texts. Some students even claim to have encountered ghosts or mythical creatures during their time at the academy. Graduating from the magical academy is an achievement that opens doors to a world of magical opportunities. Many graduates go on to become influential figures in the magical community, working as potion masters, spell researchers, or even advisors to rulers. In conclusion, the magical academy is a place where dreams come true. It is a place of learning, growth, and friendship. Students who step through its doors embark on a magical journey that will shape their lives forever..
Reviews for "From Myth to Reality: The Origins of The Magical Academy"
1. John Smith - 2 stars - "I was really disappointed with 'The Magical Academy'. The plot was cliché and predictable, and the characters felt one-dimensional. The writing style was disjointed, making it difficult to become engrossed in the story. Overall, I didn't find anything unique or captivating about this book."
2. Emily Johnson - 1 star - "I cannot express how much I disliked 'The Magical Academy'. The storyline lacked depth and coherence, and the pacing was incredibly slow. The dialogue felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult for me to connect with the characters in any meaningful way. The world-building was also lacking, leaving me confused and unsatisfied. I would not recommend this book."
3. David Thompson - 2 stars - "I had high hopes for 'The Magical Academy', but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The characters were bland and lacked development, and their actions often seemed inconsistent. The magic system was intriguing at first, but it was never fully explained or explored. Additionally, the writing style was mediocre, with choppy sentences and repetitive phrases. Overall, I found this book to be quite underwhelming."
4. Sarah Davis - 2 stars - "I struggled to get through 'The Magical Academy'. The plot was slow and lacked excitement, and the dialogues were boring and uninteresting. The main character was incredibly unrelatable, and I found myself not caring about her journey at all. The writing felt amateurish, with excessive descriptions and a lack of subtlety. I was hoping for a magical and captivating read, but sadly, this book did not deliver."
5. Michael Wilson - 1 star - "I couldn't bring myself to finish 'The Magical Academy'. The writing was dull and lacked any sort of imagination. The characters were forgettable, and the world-building was virtually non-existent. The pacing was incredibly slow, and the story seemed to meander without purpose. It's clear that this book was not well thought out or executed. I would not recommend wasting your time on it."