Sunlit Stonefly Nymph Trucker Hat
by @dekasso
Holding tight where the light reaches bottom
A stonefly nymph on mossy streambed stones under slanting sun rays, painted in deep pine, moss and pale cream for days on moving water.
A stonefly nymph clings to mossy boulders on the streambed while sun shafts slant down through the water. It is coloured in deep pine, moss and olive brown, with pale cream light falling across the scene.
- Stonefly nymph gripping mossy streambed stones
- Pale cream sun rays through deep water
- Deep pine, moss and olive brown palette
- Segmented body, banded legs, twin tails
The cap
One design, four caps. The front panel is what the paint or the dye sits on, so it changes the hat.
Trucker
The house cap — structured mid profile, foam-and-mesh back, snapback.
Specs
- Profile
- Mid profile
- Build
- 6-panel · Structured — buckram behind the front
- Crown
- 3½ in (8.9 cm)
- Visor
- Pre-curved, 2¾ in (7 cm)
- Closure
- Snapback
- Adjusts to
- 21½–24 in (54.5–61 cm)
- Airbrushed on
- Natural cotton twill
- Sublimated on
- White polyester foam
Rope cap
Structured five-panel with a near-flat brim and a cord across it.
Specs
- Profile
- Mid-high profile
- Build
- 5-panel · Structured
- Crown
- 4 in (10.2 cm)
- Visor
- Near-flat, 2⅞ in (7.3 cm), contrast rope
- Closure
- Snapback
- Adjusts to
- 21½–23¾ in (54.5–60.5 cm)
- Airbrushed on
- Stone cotton twill
- Sublimated on
- White polyester twill
Dad hat
Soft, low and unstructured — washed cotton with a strap back.
Specs
- Profile
- Low profile
- Build
- 6-panel · Unstructured — soft front
- Crown
- 3¼ in (8.3 cm)
- Visor
- Curved, 2¾ in (7 cm)
- Closure
- Strap back, brass buckle
- Adjusts to
- 21–23½ in (53.5–59.5 cm)
- Airbrushed on
- Washed khaki cotton
- Sublimated on
- White polyester twill
Five-panel camp
Flat brim, low crown, packs flat in a vest pocket.
Specs
- Profile
- Low profile
- Build
- 5-panel · Unstructured
- Crown
- 3¼ in (8.3 cm)
- Visor
- Flat, 2½ in (6.4 cm)
- Closure
- Strap back, side-release clip
- Adjusts to
- 21½–23½ in (54.5–59.5 cm)
- Airbrushed on
- Field olive nylon-cotton
- Sublimated on
- White polyester
Fit
| Cap | Profile | Crown height | Visor | Adjusts to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trucker | Mid profile | 3½ in (8.9 cm) | Pre-curved, 2¾ in (7 cm) | 21½–24 in (54.5–61 cm) |
| Rope cap | Mid-high profile | 4 in (10.2 cm) | Near-flat, 2⅞ in (7.3 cm), contrast rope | 21½–23¾ in (54.5–60.5 cm) |
| Dad hat | Low profile | 3¼ in (8.3 cm) | Curved, 2¾ in (7 cm) | 21–23½ in (53.5–59.5 cm) |
| Five-panel camp | Low profile | 3¼ in (8.3 cm) | Flat, 2½ in (6.4 cm) | 21½–23½ in (54.5–59.5 cm) |
One size per cap. Run a tape around your head just above the ears, keeping it level — anything inside the range above will close on it.
Two finishes
The same design, made two ways. Pick one in the panel; the cap and the quantity are yours to choose too.
Hand airbrushed
$85 for one hat, on a trucker
Painted to order — would ship in about 2 weeks
How it is made
- How it is made
- Sprayed by hand through this design's own stencils, one layer at a time, each left to dry before the next mask goes down.
- How it looks
- Soft gradients and hand-cut stencil edges. Every cap is a little different.
- What it sits on
- On a natural cotton twill front.
- Durability and care
- Water-based paint, heat set and sealed. It takes rain and a season on a boat; spot clean with cool water, never a washing machine.
Sublimation printed
$32 for one hat, on a trucker
Printed to order — would ship in 5–7 business days
How it is made
- How it is made
- The design is printed in dye onto transfer paper, then pressed with heat so the dye soaks into the polyester fibres.
- How it looks
- Full colour edge to edge, and identical every time.
- What it sits on
- On a white polyester foam front — sublimation only takes on white polyester.
- Durability and care
- The dye is in the fibre, not on it, so it will not crack or peel. Gentle wash, air dry.
The artwork
A stonefly nymph spreads its six legs across a mossy boulder, antennae forward, twin tails trailing behind. Pale cream rays fan down through deep pine water and catch the ridges of its back. The stones below glow moss and olive brown.
Wear it to the riffle, the fly shop or the tailgate after. The palette sits quietly with river clothes, and anyone who has turned over a rock will know the bug on sight.
Sun shafts make or break this piece. Keep the pale cream soft and thin, fading out before the rays reach the boulders, so the light reads as water and not as stripes.
What arrives
- The hat
- A care card
- On a hand airbrushed hat, a numbered tag naming the water it was painted from, when the design names one
Looking after it
Hand airbrushed
- Spot clean with cool water and a soft brush. Never a washing machine.
- Keep it out of a hot car for long stretches — heat-set paint is tough, but a dashboard in July is not a test worth running.
- Reshape the brim by hand while damp.
Sublimation printed
- Spot clean, or gently hand wash in cool water. No bleach.
- Air dry. Do not iron the print.
- Reshape the brim by hand while damp.
- The dye is in the fibre, so the print will not crack or peel.
Details
Airbrush palette
- Colours
- deep pine, sage mist, moss, olive brown, khaki, pale cream
Details
- Subject
- stonefly nymph
- Style
- realistic underwater scene
Make it yourself
The palette
- Deep pine
- Sage mist
- Moss
- Olive brown
- Khaki
- Pale cream
The layers
7 layers, in this order. Each mask comes off and the paint has to dry before the next one goes down.
- Deep water
- Water glow
- Boulders
- Rock shadows
- Nymph body
- Nymph markings
- Sun shafts
The kit's stencil set is cut from these layers; with the cutter (12 hats and up) you cut your own from this design's layer files.
How to mix each colour
Deep pine
2 parts green, 1 part black, a drop of blue to cool it
Sage mist
2 parts green, 1 part white, a drop of black to dull it
Moss
2 parts yellow, 1 part green, a drop of black to deaden it
Olive brown
2 parts yellow, 1 part black, a drop of red to warm it
Khaki
4 parts white, 1 part yellow, a drop of brown; a drop of green for khaki
Pale cream
White with a drop of yellow and the smallest touch of brown
Setup
- Ventilation or a spray booth. Water-based paint still throws a fine mist, and you will be breathing it for hours.
- A half-mask respirator rated for paint mists. A dust mask is not one.
- A compressor with a moisture trap, set and tested on a card before you start: wet air spits water into the paint.
- Reducer and a cleaning pot within reach, so a clog is a ten-second fix instead of a ruined panel.
- Spray a test card for every colour before it touches the cap. Colour reads differently wet, dry and on twill.
Prep
- Lint-roll the front panel. Every fibre left on it prints as a speck in the paint.
- Mask the mesh, any seams you want clean and the whole visor, underside included, with low-tack tape and paper.
- Stretch the crown over the cap jig so the front panel is taut and curved the way it will be worn. Spraying a slack panel flat distorts the design when it is worn.
- Spray one light coat of transparent base so the colour sits on the fabric instead of soaking into it.
Layer by layer
1 · Deep water — 0.5 mm · 25–30 PSI
deep pine — a dark fade low and along both sides
Mask None on the panel itself: the mesh and the visor are already masked from the prep.
Colour Deep pine — 2 parts green, 1 part black, a drop of blue to cool it
- Needle
- 0.5 mm (a 0.35 mm works, it just takes longer)
- Pressure
- 25–30 PSI
- Distance
- 6–8 in from the panel
- Passes
- 3–4 light passes, building the colour
- Dry
- 10 minutes, or 60–90 seconds with a heat gun on low, before the next mask goes down
Tip Fade wet to dry and never lay one heavy coat: twill wicks paint sideways and the edge blooms.
2 · Water glow — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
sage mist — a lighter haze opening toward the top
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Sage mist — 2 parts green, 1 part white, a drop of black to dull it
- Needle
- 0.35 mm
- Pressure
- 20–25 PSI
- Distance
- 4–6 in from the panel
- Passes
- 2–3 passes
- Dry
- 10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
3 · Boulders — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
moss — rounded, mossy stones across the lower half
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Moss — 2 parts yellow, 1 part green, a drop of black to deaden it
- Needle
- 0.35 mm
- Pressure
- 20–25 PSI
- Distance
- 4–6 in from the panel
- Passes
- 2–3 passes
- Dry
- 10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
4 · Rock shadows — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
olive brown — crevices, undersides and the gaps between stones
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Olive brown — 2 parts yellow, 1 part black, a drop of red to warm it
- Needle
- 0.35 mm
- Pressure
- 20–25 PSI
- Distance
- 4–6 in from the panel
- Passes
- 2–3 passes
- Dry
- 10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
5 · Nymph body — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
olive brown — the segmented abdomen, thorax, six legs, antennae and twin tails
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Olive brown — 2 parts yellow, 1 part black, a drop of red to warm it
- Needle
- 0.35 mm
- Pressure
- 20–25 PSI
- Distance
- 4–6 in from the panel
- Passes
- 2–3 passes
- Dry
- 10 minutes before lifting the stencil
Tip Spray away from the stencil edge, not into it, so the air does not push paint underneath.
6 · Nymph markings — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
khaki — wing pads, leg bands, segment edges and head pattern
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Khaki — 4 parts white, 1 part yellow, a drop of brown; a drop of green for khaki
- Needle
- 0.3 mm
- Pressure
- 18–22 PSI
- Distance
- 3–4 in from the panel
- Passes
- 2–3 passes per tone, light to dark
- Dry
- 10 minutes between tones
Tip Light tones first: a light colour over a dark one needs many coats, a dark one over a light one needs two.
7 · Sun shafts — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
pale cream — rays fanning down from the top, glints on moss and the nymph's back
Mask None: freehand, with a shield card held against any hard edge.
Colour Pale cream — White with a drop of yellow and the smallest touch of brown
- Needle
- 0.2–0.3 mm
- Pressure
- 12–15 PSI
- Distance
- 1–2 in from the panel
- Passes
- Freehand, in short controlled strokes
- Dry
- 10 minutes, then check it before you cure
Tip Low pressure, close in and moving: stop the stroke before you release the trigger.
Step by step
Mask the artwork area and spray deep pine around the bottom and sides as a soft fade. Start near 20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, 15 cm distance; these are starting points, adjust to your paint.
Spray sage mist across the upper middle so the water lightens toward the top. Keep 18–20 PSI and a 15–20 cm distance for a smooth blend.
Cut a boulder mask with rounded tops and lay moss over the lower half. Try 20 PSI, 0.3 mm needle, about 10 cm.
Shade the crevices and stone undersides with olive brown, freehand along the mask edges. Drop to about 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 5 cm.
Place the nymph stencil and fill the body, legs, antennae and tails with olive brown. Use roughly 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 5–8 cm.
Mask the segment edges, wing pads and leg bands and add khaki. Work close, around 12–15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 3–5 cm.
Lay a ray mask fanning from the top and dust pale cream in light passes. Start near 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 15–20 cm, then add small glints on the moss and the nymph's back up close.
Let the paint dry fully, heat-set it per your paint's directions, then seal it as your paint maker recommends and let it cure before wear.
Cure
- Heat set at 300°F / 150°C. Water-based textile paint is not wash-fast until it is heat set.
- Cap press: 3–5 minutes with a teflon sheet over the design.
- Or heat gun: 2–3 minutes per panel, keeping it moving 2–3 in off the fabric so it does not scorch.
- If you have neither, air cure for 72 hours before the cap touches water.
Seal
- Two light coats of matte fabric sealer, UV-resistant, from 8–10 in, 15 minutes apart.
- Leave it 24 hours before the cap is worn.
- Never a gloss sealer on cotton twill: it shines, cracks along the creases and looks like a sticker.
Clean-up
- Flush the brush with water, then airbrush cleaner, until it sprays clear.
- Strip the needle and wipe it toward the tip, never away from it.
- Never soak the brush body overnight.
Common mistakes
- Hard-edged sun rays look like stripes. Lift the mask slightly off the surface for a soft edge.
- Muddy rocks from too much olive brown. Shade only the undersides and gaps, then stop.
- Legs that blur into the moss. Keep the moss lighter where the legs cross it.
- Sealing too soon traps solvent and dulls the colours. Wait the full dry time first.
Tips
- Cut the boulder mask with a slightly uneven edge so the moss looks lumpy and alive.
- Spray the sun rays last and from farther back; several faint passes beat one heavy one.
- Leave a thin dark line between the nymph's legs and the stone so it reads as clinging, not floating.
- Test the khaki over olive brown on scrap first to check it shows without going chalky.
Every kit size
Trucker · kit for 1 hat
$218
Bought separately $243 · you save $25
Includes Starter airbrush set · Cap jig · and 7 more
Every item in this kit · 9 items
Blanks
- Trucker blank, natural cotton twill front$9
Stencils
- Pre-cut mylar stencil set for this design — 7 layers$18
Paint & masks
- Water-based textile airbrush colour, 2 oz — one per colour in this design$36
- Transparent base and reducer, 4 oz$7
- Low-tack masking film and ¼ in tape$8
- Matte fabric sealer, 4 oz$12
Equipment
- Starter airbrush set — 0.3 mm dual-action gravity brush, mini compressor, braided hose$129
- Cap jig — holds the crown taut while you spray$24
Guide
- Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded
Trucker · kit for 12 hats
$1,061
$88.42 a hat
Bought separately $1,206 · you save $145
Includes Dual-action gravity-feed airbrush · Quiet compressor with tank and moisture trap · Cap jig and two spare crown forms · Tabletop spray booth with exhaust fan · and 11 more
Every item in this kit · 15 items
Blanks
- Trucker blank, natural cotton twill front$78
Stencils
- Desktop stencil cutter, 12 in — the "stencil printer": cuts mylar from this design's layer files$299
- Stencil mylar, 7 mil, 12 × 12 in$22
- This design's layer files, every layer (SVG)Included
Paint & masks
- Water-based textile airbrush colour, 4 oz — one per colour in this design$84
- Transparent base and reducer, 16 oz$16
- Low-tack masking film$18
- Matte fabric sealer, 16 oz$28
Equipment
- Dual-action gravity-feed airbrush, 0.3 mm$135
- Quiet compressor with tank and moisture trap$179
- Cap jig and two spare crown forms$64
- Tabletop spray booth with exhaust fan$149
- Cleaning pot, brushes and a half-mask respirator$99
- Heat gun for curing$35
Guide
- Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded
Trucker · kit for 12 × 12 hats
$3,083
$21.41 a hat
Bought separately $3,628 · you save $545
Includes Two dual-action gravity-feed airbrushes · Production airbrush · Twin-piston compressor with tank and two regulators · Production spray booth · and 13 more
Every item in this kit · 17 items
Blanks
- Trucker blank, natural cotton twill front$756
Stencils
- Stencil cutter-plotter, 24 in — the production "stencil printer"$649
- Stencil mylar, 7 mil, 12 × 12 in$85
- This design's layer files, every layer (SVG)Included
Paint & masks
- Water-based textile airbrush colour, 32 oz — one per colour in this design$288
- Transparent base and reducer$49
- Low-tack masking film$54
- Matte fabric sealer$89
Equipment
- Two dual-action gravity-feed airbrushes, 0.3 mm$270
- Production airbrush, 0.5 mm, for base fades$95
- Twin-piston compressor with tank and two regulators$329
- Production spray booth, two fans$289
- Three cap jigs$192
- Cleaning station, respirator and spare cartridges$139
- Cap heat press for curing$279
- Drying rack, 24 caps$65
Guide
- Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded
The creator
Remixes
1 remix of this
Where this came from
“Make a hat inspired by the attached image.”
trucker hat · made
1 remix
25 — from 1 remix, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- stonefly
- stonefly nymph
- nymph
- fly fishing
- trucker hat
- streambed
- mossy rocks
- sun rays
- underwater
- trout stream
- river bug
- aquatic insect