Maine's 'mad hatter' creates handcrafted hats

A Maine company sounds like something out of "Alice In Wonderland."

-- CREATING HAND CRAFTEDFELT HATS FOR MEN ANDWOMEN....---LITTLE NATS OF HATMAKING--(12-08-23)"BLOCKING OLD FASHIONFELT HATS AND TRY TO GIVETHEM A CURRENT FLAIR."MEG PATTI HAPPILY TOUTS --SHE'S GONE MAD.....MAD IS ACTUALLY JUST AN AGEOLD HAT MAKING TERM WHICHHELPS DESCRIBE HER NOW,YEAR AND A HALF OLD VENTUREINTO CRAFTING FANCY FELTHATS....(12-13-01)"WHETHER IT'S A BIGFLOPPY BRIM OR SOMETHINGSHORT AND CRISP,, I THINK(BUTT TO 12-09-29) THIS ISAN ABSOLUTELY RIDDLED WITHFOLKLORE TYPE OF CRAFT."MEG IS TOTALLY SELF TAUGHT ASA HAT MAKER -- OR 'HATTER' ASIT'S CALLED IN THEBUSINESS.....(11-50-59)"YOU ESSENTIALLY KEEPWORKING IT, KEEP WORKINGIT, AND IF YOU HAVE TOSTRETCH IT MORE, YEASTRETCH IT MORE"FROM INSIDE HER TINY OLD PORTSTUDIO SHE STRETCHES,,,STEAMS,, AND PRETTY MUCHMUSCLES THE FELT MATERIALSINTO SHAPE....-NATS-(12-11-10)"IT IS PHYSICAL, ITREQUIRES A LOT OFSTRENGTH,, YOU'VE GOT TOSTRETCH THE FELT, YOU'VEGOT TO MOLD IT, STRETCH IT,YEA IT REQUIRES A FAIRAMOUNT OF STRENGTH."--- ABOUT 4 OR 5SECONDS OF MUSIC UP --SHE LIKES TO SAY SHE'SCREATING OLD , TIMELYARTISONSHIP,,,-- MUSIC BACK UP 3 OR 4SECONDS --LIKE A PAINTING, EACH OF HERDESIGNS 'IS' A FASHIONABLEWORK OF ART -- A STATEMENT OFSORTS..(12-10-52)"EVERY SINGLE FELT IS ABLANK CANVAS AND I GET TOEXPRESS MYSELF IN ANARTISTIC MANNER BUT ALSO,IN A LOT OF WAYS EMBOLDENPEOPLE TO BE CONFIDENT ANDBE THEMSELVES.MOST OF MEG'S HATS ARECUSTOM ORDERS -- THOUGH SHEHAS TO ADMIT SHE'S NEVERENTIRELY CERTAIN HOW EACHWILL LOOK WHEN IT'SFINISHED.... THERE'SALWAYS A VISION TO START ---BUT IN THE END, SHE ALLOWSTHE MATERIALS TO DICTATETHE DIRECTION.(12-12-26)"THEY KIND OF TAKE YOU ON AJOURNEY AND TAKE ON A LIFE OFTHEIR OWN AND AT SOME POINTYOU ARRIVE AND IT'S LIKE,THAT'S THE HAT."A 'MODERN' HAT CUT FROM ANOLD FASHION TRADITIONALSTYLE,,,,,THAT IS A MAD PATTI -- AND THEMARKET, SHE SAYS, IS A GREATFIT...(12-13-06)"I THINK PEOPLE ARESTARTING TO EMBRACE HATSAGAIN,, AND IT'S PERFECT,IT'S AWESOME." BY THE WAY,, ASIDE FROM THEALICE IN WONDERLANDREFERENCE.... THE TERM'MAD' HATTER DATES BACK TOTHE 18-HUNDREDS WHEN HATMAKERS WERE SAID TO GO M