How to make Raffia Hats, Bags & Baskets by Liz Doyle

Converting a tightly wrapped bundle of raffia into a stylish hat or basket can be a very satisfying pastime. It's also simple and economical, even financially rewarding once you become proficient. Liz Doyle's book takes you diagrammatically step by step through the techniques of plaiting, starting and shaping crowns and brims, in designs ranging from a straight brimmed sunhat to a sou'wester. There are instructions also for a variety of baskets, including simple storage and carry baskets, an old fashioned flower trug, and a coiled basket based on an Aboriginal design. Liz Doyle took up hatmaking seven years ago, and since then has been making hats and teaching hatmaking on the Far South Coast of New South Wales.