Chris and Morgane Stapleton, Willie Nelson, and Sheryl Crow walk into a stadium, each wearing a fabulous hat made by Bellingham milliner Alyssa Carter. Sounds like a joke, but it’s not! Carter’s Copper Knot Co. received commissions to decorate hats for each performer as souvenirs of visits to the Pacific Northwest.
Not bad for a woman who’s been in business for less than two years.
Carter grew up in rural Montana where her family always wore hats. In 2023, as a mom with two young children, she was looking for an outlet for her crafting skills. “I always enjoyed shop class and wood burning and I wanted to do something that was practical, yet classy,” she says. “Put on a hat and people say, ‘You look so put together!’”
Carter favors hats that are Western style; flat with wide brims, often a pencil brim with that saucy little curl. While you can order hats directly from her, what sets her approach apart are workshop parties she offers. With two education degrees combined with her personal flair, Carter helps people create their own respective design.
People sometimes bring trinkets with personal meaning or use their own ranch brand or monogram for a hat’s scorched stencil design. Once the design is chosen, Carter guides workshop attendees in marking it on the hat, and then burning it in with a wool-burning scorching tool.
“We work on wool hats, vegan suede hats, felt hats,” says Carter. “I show people how to adjust the scorching pressure for each fabric.”
She sources her materials mindfully, reusing as many fabrics as she can. “Old peacoats are big for me,” she says, and Bellingham’s Ragfinery — dedicated to creative fabric reuse, is a big source. “I like to support other small businesses.
One way Carter supports others is by hosting her workshops inside another business, like one coming up September 19th at Rooted by the Bay in Birch Bay.
Stephanie Davis has attended to two workshops. “It was so much fun and just a relaxed atmosphere to be around others and friends,” she says. “Alyssa offers lots of help with wrapping or scorching if you’re not the crafty type. It’s so cool to see all the designs at the end because every one is so different and unique to each personality.”
Check Carter’s Instagram for upcoming workshop details and reservations. Or, do as Hilary Freed did. “I met Alyssa and made hats with my daughter on Mother’s Day at a local market, and then immediately organized a party,” she says. Thirteen party guests pre-ordered hats from Alyssa, who then brought every kind of feather one could imagine, dried flowers, ribbons, trinkets, stencil designs, and the scorching tools. “It could have been overwhelming, but she’s really good at guiding you.”
Want to take a design cue from Chris Stapleton? His hat has salmon, rivers, and evergreen trees. Willie Nelson includes scenes on the way to Mount Baker. Morgane Stapleton and Sheryl Crow’s hats were adorned with floral and sea grasses.
Whatever design you choose, Alyssa knows it will be wonderful. “I’ve never had a hat leave a workshop that didn’t look great!”
