The GottaHavaHat Story

Susie and Bruce Robison, The GottaHavaHat Hat Maker and Husband

How We got Started

Our home and GottaHavaHat studio were located on an old homestead in the Klamath Mountains of very Northern California. We were off the grid and generated all our own electricity from a water wheel and solar panels.

Therefore, all of my hats were made on home powered sewing machines for the first 12 years of GottaHavaHat business!! Of course this provided us with challenges, (you know, making sure the water was still flowing), but it was a wonderful lifestyle that our whole family enjoyed - most of the time, that is!!

NEWSFLASH!!
As of October, 2006, we have moved our home and studio to the lovely small town of McCloud, California on the south slope of Mt. Shasta. Even though I am "on the grid" these days, I still enjoy a simple life and as always, make each and every hat myself!

Now, for the Hat Story...

I LOVE making hats!!! It all started in 1994 when I made 4 fleece hats to go along with my potholders, pillows, puppets, etc. for our local Holiday Bazaar. Well, those 4 hats opened all kinds of doors for me and I quit my job as a teacher's aid in the 2-room school and began going to craft fairs all over Northern California. I made my first 7000 hats on a treadle sewing machine before we got a bigger power system and I am now using ELECTRIC industrial machines - YAY!!!

I want my hats to be wearable and durable. I use only high quality fabrics and combine these with my designs to create a functional hat that is attractive, as well. Playful kid prints and beautiful hand painted batiks are my signature fabrics.

GottaHavaHat...McCloud, California... Susie@GottaHavaHat.com