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.

Creating a Top Hat Without a Top Hat Block (continued)

Continuing with my little top hat project from my last post, it has been a wonderful journey.  Because I didn't have a top hat block, I figured out a simple way to flare the tip (top) of the hat without such a block.  So the next challenge was to taper the crown down to the smaller head size, and also to create a more attractive curve from the edge of the tip to the head size.  I was pleased with the outcome, and I learned a few things along the journey.  Because of what I learned, my next step will be to create a cardboard or foam transition block rather than using my protein powder can.

I can't emphasize the importance of  experimentation in order to improve one's skills.  Had I asked someone how to do this, and if they would have told me how to do it, I would have missed out on all of the things learned in-between--hits and misses--including the new applications learned that could be applied to other projects. 

Anyway, above is an improved version and to your right is the first version of my top hat; note the taper, plus I decided to flatten the tip.  The technique for tapering the sideband came from my Pinterest board, How Other Milliners and Hatters Do It, the pin on creating a Fosshape top hat.  When you think about it, Fosshape has some of the same properties as felt, it's a non-woven material that stretches under steam and heat, etc., (1. non-woven material, 2. stretches under steam and heat).   So given that they share some of the same properties, it's intuitive that the sideband of the felt would be shaped in the same manner as the Fosshape top hat, correct?  Anyway, wonderful tutorial, but my tip was created in a much simpler manner.  I will be teaching how I created my flared top hat in my upcoming class on March 8, join us.  Wow, I just told you how to do it!  Pretty easy if you don't focus on how I did mine.  I can think of several other ways of doing this, and I'm sure that many of you can do much better than I did.

Forgive the lousy pictures; I'm having camera issues.

Creating a Top Hat Without a Top Hat Block; Another Example of Hat Blocking Without Pins and Nails

Creating a Top Hat Prototype

It's almost time for my felt blocking class that will be held on March 8.  Usually, I ask students what type of hat they would like to create in class.  One of the students wrote that she wanted to make a top hat.  OK, it's panic time!  I don't have a top hat block!  The top hats that I've made have always been flat pattern buckram hats.  So I told her that I didn't have a top hat block, but that she was not to worry because I'd figure something out. Usually I think up some over kill process to solve an issue. So I had two techniques I thought about using, but I scrapped those because, as I've grown older, I prefer to do less labor intensive things, or maybe I'm just growing lazy.  I prefer to let my brain do the heavy lifting.  That process usually starts by sitting in a chair, looking out into space, and just thinking.


Now as I was sitting in my chair thinking, I started looking around the room, and there I found my solution.  A two minute solution that I've been using for decades!  I became excited and started blocking my hat and shaping the flared tip (top) until hunger set in.  When hunger sets in, everything ceases:  the sun goes down, the air is sucked out of the room, my head "jumps time;" you get the picture.  So after I had cooked and eaten, I refined my project and a flared top hat prototype was born.  Note that I could have made a flat tip.  I can't wait to teach the technique in class.  Now all I have to do is taper the size down to the small head size of the student.  Stay tuned. By-the-way, I always keep pre-used  materials to practice on.  I love continuous experimentation and learning!

Another Example of Blocking Without Pins and Nails (American Style Hat Block)

OK, for those that have been told that you will not be able to get crisp edges, etc., on blocked hat materials (felt, straw, etc.) unless you nail it down, it's probably because they either don't know how to block without pins and nails, or it's because they haven't been successful at doing it themselves.  Also, you must remember that there are more components to blocking than steaming and securing the material to the block.  Here I have a 30s/40s doll hat block (small adult hat block).  Usually, when I see some of the cap blocks they have been pinned or nailed in the area of the bill (visor) where it meats the head size.  So if the block has been used often, that area has probably been destroyed.

Anyway, here are a few images that shows how to block a cap without pins and nails.  Keep in mine that as the  style of block changes, so does the solution for blocking it without nails or pins.  You have to use your imagination before you start banging into your block.