Vintage Hat Pins, The Millinery Competition, Etc.

I was out all day yesterday, running various errands.  I finally ended up at my favorite local thrift shop where I found the five vintage hat pins in the images.  I had seen them several times before.  They started out in the boutique, and since they didn't sell they were kicked out of the boutique and landed in with the regular stuff.  Lucky me because I purchased the five pins for $12, the longest pin being 10 1/2 inches long.


The little vintage child singer sewing machine (ca. 1951) is something that I always wanted.  I picked it up in an antique store a few years back. It was perfect when I purchased it; it came in its original box with a book and everything.  So I put it up in a closet hidden away, but I would always hear my grandmother's voice, "If you don't use it, some other woman will."  So, when my granddaughter became old enough to lift the machine, I gave it to her.  In my grandmother's house there were no special dishes or silverware, etc., that was reserved for special occasions or special people.  She believed that things should be used by those she loved and not saved for others, or the next wife if there should ever be a next wife.  My grandfather had his thing also.  He vowed that his  grandchildren would always sit at the table and eat when everyone else ate.  In other words we would not eat after the preacher (or any adult) ate, if the preacher was a guest.  Apparently, my grandfather had bad memories of preachers eating up all of the little food his family had and the children going hungry.  Apparently preachers did a lot of traveling and eating back in those days.

I'm Resuming My Rigorous Routine!

After a serious car accident, I'm finally ready to resume life as usual, although I don't think my body or mind will ever be the same.  Not having a car for months limited my ventures, and long walks bothered my back.  Well I'm ready to resume some serious hooping, regardless of the pain, and to travel further away from home to find more goodies like those above, although I'm still suffering from shell shock.  So, watch out world!

The Millinery Competition

Th final day for getting your millinery entries in are near, August 15, 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.  So, please make sure that you have followed all of the guidelines for the competition--you must be a follower of this site, etc.  I don't want to disqualify anyone after they have put in all of their hard work.  Also, and very important, if your screen name is different from your given name, you must let me know; otherwise I will not be able to identify you.  For rules and guidelines, please visit the posts below.

Thanks and Good Luck!

Hatstruck Couture Millinery: How Many Hats and Accessories Can You Make From One Yard of Fabric?

As I mentioned in my last post,  I'm constantly purchasing stuff for my millinery projects.  My favorite discount fabric store will only sell a minimum of one yard of fabric.  So yes, I have tons of unused fabrics I've accumulated over the years.  Well, I decided that I would use an entire yard of fabric for one of my millinery projects.  I've created a video to show the results of my labor.  Of course I've used other supplies, but those supplies were already in my stash.

I'm so passionate about couture millinery that I really wanted to show you just how little it costs to create beautiful hats, but you must realize that it is the time and workmanship put into these hats that drive up their cost.  I tend to lean toward the conservative side, but couture millinery can be just as far out and current as you would like it to be.  Plus, you can use an unlimited number of fabrics, including suede and leathers (my favorites), silks, linens, etc.  So have fun, sit back, maximize the video screen and enjoy the movie and wonderful music.

 

What's Coming Up in My Next Post?
Well for my next post, I am leaning toward demonstrating how I tooled the plaid flower petals in this project using makeshift flower making tools for under one dollar, or maybe how I rhinestone a very, very small cocktail hat.  Which one of these possible posts is of interests you?

 

Millinery Straw Braid and Hat Pins

Hello all; it's good to be back.  I thought I'd touch bases with you and thank all of you for returning to my blog for a look-see over the past two months.  I see you looking in, so please take a moment every once and a while to leave a comment; I really would appreciate it.  So what have I been doing?  Recovering of course, but besides that I've been playing around with all things millinery--revisiting old techniques and learning new ones.  After 26 years I've never gotten bored with millinery because I've never stopped learning and experimenting. 

I'm often asked why I hand sew my hats when it would be easier and faster to sew them on a sewing machine, especially when sewing wire on buckram frames, putting in headsize ribbons, etc.  Well, I hand sew them because doing so is therapeutic and extremely relaxing.  I  view the end product as a piece of art--art that I've created.  I only have to please myself and I can take forever to complete a work.  Fabulous!  So, enjoy the following. 

Technique:  Candy/Cello Straw - Hat #1

The hat to your right was sewn in-the-round, row-on-row by hand.  I wanted to give it an asymmetrical look.  In order to accomplish this, I ended the hat after half completing the fifth row; the opposite side of the hat only has four rows.  I must note here that the hat was first shaped and pinned on a balsa hat block (no steam needed) and then removed from the block and sewn.  The top of the hat has been left open.  When sewing this straw, it should be slightly overlapped (this time I put the bottom rows on top), the needle and thread should be inserted into the wrong side of the braid (inside of the hat) and passed through the loop in the upper braid.  By doing this, the thread is totally invisible when viewed from the right side of the hat.  After completion, I placed the hat back onto the block and steamed it.  Never iron this type of straw because ironing would flatten it.  I put in a headsize ribbon and moved on to trimming.  For the trim on this hat, I used feather yardage for the brown portion and some dark packaged feathers for the center.

Technique:  Hat #2