There is so much about this show that is praiseworthy. The plot (and plot twists), the animation, the relateable characters, the healthy relationships. This anime was a powerhouse from start to finish. It's been a long time since something struck me so deeply.
In the finale, we got a peek into many of the skaters' minds as they performed. I think I speak for the entire fandom when I say how sweet and perfect Phichit's inner monologue was. He's such a bright ray of sunshine. Optimistic. Confident. A skilled skater with a ton of potential. I think the world needs more Phichits to brighten up the day! His dream of having a skate show because he wants "everyone in Thailand to know how fun figure skating is" can't get anymore beautiful!
And those costumes! So over the top! I adore everything about that idea, and would love to see this in an OVA!
Moving on. Phichit's imagination made me start thinking about the adorable hamster hats, and how easy they would be to make. Of course, my version goes for ease over 100% correctness, so there are a few modifications from the ones the skaters wear in the ice show.
First, I started out with this template. I've used it several times for many projects and love how functional and customizable it is.
I traced it onto a bronzeish-brown fleece fabric.
Then I cut two white rectangles for the cheeks of the hamster.
Next, I cut out two rounded pieces in brown for the ears.
They need to be folded over like this.
Then I added a white part in the center.
I used a blanket stitch to put them together.
I sandwiched the ears in between the two brown hat pieces and sewed both sides of the seam.
After that, I stitched shut the V on the top.
Next, I sewed the white rectangles together, right side to right side, along both short edges to form a band.
I folded the band in half then sewed it to the brown part, right side to right side.
Since the hats are small (and my head is tiny), I folded the brim up. This gave it a cuter, fluffier look.
Next, I got a piece of white fleece and sewed a line down the middle for teeth.
I cut out a nose and two eyes (and two white eye shimmers).
To save time and energy, I used a hot glue gun to attached all the added details.
And it's finished! It took me about an hour!
