The good news is, I WILL be at Viva Dallas Burlesque this Friday night!  I'll be bringing a table full of my custom pieces, so come see the show and say hi!  

I read recently that one of the worst things you can do in a blog when you've been derelict in your posting is to mention "hey, so I've been derelict in my posting".   You should NEVER point out the fact that its been a while between posts. 

However. 

If I don't metion the fact that its been 3 weeks since I've posted to my blog, how else can I explain the sudden slew of photos I'm about to dump upon you?  I mean, really - if I just say "here, have some photos!" you'll think I'm nuts.  But if I say "hey, I've been working really hard lately, check out what I've been up to!", you'll think "ahhhh, she's been really busy lately - I wonder what she's been up to?"

See how that works?  Clever, huh? 

Anyway....after FenCon (so much fun!), it was time to get back to the workroom and finish up a stack of commissions I had waiting.  Here's what's been on the workbench: 

First off, here's how the Hisselpenny hat turned out!  It was big, it was heavy,
it was amazing.  People had a great time trying it on and strutting
their stuff.   If you're curious how the hat contest turned out, you can read
author Gail Carriger's blog about it 

 

 

Victorian derby - I made this for a spooky
Victorian costume. I rarely get to use beaded
fringe so I had far too much fun
making this one.  

Attifet - this one took much longer than I
thought it would, given the fabric's penchant for
sliding about and fraying like it was made of gossamer. 
It was made to match the client's renfaire gown,
and I think the pink and silver go rather nicely together.
After taking this photo, I added a pearl drop bead to the
center point. 

Witch hat - this is a really fun project. 
The goal is to make a witch hat for a Bunco group,
so its a traditional witchy hat, only....with dice. 
I've found all sorts of dice - dice beads, dice
necklaces...all kinds of fun dice.  I even tried making my own
fuzzy dice, but I  wasn't happy with the results.  The hat itself is
finished but I haven't yet attached the dice.  So right now its just a
Witchy Hat, but soon it will be a Witchy Hat With Dice.  Oh yes. 

I've also finished a beautiful renaissance flat cap, but I dont have a photo of it yet, and that's a crying shame.  Its made of a beautiful velveteen, alternated with this amazing black and silver brocade.  Truly decadent.  There will be pictures, I promise. 

So, that's what I've been up to.  Next up is a steampunk convention on November 5th, and I want to make about 5 bajillion hats for it.  Wheeee! 

Adding the stripey hatband...

 Here it is so far.  Just need to add the trims and it will be finished! 

Here are the fabrics I'm using - pretty garish, don't you think? 

The green of the stripe and the orange of the feather match the floral print perfectly.  The green stripe is going to be a gigantic bow on the larger side of the offset brim.  There will also be some ivory feathers and flowers mixed in there somewhere.  It's a big brim, I'll find room! 

Speaking of big brims.....

Like I said, its a BIG brim!  That's my pin cushion sitting on top to give you an idea of scale.  Or, you could just look at how it dwarfs my sewing machine! 

Normally when making a brim, you add wire to the outside edge only.  However, this brim is so large that I added a second ring of wire about halfway between the edge and the crown opening.  It takes a lot of wire to stabilize something that size. 

This is So. Much. Fun.  Next post - covering the crown.....

From the FenCon Facebook page:

"Attention, fans of Gail Carriger and/or outrageous hats: FenCon Costuming wants you to release your inner Ivy Hisselpeny. Create your own hat inspired by Alexia's best friend and her 'inventive' view on hats. Then bring it with you to FenCon and have it judged by Gail Carriger as part of the FenCon Cabaret. Sign up on-site at the Costumers Anonymous of North Texas fan table."

I'm so excited!  Not sure what I'm going to make, but I'm pretty sure there will be bows involved.  BIG bows.  Oh, yes......

Tomorrow's the big day!  Come see Kitt and I at this year's AnimeFest, being held at the Hyatt Regency at Reunion Tower in downtown Dallas.  The conventions runs all Labor Day weekend, including Monday.  We've been prepping hard for this show and have tons of new stuff* for you, so come say hi!

*oh, the stuff we have...you gotta come see.....

I ordered a few yards of it from my favorite millinery supply house (www.hatsupply.com) and then set out to learn what I could while waiting for my order.  First things first - what is sinamay, anyway?  Its a thin, woven fabric made from fibers of abaca bark.  It looks and feels like straw, only its easily dyed so its much more colorful than most straw you'll find.  It's also similar to buckram in that it can be steamed and blocked. 

I also learned that its sharp!  There is a particular technique
where you take an edge and roll it between your fingers to create a neat non-sewing
finished edge, but getting that roll means lots of little plant fibers poking into your thumb -
a lot.  Ouch!  Its absolutely worth it
for the finished effect, though:

There are a number of youtube videos showing techniques for working with sinamay, but by far the most useful thing I found was a book from How 2 Hats (www.how2hats.com).  Wonderful step by step photos, interesting designs, and in e-format so you can download and go!  No ordering from Amazon and waiting for delivery.  I have a number of their e-books and haven't been disappointed once (and no, they're not paying me to say this). 

So, with my e-book pulled up, I went back and forth between computer and work table and eventually came up with this:

 I used sinamay strips cut and twisted on the bias, a few leaves made with those fun rolled hems (my fingers may one day forgive me), some matching Russian netting, and a combination of biot and stripped coq feathers.  So much fun!  I can't wait to make something else now - I am a sinamay addict!
 

"Stephen Jones, one of the world’s finest milliners, is inviting designers to submit a photograph or illustration of their originally designed hat for the chance to be a part of Hats: An Anthology, an exhibition hosted by the Bard Graduate Center in New York City. The exhibit is a collaboration between Stephen Jones and the V&A and has previously attracted over 350,000 visitors in London and Brisbane. The selected hat will be displayed in the Bard Graduate Center Gallery as part of the exhibition. Stephen Jones is looking for originality and creativity and encourages participants to use any kind of material - from paper to metal, fabric to feathers, card to plastic."
 

First prize is pretty incredible: 

• winning hat displayed at the Bard Graduate Center Gallery for the duration of Hats: An Anthology (September 2011 - April 2012).
• A two week internship with Stephen Jones in London (travel and accommodation in London are the responsibility of the winner)
• Two tickets to the opening night party of Hats: An Anthology at the Bard Graduate Center in New York City on the 14th of September 2011 (travel and accommodation in New York are the responsibility of the winner)
• A signed copy of Stephen Jones’ book Hats: An Anthology
• A one year membership to the Victorian and Albert Museum in London
• Global exposure by having their design featured on stephenjonesmillinery.com, his Facebook page and Britain's Vogue.com

There are some truly incredible hats in the competition - check 'em out!  I can't wait to see the winner!

Its a 3/4 sized topper, made of buckram and covered in this wonderul orange and black striped fabric I chanced upon.  Its finished off with curled ostrich plumes and a pleated grosgrain ribbon. 

The colors on the first photo are a bit washed out, so here's a closeup of the hatband  with a more accurate color representation:

I only have enough of this fantastic fabric to make one more of these, so if you like this pretty little number, better grab it now!

I started with a buckram base I bought from California Millinery Supply , mulled it,
then covered it with some shiny dot fabric that I've been dying to use.  The stars were a complete whim;  I think they might actually have been some sort of yard art thingie orginally (had to cut them off a pretty thick wire to get them).

I'm really happy with how it came together - like I said in an earlier post, I tried a new technique for covering the brim, and it turned out great.  The only thing I would do differently is use a darker mulling fabric underneath the sparkly fabric.  The sparkly stuff stretches - a lot - and is a bit more see-through than I'd thought, making the hat overall a bit lighter color than I'd planned.  Still like it though, and I can't wait to make more!  Hmmm, maybe purple next time....

Self:  "But its so shiiiiiny....."

At some point in the spring,  hat wearers are supposed to switch from their winter felt hats to their lightweight, summer straws.  But just exactly when is that?  Easter?  Memorial Day?  Some random date in between?  The answer depends on whom you ask. 

In many areas (mostly in the north, where I'm originally from), the big switch over occurs on Memorial Day.  That's the day you can finally wear white shoes, straw hats, and summer clothes.  A quick check of the weather as I write this shows that the current high in Madison, Wisconsin is a mere 68 degrees, so you can see why the switch to summer hats and clothing is put off as long as possible!

In warmer areas, the switch happens around Easter.  Makes sense; I can't imagine a frilly Easter bonnet being made out of heavy, dark wool.  Easter bonnets are light! Frilly! Made of straw!  Its a natural transition date.  Also, in more southern climates (where I live now), its already darned hot by Easter, so its also a matter of comfort. 

And then there is May 15 - the official Straw Hat Day (with its counterpart Felt Hat Day being September 15).  The date seems to be arbitrary, as I've also seen it as May 14 and April 24.  Whatever the date, it was taken seriously.  Men wearing felt hats too late in the season would risk having them snatched off their heads and destroyed!

Since its almost Memorial Day weekend we are safely into straw hat season, no matter what calendar date you choose to recognize.  So, time to put away your winter felts and break out your summer straws!  And don't forget to store your winter hats correctly  - you dont want to pull them out again Sept 15 only to find they've shrank and distorted over the summer!

photo courtesy of the Tacoma Public Library

What is your mother getting?

the milliner at a very young age in a very cute hat

Every year there are parades for just that.  New York City has a famous Easter Parade - its not a traditional parade in that there's not an official procession, floats or such things.  Basically, a large swath of street is blocked off and people mill about showing off their new chapeus, and admiring all the other hats around them.  Crazy hats, serious hats, adorable and insane, they're all there.  Check out some photos from previous years:  http://gonyc.about.com/cs/holidays/a/easter.htm

Plus a photo from a very previous year (early 1900's):

So, let's see YOUR Easter bonnet!

Without measurements, I knew any hat I made would be a crapshoot as to whether or not it would fit, so I decided to go the mini-hat route.  This is a brimmed muffin made in half size proportions, out of peacock blue brocade.  It has a small comb in front, and a series of secret snaps attach it to the muffin underneath.  The muffin posed a problem itself, since those also need to be measured in order to fit correctly.  I added a wig clip to the very top of the muffin to help stabilize it and prevent it from slipping off the back of the head, and then fitted it with a hidden drawstring so there would be some flexibility of size. 

Behold the No Fit Hat!

Second photo turned out a bit fuzzy - I have GOT to get a camera that handle extreme closeups better. 

Can't wait to get it all finished!  

All-Con 2011 starts this Friday, and the theme is steampunk -  I can't wait! 

 I've been working on some new fascinators just for the show, plus I'll have all the old favorites -top hats, bowlers, pith helmets, newsies...everything you need to finish off your steampunk outfit. Or, pick your favorite hat first and build a new outfit around it!

Never heard of All-Con?  Here's their official blurb:

"For three days All-Con provides an umbrella of content supporting fans of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Renaissance, Anime, Costuming, Theater / Performing Arts, Mystery, Art, Crafts, Collecting, and Film Making. To help 'give back' there are several charity events at the convention every year."

This year they have a costume contest, a Rocky Horror performance, roller derby girls, anime karaoke, a steampunk ball, Superhero Sunday, a burlesque show, a droid hunt - and thats in addition to all the usual things at a con like art shows, dealers rooms, panels and workshops. 

It's going to be a great weekend. Hope to see everyone there!

• Don't pick up a hat by the pinching the crown. If your hands are dirty you'll stain the felt, and the constant pinching of the crown will eventually damage it.  Pick it up by the brim or the inside sweatband.

• Don't heat a wet hat, it will cause it to shrink.  Dry it by setting it on its crown and letting it air dry in a cool place (unless its a bowler.  A bowler should NEVER be stored on its brim or crown, it should be stood on the side of the brim and crown).

• Don't leave a hat sitting on its brim for too long; it will distort the brim. Store it upside down on its crown, preferably in a hat box.

• Don't leave your hat in the back window of your car.  Wet or dry, that much heat will shrink the felt.

• Use a hat stretcher to keep your hat in its proper shape.

• Dust and dirt can be removed with a soft brush or a lightly damp towel. Make sure the brush is soft, as a stiff one can damage the felt. Use a light colored brush for light felts, and a dark brush for dark felts.

• Flip out the sweatband occasionally to let it dry out.  This way sweat, oils, and hair products will evaporate instead of soaking into the felt. 

• Buckram changes shape when wet.  If a buckram based hat gets wet, form it back into its correct shape and let it air dry.

Three days of Celtic music, food and fun!  We'll be there, sharing a spot with Stardrake books.  Come say hi!  We've got three new hats styles to show off (can you say porkpie?), plus your old favorites. 

I also want to add a personal plug - my fiddle instructor is in a band, 5 Second Rule.  They'll also be at Irish Fest, playing a show at 11am Saturday.  Go check 'em out!  Seriously good stuff!

As a happy "hooray, its con season!" gesture, Dream Hats is offering a special website discount for all ConDFW attendees.  Just stop by the table to say hi and we'll let you in on the SuperSecret discount code.

See you at the con!    (I'll be the one with a hat in one hand, coffee in the other)

Here's a little taste...

mmmm, skull candy!

What hat are YOU wearing today?

I'm so excited! 

First she scoped out the store, then went outside to call me (reception was spotty in the shop).  I squeed repeatedly, then gave her an idea of what I wanted and she dove back inside.  When she surfaced again, I was the proud owner of 31 different bucrkram hat forms and 10 yards of petersham ribbon.  I only wish I had more money to give her!

She also tantalized me with snapshots of the shop...

I have GOT to go to L.A.!

Happy New Year, everyone! 

"

In the Middle Ages, on St. Catherine's Day unmarried girls would make a beautiful headdress in green and yellow (representing wisdom and faith) to cap her statue.  Once a girl married she no longer participated in the ritual, so the tradition became synonymous with being single after age 25.  These women became known as Catherinettes. 

The tradition all but died out, what with women not being nearly as upset at still being single by age 25.  But the millinery aspect of it carried on in France, with milliners and dressmakers celebrating yearly with parades and festivities ("fetes des Catherinettes").  The green and yellow tradition gave way to pretty much any sort of hat one wanted, the more elaborate the better. 

Tomorrow I think I'll wear a green hat on my way to Thanksgiving with the family.  Happy St. Catherine's Day!

Saw a number of gorgeous German hats. 
 
I really wanted to take pictures of the back of their heads too, but I thought they'd look at me funny if I asked...
 

A pillbox!  You don't see these very often at festivals, so I was quite happy when I saw hers.  Her friend is wearing a lovely flat cap that's completely edged in pearls - matches her costume perfectly!

This man is not your run of the mill wizard - his hat was beautifully made of a nubby fabric that gave it a very old, natural look:

I have coveted this woman's hats for years...

Some hats are a fun combination of historical elements and styles:

And some are just fun!
 

According to Appdicted LLC, makers of The Hatter app..

Anyone with an iPhone can start having some fun by adding outrageous hats such as a top hat or sombrero to photos of their friends, celebrities and even their pets. For only 99 cents users can download “The Hatter” app from the iPhone App store and start adding fun hats to any photo. Any picture of a person’s face can be used to apply more than 95 different fun and outrageous hat styles. You can adjust the size and rotation of the hats so they match the person’s face perfectly and it looks like they are actually wearing the hat.

Feature Highlights:

* Over 95 realistic hats

* Men’s, Women’s and Unisex Styles

* Use your camera to take a picture or load one from the photo album on your device

* Adjust the size and rotation of the picture

* Adjust the size, rotation and location of the Hat, so it matches up perfectly with your photo

* Email the photo

* Save the photo to your photo album

* Post the photo to Facebook

* Post the photo to Twitter

* Frequent updates with new styles

 http://www.derbymuseum.org/hat_contest.html

Once the crown and brim were assembled, I added an inner lining and sweatband, and finally the veil.  I decided to use the underside of the fabric for the main part of the veil, as the top side was a very shiny red.  The silver underneath was just the right level of flashy-yet-spooky.  Just a little bit of the red part shows in front, where the veil is flipped back and pinned to the crown. 

Lastly, I added a spider brooch to the front to pin the veil to the crown.  This is just a workshop photo - I'll post a better, finished shot as soon as I can. 

It's to be a wide brimmed hat, to match a spider-themed costume worn at a haunted house.  To start with, I made the brim jagged to mirror the epaulettes on her costume:

(costume shoulder piece)

 

(brim base)

 

Next step was to add the spider webbing: 

Now that the brim is wired and webbed, I'll cut out the center part and add the crown.  I'll post more photos as progress continues!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to see us, and we can't wait to see you all again at the next FenCon! 

These are just a few of the things we'll have with us - come see us this weekend at FenCon!

A camel colored wool base trimmed in vintage brown velvet ribbon, with a spray of pheasant, ostrich, coque and guinea feathers. It can attach with either a comb or an elastic band. 

I'm so happy with how it turned out - can't wait to make more!

For those of you looking for your own millinery supplies, eBay is a great place to start looking.  There are a few specialty millinery supply shops online that you can try as well:

www.judithm.com
www.hatsupply.com

I've used them both and have had great results. 

Over in the UK there is a wonderful block manufacturer, Guy Morse

www.hatblocks.co.uk

I have yet to order a block from them since the shipping costs to the US would add quite a bit to the price, but I have heard nothing but great things about them.  I drool over their webpage regularly. :) 

And finally, there is a man in the US who has started making hatters tools again - hooray!  Most of the time, hatters and milliners have to haunt antique shops hoping to find an old vintage piece that's in good enough shape to use.  But now, we can go to Mark DeCou and get our tools brand new!

www.decoustudio.etsy.com

Now you have no excuse not to try a little hatmaking of your own! 

"Her Majesty’s Representative wishes to point out that only formal day dress with a hat or substantial fascinator will be acceptable. Off the shoulder, halter neck, spaghetti straps and dresses with a strap of less than one inch and miniskirts are considered unsuitable. Midriffs must be covered and trouser suits must be full length and of matching material and colour. Gentlemen are required to wear either black or grey morning dress, including a waistcoat, with a top hat. A gentleman may remove his top hat within a restaurant, a private box, a private club or that facility’s terrace, balcony or garden. Hats may also be removed within any enclosed external seating area within the Royal Enclosure Garden."

A bit of Ascot trivia:  that beautiful scene in My Fair Lady, with all the gorgeous black and white hats and dresses?  Costume designer Cecil Beaton based the look of that scene off of an actual event - the 1910 "Black Ascot", when everyone attending wore black to mourn the recent passing of King Edward VII.  Beaton won an Academy Award. 

ConDFW is this weekend!  It promises to be a great show with guests of honor  Jack McDevitt, Elizabeth Moon, and Vincent Villafranca!  There are tons of great panels to go to - writing seminars, author readings, and my favorite - costuming panels.

The Dealers Room opens at 4pm on Friday, and we'll be there with your favorite hats, plus a few new styles and some great custom creations.  See you at the con!

'"This hardcover book showcases the entire Philippi headwear collection
and more in over 1,000 fascinating and exclusive photographs.
The Philippi headwear collection is currently the world’s largest
collection of clerical, ecclesiastical and religious head coverings—
and is unique in both its scope and size. Whether they are ceremonial
or worn as a part of everyday life, you’ll fi nd examples of
headwear from every religious persuasion around the globe. In addition,
the collection includes photos of 116 religious objects, making
it a truly fascinating study of diverse cultures and traditions."

It's available at www.powells.com

Actually, I got married. 

It's amazing - even the most low-key, well organized wedding will completely take over your life.  I always heard this from others, and now I can say it from experience!  On the plus side of things, I also learned a lot about making wedding veils.  See?  I'm always looking for the millinery side of things, just for you guys. 

But now it's back to the grind, and I've got shows coming up, and renaissance commisions already rolling in....so back to the sewing machine for me. 

Hope everyone had a great St. Catherine's Day (you do remember what that is, don't you?), and may the winter holiday of your choice be warm and filled with happiness. 

I'm trying to mentally reconcile the differences in technique between mens hat blocking and womens millinery work. Very different, even when working in the same medium (felt).  Here's my finished project:

The red satin mini topper is about 90% finished, and it turned out so nicely I wanted to let you all have a peek.

It will eventually have a small gold lace veil attached as well.  I'm quite happy with how it turned out; so happy I'm already planning the next one (black chinese brocade). These little things are addictive, I tell ya!

 "Distinct from hat-making, with its large-scale production of standard hat types, millinery focuses on the creation and decoration of elegant, experimental and often whimsical hats. Jones permits us to examine the world of millinery from the inside out, following the life-cycle of a hat from its point of inception in the milliner’s mind to its final incarnation atop the wearer’s head."

The full size versions of these shots, plus others, have been added to the gallery pages.  Go have a look.  Then go to the faire! We'll be waiting for you.

The Babbage Patch Kids were there running steampunk panels in a nearby room.  I've heard rumor of these people, and had been hoping to meet them at some point during the con.  Imagine my surprise when some of the panel presenters turned out to be old friends of mine!  There was much fun kerfuffling, and a splendid time was had by all. 

Here's a quick picture of the table at ConDFW, with me in my shirt of stripey happiness. 

Come check us out at All-Con.  We have neeewww stuuuuuffff....!

The photo quality is poor, and dear Maria's hair is in desperate need of brushing - but isn't the hat great?! I'm quite happy with how this one turned out.  I was so excited I grabbed the Blackberry and took a picture immediately (I'm surprised I took the time to scoot the workroom tools out of the way).

Anyway, this lovely topper will be with me at All-Con, as  will a few other one-of-a-kind pieces.  See you there!

http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2009/01/27/jeeves-and-wooster-l.html

They're lamps, inspired by the Jeeves and Wooster series by P. G. Wodehouse's .  They've been altered to withstand the heat of electricity and lightbulbs, so kids - don't try this at home!

Ok, so she was originally the patron saint of unmarried women  (and students, philosophers, potters and lacemakers), but in France in the 19th century, so many young unmarried women earned their living as milliners that St Catherine became the patron saint of the profession. 

In the middle ages, unmarried women would pray to St Catherine for husbands.  Centuries later, it was still customary for unmarried women to pray for husbands, and to honor women who've reached 25 years of age but haven't married -- called "Catherinettes" in France.

Pilgrimage is made to St. Catherine's statue, and she is asked to intercede in finding husbands for the unmarried lest they "don St. Catherine's bonnet" and become spinsters. The Catherinettes are supposed to wear a hat all day long (usually yellow for faith, and green for wisdom), and they are usually feted with a meal among friends. Because of this hat-wearing custom, French milliners have big parades to show off their wares on this day.

-taken liberally from www.fisheaters.com, who know more about saints than I ever will!

New things are coming out of the workshop all the time, so keep checking the gallery and blog for updates.  And if you have something special in mind, just let us know.  Custom creations are our specialty (but you already knew that, didn't you?).

My sewing machines, fabric stash and trims are in an extra bedroom in the house, but my big cutting table and other tools are out in the garage. Admittedly, I live in Texas, but it still gets cold out in that garage in the winter (and as for my friends in NY, Missouri, Montana and Wisconsin....shaddap!).  Last night it was in the 40s out there, so I bundled up in order to work.  My wookie thought I looked cute and came out to "talk to me" and snapped a picture of me, the stinker.  I'm wearing my to-my-knees cable knit sweater, fingerless gloves and a hat to stay warm.  He called me Pip the rest of the night.  It's nice to have a literate wookie... ;-)

Besides just being a goofy picture, you can see part of my work area.  Behind me are the wooden hat blocks used for shaping felt hats, some straight edges and  an architect's curve, and the weird stringy colorful things hanging right behind my head are trimmings of felt brims I've cut off.  They're useful for color reference, and for padding the inside of a hat if a person's head shape isn't a perfect oval (no one's really is, so they come in handy).

In the picture I'm drawing out a shape onto some buckram.  Next I'll cut it out, wire it, mull it (cover it in a fuzzy, flannel-like material), then cover it in a pretty fabric.  The shape I'm working on there is a wide brimmed Victorian hat that will eventually be a lovely vision of purple and champagne satin.  I'll be sure to post a photo of it when it's finished. 

You'll have to excuse the background - I don't have a good place to take photographs.  So enjoy the hats, and my dining room!

The only downside was that I somehow broke out in hives.  I had one or two little dots on my hands earlier in the week (from what I have no idea), but at faire site they just exploded into a riot of red, itchy welts all over my hands, arms and chest.  Owie!  I hid in the shade of my tent as much as I could (only venturing out to make one quick trip around the festival, just to see what was going on), but even playing vampire didn't help.  They just kept growing and growing.

But now I'm back home, safe in the comfort of a giant bottle of Caladryl lotion. I wish I could have seen more of the faire; those of you who were out there, fill me in on what I missed! 

Ok, not really.  But isn't it a great shot?  And now you know why ostrich plumes are so expensive.  Who'd want to tangle with a bird that size?!