KAT Hazelton cheerfully admits being "mad as a hatter".

She has a passion for tiny bonnets, which she carefully crafts when not serving fancy chocs to shoppers in York.

Her latest collection is inspired by Royal Ascot, and will be showcased at the Dolls House And Miniatures Fair at York Racecourse on June 5, shortly before the prestigious race meeting.

"They are inspired by Ascot. I have been looking through historical books to get ideas, particularly from the Edwardian period because their hats are very elaborate," said the 33-year-old.

"I wanted to do something old fashioned, but using modern colours with feathers and trimmings. I thought it was a good time and place to do it with Royal Ascot coming to the racecourse just a few weeks after the show."

Kat was one of 30 women who enrolled on the adult education millenary courses at York College, in Tadcaster Road, last year. Within six months, many of the group had gone from not knowing one end of a sewing needle from the other to creating hats stunning enough to turn heads at the races.

Kat, who lives in Market Weighton, and works part-time at Thornton's in Parliament Street, York, was prompted to join the course by a desire to make authentic small-sized hats.

Since then she has produced hundreds of tiny head pieces.

"At the last fair I did in November I had at least 250 hats on my stall," she recalled. "It takes about two days to do each one. I spend the first day doing the base of the hat, and the next day I dress it. I also do it in stages. One day I might make lots of roses, and another I make bows." Her inspiration comes from a range of sources, including magazines, books and films such as My Fair Lady.

She is the first to admit her creations are not always tip top.

"I always keep my disasters because there's always something I can use them for. They are all individual."

From her hobby was born a small business called Corylus Crafts - drawing on the Latin name for hazel.

"I sell my hats for £5.50. I try to make them pocket-money prices," she said, explaining that her creations appealed to miniature doll house collectors as well as families.

Updated: 10:30 Monday, April 18, 2005