What? Another Millinery Class! Collapsible Straw Travel Hats and Free-Form Hats, Including Silk Organza Hand-Rolled Flowers!

OK, on this Saturday, March 8, my felt blocking class will take place, and boy am I really excited.  As far as student turnout, it's a success!  A lot will be going on on Saturday.  Two students are returning for a hangout.  My millinery teacher, Mrs Essie Edwards, will be stopping in. She also introduced me to one of her former students that is selling off her hat block collection.  I purchased some of them and asked her to bring the others to class in case some of the students wanted to purchase her remaining lot.  I have some interesting students attending the class, one a television personality.  I'm putting together a student notebook to keep me on track, as well as something to give the students to help them out after they leave class.  Food, what will we eat; I'm still thinking about that one.  Yes, I'm excited!  I get excited about everything that has a learning and/or artistic component associated with it.  I'm finally winding down from putting the class together--not one of my best loved things, but this child-like giddiness is the payoff! 

Well, like having a baby, you always forget the pain.  I'm thinking about my next class, if you're interested.  I wanted to do something light, something where I wouldn't have to haul hat blocks, except for maybe balsa utility blocks. The decision was easy.  Why not do collapsible travel hats and silk organza, hand-rolled flowers to put on the hats?  In addition to the travel hat I'll add non-travel hats with fully standing crowns and large brims that turn up or down--no hat blocks needed--appropriate for the races!  Yes that's it!

So, I've pulled together images of travel hats I made in the long past and some hand-rolled flower images to give you an idea what I'm thinking about.  I don't have images of the the full sized hats made without hat blocks, but as soon as the class is over I will get busy making a few, and I will post them when I finish.  The travel hats and full hats can take from 5 minutes to an hour or so to make, depending on the brim treatment.  You could be your own little factory if you decided to sell them.

Back in the early 1990s travel hats were very popular.  They were selling for $250 and up on Melrose in West Los Angeles and Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills.  You probably could find some going for that price in some high end stores today; I really couldn't say since I don't spend much time at Neimans any today because they don't have a large hat department any longer.  Back in the day I would go anywhere that had beautiful hand made hats to look at.  When visiting Neimans I would opt out of the valet parking and purchase a piece of candy so I could get my parking ticket validated.  Now you didn't think that I was going to purchase a hat did you?

Anyway, today travel hats are still big sellers, including the other free-form, more sculptural hats. They sell extremely well at fairs, conventions, and in boutiques.  They are loved by the young, as well as the more seasoned ladies; they can also be made in men styles.  I've noticed them selling between $35 and $120, depending on the type of straw they are made in, most recently.  Let's face it, these are the types of hats that spell creativity.   That's what many prospective hat buyers are looking for--something different.  So if you don't have any hat blocks, and you want a sure seller for all ages, this would be the perfect class for you.  Or you may just want to make something creative and special for yourself.  I'll get back to you with more images. 

Well, if you're interested, let me know; late April?  Plus, the price of the class is lower because of the materials and shorter time period for teaching it.

Hatstruck Couture Millinery Class: Felt Blocking, March 8, 2014

OK, I''m running behind; no excuses.  I still have two posts that I need to address, plus the person that won the silent gift contest has not come forward.  Getting those issues out of the way, temporarily, I thought it best to move on and announce my upcoming felt blocking class.  It's a one-day, eight-hour plus class; I've never been a clock watcher.  I know, I know!  I hate one-day classes because I can't give homework, and I can't give constructive criticism after a student has worked on her/his hat at home.  Well the world is moving faster than I am, so I have to be more innovative when teaching a class.  How? Actually it's quite simple.  It's a combination of teaching students millinery techniques and trying to teach them how to see.  If anything I've learned over the years is how much better off those are that can see compared to those that cannot see. This is true for all disciplines.

Have you ever noticed that some milliners never get any better.  Many times it has very little to do with the number of years a person has been a milliner or the person that the milliner has studied under.  Basically, that stuff can be saved for a resume.  Yes, it sounds impressive, but if you can't see, you can't improve your work.  Now we're not talking about style and/or design skills here; we're talking about technical skills.  There are fabulous designers out there with horrible technical skills and no one even notices.  Well, there are some of us that notice, those of us that are so cursed that we can't enjoy the designs because we're too busy looking at those pulling stitches, that blocking job that looks like cellulite, that covered brim with the falling underside, that brim that looks like it's flying in the wind even if there is no wind blowing, etc.  Yes, it is a curse.  I think I've written this before.  I definitely need to return to couture millinery.  For me that's frame covered hats.

So what are the barriers to seeing.  Today it's the teacher, etc., that passes out stickers to everyone because they don't want anyone to feel bad about themselves.  Sometimes I'm guilty of this.  In order to say something nice about horrible work, I'll find something nice to say.  For instance I'll say:  "What beautiful whether we have today!"  I love it when someone points something out to me that would helps me to improve.  This is much different than when someone points something out to me because I'm doing it different from how they would do it as in, "This is the correct way to do that." When I started out in millinery, if you didn't earn the sticker, you didn't get the sticker.  My millinery teacher, Mrs.  Eloise King, would make you tear your hat back down to the frame while telling you what was wrong with it!


What You Will Learn in the Class--I Hope

So, back on track--the class.  I'll try to teach you how to see; this can't be learned in a day; you really have to practice this skill.  Even I'm going blind or I'm loosing my perspective on what good really is.  You'll learn how to block fur felt so that no sizing will be needed, and you'll even be able to walk in the rain without your hat loosing its shape (that's Southern California rain).  You'll learn how to put in a head size band.  You'll learn how to attach a headband (outside) that hugs your hat without gaps.  You'll learn how to finish brim edges (various finishes).  You'll learn how to polish your felt, if needed.  You'll learn how to "drop a wire" in a certain type of brim...and no, a dropped wire is not sewn to the hat (in most cases)! It floats! What you will walk away with is a professional looking hat.

Email me at lduncan@hatstruck.com if you are interested in taking the class.

When:  March 8, 2014
Time:    10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Location:  Torrance, California

Millinery (Hat Making) Class: Straw and Felt Blocking, Including Hatting (Men Hat Making) Techniques Taught

I know, I know, it's a crappy picture.  But I just didn't want to do a photo shoot this evening.  I needed an image to put up with this class reminder/announcement.  I know that I'm more likely to look at a picture rather than read a lot of text.  Anyway, I think this is a 1920s cloche block.  What do you think?  I see at least four styles, hat designs, in this one block, possibly more if I think more about it. It's a shame that most hat blocks were destroyed after every season to prevent copying.  Such beautiful things.  ...and if  a hat is created and put into the public domain, isn't it already out there?  I don't understand the reasoning,  Oh well abut the class and a few more details.

The Class, the Wonderful Class!

For those that are interested, I am offering a two-day, seven-hour straw and felt blocking class. The class will include blocking and finishing, sizing, polishing (fur felt), trimming, simple silk and leather flower making, etc.

Along side millinery instruction and as requested, I will be teaching hatting (the making of men hats) techniques, including valuable techniques that set men hats apart from women hats. The class will learn how to use open crown hat blocks (plain blocks, having no definition) and how to "bash (crease and telescope)" their hats by hand in order to achieve a number of popular men shapes (fedora, cowboy, pork pie) .

This is a two-day class, and it will be held July 27 and August 3, 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., in Southern California, South Bay area, Torrance, California. The cost of the class is $245.  One straw and one felt (wool or fur--by request) and trim are included in the cost of the class. Homework required.  This class is suitable for all levels.  I'm sure advance students will benefit because I use some hatting techniques when making my own hats, techniques that many milliners do not use..

Contact me at:  lduncan@hatstruck.com

#Hatstruck Couture Millinery, #Millinery Classes, #Hatting Classes, #Men Hat Making Classes