Hat cover c. 20th century

This hat cover, made by an Akha artist, is a great example of working within constraints, of improvisation, and seeing what happens. The embroidery is where it's at, with these tiny colourful stitches marching across the fabric like musical notes. You can almost see the hand moving, building the design row by row. The black fabric feels grounding, setting off the fireworks of the embroidery. And the buttons! They're like little white punctuation marks, adding rhythm and texture to the whole thing. Look closely and you can almost feel the maker's hand, the care taken with each stitch, each placement. It's a process of building, layering, and trusting your instincts. It makes me think of Gee's Bend quilts and how different artists through time and place are in conversation with each other. Ultimately, it's all about embracing the messy, the imperfect, and letting the process guide the way.