Mrs. Essie Edwards, You Look Beautiful in That Hat! Contest Winner, Please Step Forward?

For those of you that attended the Rose Garden millinery classes with Mrs. Essie Edwards, well there is great news!  Mrs. Edwards is back teaching there--millinery and sewing.  This is your opportunity to take classes from a master in both crafts again.  Our retired and loved teacher is lending her time to all of us that have been morning her retirement.  So please come out in numbers to support her.  Mrs. Edwards has been a milliner for over 60 years; no fluff here.  This is the real deal.

In case you recognized the hat Mrs. Edwards is waring, it is the hat from my last post, Blocking on My First European-Style Hat Block.  This time Mrs. Edwards won over my granddaughter, because I knew she would cherish and really rock that hat; so, enjoy your gift Mrs. Edwards.

Contest Winner, Please Step Forward!
 
I am so guilty of not visiting my favorite blog sites, and when I visit I usually don't leave comments.  For the second time (or more), I will improve.   So I understand why some may do the same when visiting this site--Oh no! I have to log in?  Let me stop this moment and at least thank you for the number of daily page views I receive; I really appreciate them.  The response to this site has been fantastic.  I have truly realized my goal of giving back through millinery.

 I was thinking, What if I made leaving comments a little more fun?   So, at the end of the last post I asked several questions, for which no one responded to any of them.  The purpose of those questions was to select a winner of my little secrete contest.  Well, what I did was to choose a site visitor that had commented on this site very recently, satisfying at least one of the qualifying answers.  I don't think she is a member of the site (a first and may be the last), and I think she lives outside of the States.  Her name is Georgia Lordorche(?), and she is a student or was a student [from your profile]....  Georgia, since you are a student (you gave me some information about yourself in an earlier post before your last post--new to millinery), I will be sending you some millinery supplies (fur felt and straw, a hat stretcher, some millinery needles, and whatever else I can think of.  Or you may want to make  suggestions as to what you would like to have in your box of goodies--within reason :)   No, all questions contained in future posts will not be contest related....





Log-In for Site Members

Although I set up pages and a test log-in (extreme bottom of page) for site members months and months ago, I thought, This is not why I created this site--exclusivity to some.  A lot also had to do with the people that may be excluded and those that would actually take advantage of this site.  So, the log-in is at the bottom of the page, there for when I need it.  I will use it one day for something; maybe I will create a class for a site contest winner(s) or something.  Also when I presented the private log-in idea, I did not associate it with any contest, etc.; that's because I wanted to be able to change my mind if I became uncomfortable with the idea.  Another thing is that the volume of respondents is usually a little more than I want to manually handle (check membership, assign numbers, etc.).  Also the reason for the secrete contest was to capture the comments of those that took the extra effort to leave them without the coaxing from a contest.

Next Post?

I don't know what my next post will be, but I'm leaning toward an American-style hat block, blocking video.  What I need to do is get back to couture millinery (foundation covered hats), my first love technique.  So stay tuned.  What do you think?  No, this is not a contest question.  Anyway, I'll try to keep the site as exciting for the both of us as I can.  If you have any ideas, just let me know.

Millinery Classes: Call for Serious Inquiries

Hi all, below is the message I left on my Facebook page concerning possible future classes in July and/or August.  Please only contact me if you know you will do this. I have a vast range of millinery skills that I have acquired over almost 30 years.  I do not enjoy giving "drive-by" classes in which a student walks away with the same skill level he/she walked in with--been there, done that.  You need feedback on your work giving over a period of time, especially beginners!  Location:  Torrance, California, Los Angeles County, good old sunny Southern California!

The hat to your left was constructed using a hand blocked parisisal straw hood and hand-sculptured sewn straw braid for the crown.  The brim was constructed of vintage four-inch straw braid, hand sewn (each row separate, not spiral), and wired and hand weaved where straw is joined at back. 

"I get many class inquiries through my email address and one ever once in a while on the Hatstruck Class site; many times these inquires are just that.  If you are serious about taking a class, I will consider giving one or more in July and/or August.  I don't have a regular schedule because I'm retired from my regular job, and I will never have a full-time job again, no matter how much I love it. 

In order to weed out those wanting to know how much it costs (too expensive I'm told), the cost will be between $180 and $245 (more for machine sewn straw, $575)--two, four hour days, preferably Saturday and Sunday, unless the class does not call for a break ($55 nonrefundable fee for cancellations within a week). 

I will consider doing semi-private couture classes, as my place is small, and I will not do drive-by couture classes for beginners; you will have to do the time--two hours each visit (same price) so that you will have a chance to bring your work back for critique.  I refuse to let you leave if your work looks worse than mine :)

So, if you are in Southern California or would like to travel to take a class, and you are serious, please let me know the class you are interested in taking and I will pool the class depending on what type of class the majority wants to take.  For me, because I do not have a studio, classes are expensive to pull off and I personally don't like hauling so many supplies around [but I will for these group classes if there are enough students], only send an email or message me if you are doing so to commit to a class.  Thanks"

Fascinator Class October 15, 2011, Los Angeles, California, Area

First, forgive me for staying away for so long.  I've been extremely busy with Ms. E', updating my Hatstruck Web site, making hats, buying hat supplies I'll never use, you name it!

The Hatstruck site contains what I refer to as my "Portfolio of Skills."  I haven't added  descriptions to the backs of the majority of the images yet, plus I need to add additional images.  However, I've decided to launch the site as is to support the announcement of the my upcoming fascinator class.  

I attended the fair and I took pictures, but I'll post those in a week or so.  I did win two first awards, and a most innovative award, including lower awards on all of my other entries.  I'll go into more detail later.

Yes, I finally decided to give a group class again.  I wanted a place close to where I live, somewhere serene, somewhere artsy.  After looking for an appropriate location, I decided on a place within walking distance from where I live here in Torrance, California.  For those traveling from out of town, Torrance is packed full of  wonderful restaurants, hotels, and shopping.  The weather in this beach city is to kill for!  Just a little bit of enticement to encourage you to travel here.

The class will be held on Saturday, October 15, 2011.  Here is a description of the class as given here in the sidebar.  For time and location, please see the sidebar to your right:

More than a simple fascinator class, this class will teach frame making and covering; millinery trim, including feather work, and more. Various demonstrations using popular millinery materials (jinsin, crinoline, sinamay, etc.) will be given in class. Learn skills that apply to all areas of couture millinery. All fascinator supplies are included in the class fee. Please bring scissors, stick pins, measuring tape, and needles.  Although you will complete a buckram frame (wiring, stitching, etc.), finished frames will be provided so that you may cover and trim an additional hat(s), depending on your skill level and time. A class fee discount applies to Hatstruck blog members--$180 members, $225 non-members). Registration fee now due. A non-refundable fee of $40 will apply should you cancel the class within eight (8) days of class start date.  For those registering from 1 to 8 days of the class and decide to cancel, the $40 non-refundable fee will also apply. Please contact me at lduncan@hatstruck.com for additional information.  Feel free to make payment through PayPal.

There is a lot packed into this class.  I was not interested in conducting a fascinator class where you just trim a fascinator base and call it a day.   So, if you want to work hard, but still have lots of fun, please join me.  Although I will demonstrate a shortlist of hand stitches in class, I suggest that you view the stitch videos suggested on links in the sidebar to your right.  Snacks will be provided.

Below is a fun, vintage millinery video; enjoy!
BIRTH OF HAT