Vortex Stonefly Nymph Trucker Hat

The river hums, and the rings answer.

A deep indigo stonefly nymph on rippling magenta, teal and violet rings, a bold trucker hat design for days on the water.

A stonefly nymph crawls across a field of rings that pulse outward around it, above a turning whirlpool. The insect is deep indigo with violet scrollwork, set on magenta, teal and sky blue ripples over tan gold.

Deep indigo stonefly nymph, legs spread wide
Magenta and teal rings ripple outward
Violet whirlpool spiral below the insect
White edge lights on legs and antennae
Warm tan gold ground at the edges

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

A cloth tape measure around the crown of a blank cap

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 over rings of magenta, teal and sky blue that ripple out like a stone dropped in still water. Below it, a violet whirlpool winds inward. Thin white lights catch the legs, the antennae and the curled scrollwork on its back.

Wear it to the river, the fly shop or the campfire after. From across a gravel bar the rings read first, a bright pulse of colour. Up close, people lean in to count the legs and find the tails.

Ring spacing decides whether the ripples shimmer or turn to mud. Keep each magenta band clean before the teal goes in, and let the tan gold show at the edges so the colour has somewhere to fade.

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

A cap being spot-cleaned with a soft brush

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: tan gold, magenta, teal, violet, sky blue, deep indigo, white

Details

Category: Grasshopper
Subject: stonefly nymph
Style: op-art ripple illustration

Make it yourself

A hat-painting bench with a blank cap, stencils and an airbrush

AdvancedAbout 4 hours at the bench, plus curing8 layersYou'll need an airbrush, a cap jig and 7 colours

The palette

Tan gold
Magenta
Teal
Violet
Sky blue
Deep indigo
White

The layers

8 layers, in this order. Each mask comes off and the paint has to dry before the next one goes down.

Ground
Outer rings
Inner rings
Whirlpool
Halo
Nymph
Detail
Highlight

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

Tan gold
3 parts yellow, 1 part brown, a touch of white so it stays opaque
Magenta
Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
Teal
2 parts blue, 1 part green, a touch of white to lift it
Violet
2 parts blue, 1 part red, a drop of white to keep it from going muddy
Sky blue
1 part blue to 4 parts white, a drop of green so it does not drift purple
Deep indigo
Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
White
Opaque white from the bottle; two thin coats cover better than one thick one

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 · Ground — 0.5 mm · 25–30 PSI
tan gold — a warm base across the whole panel, left bare at the outer edges
Mask None on the panel itself: the mesh and the visor are already masked from the prep.
Colour Tan gold — 3 parts yellow, 1 part brown, a touch of white so it stays opaque
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 · Outer rings — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
magenta — wide concentric ripples radiating out from the nymph
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Magenta — Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
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 · Inner rings — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
teal — narrower bands laid between the magenta ripples
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Teal — 2 parts blue, 1 part green, a touch of white to lift 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 · Whirlpool — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
violet — a tight spiral turning beneath the insect
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Violet — 2 parts blue, 1 part red, a drop of white to keep it from going muddy
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 · Halo — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
sky blue — a soft glow hugging the nymph's outline
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Sky blue — 1 part blue to 4 parts white, a drop of green so it does not drift purple
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 — 0.35 mm · 20–25 PSI
deep indigo — the segmented body, six jointed legs, long antennae and twin tails
Mask Lay this layer's mylar stencil and burnish the edges flat with your thumbnail.
Colour Deep indigo — Mix by eye against the photograph; test on the card first
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.
7 · Detail — 0.3 mm · 18–22 PSI
violet — the abdomen segments and scrollwork on the wing pads
Mask The hand-cut subject stencil, inner pieces first, then the outline piece.
Colour Violet — 2 parts blue, 1 part red, a drop of white to keep it from going muddy
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.
8 · Highlight — 0.2–0.3 mm · 12–15 PSI
white — thin edge lights along the legs, back and head
Mask None: freehand, with a shield card held against any hard edge.
Colour White — Opaque white from the bottle; two thin coats cover better than one thick one
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 outer edge and spray the tan gold ground: 20 PSI, 0.5 mm needle, about 15 cm away. These settings are a starting point; adjust for your paint and fabric.
Cut a ring stencil centred on the nymph's position. Spray magenta through the wide bands at 18 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, 8 to 10 cm away.
Shift to the narrower ring stencil and lay teal between the magenta bands at the same settings, overlapping only slightly so the edges blend.
Mask the lower area with the spiral template and spray violet at 15 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, about 6 cm away, following the curl inward.
Place the nymph silhouette mask and mist sky blue around it as a halo: 15 PSI, 0.35 mm needle, 10 cm away, fading outward.
Lift the halo mask, then fill the nymph shape in deep indigo: 15 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 4 to 5 cm away. Build the body in two thin coats.
Spray violet through the detail stencil for abdomen segments and wing pad scrollwork at 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, about 3 cm away.
Add white edge lights freehand or with a fine shield along the legs, back and head: 12 PSI, 0.2 mm needle, 2 to 3 cm away.
Let the paint air-dry for 24 hours, then heat-set following your paint maker's guidance.
Seal with a thin, even coat of fabric-safe clear sealer and let it cure fully before wearing.

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

Spraying the rings too heavy, which floods the bands together. Use several light passes and let each flash dry.
Letting the stencil lift at the edges, causing fuzzy rings. Weight or tack the mask flat before every pass.
Filling the nymph in one thick coat, which bleeds into the halo. Build it in two thin coats instead.
Skipping the cure before sealing, which clouds the colour. Wait the full drying time before any sealer goes on.

Tips

Draw the ring centre point on the ground coat in light pencil first so every stencil lines up on the same spot.
Test each colour on a scrap swatch beside the last one; magenta over teal can turn muddy if the first coat is still wet.
Keep the white highlights to one side of each leg so the light reads as coming from a single direction.
Clean the 0.2 mm needle between indigo and violet; a speck of old paint will spatter the fine scrollwork.

An airbrush, compressor, moisture trap, six colour bottles and a cleaning pot. — The kit

Every kit size

Trucker · kit for 1 hat

$224

Bought separately $249 · 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$91

Stencils

Pre-cut mylar stencil set for this design — 8 layers$181

Paint & masks

Water-based textile airbrush colour, 2 oz — one per colour in this design$422 oz × 7
Transparent base and reducer, 4 oz$71
Low-tack masking film and ¼ in tape$81
Matte fabric sealer, 4 oz$121

Equipment

Starter airbrush set — 0.3 mm dual-action gravity brush, mini compressor, braided hose$1291
Cap jig — holds the crown taut while you spray$241

Guide

Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded1

Trucker · kit for 12 hats

$1,073

$89.42 a hat

Bought separately $1,220 · you save $147

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$7812

Stencils

Desktop stencil cutter, 12 in — the "stencil printer": cuts mylar from this design's layer files$2991
Stencil mylar, 7 mil, 12 × 12 in$2210 sheets
This design's layer files, every layer (SVG)Included1

Paint & masks

Water-based textile airbrush colour, 4 oz — one per colour in this design$984 oz × 7
Transparent base and reducer, 16 oz$161
Low-tack masking film$181 roll
Matte fabric sealer, 16 oz$281

Equipment

Dual-action gravity-feed airbrush, 0.3 mm$1351
Quiet compressor with tank and moisture trap$1791
Cap jig and two spare crown forms$641
Tabletop spray booth with exhaust fan$1491
Cleaning pot, brushes and a half-mask respirator$991
Heat gun for curing$351

Guide

Printed step-by-step guide for this designIncluded1

Trucker · kit for 12 × 12 hats

$3,124

$21.69 a hat

Bought separately $3,676 · you save $552

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$756144

Stencils

Stencil cutter-plotter, 24 in — the production "stencil printer"$6491
Stencil mylar, 7 mil, 12 × 12 in$8550 sheets
This design's layer files, every layer (SVG)Included1

Paint & masks

Water-based textile airbrush colour, 32 oz — one per colour in this design$33632 oz × 7
Transparent base and reducer$491 gal
Low-tack masking film$543 rolls
Matte fabric sealer$891 gal

Equipment