Hat shapes, parasisals, and a couple of custom requests

 In hat class last night, I made some more progress on felt hat #2:
Here it is on the block:



I got it off the block, basted a wire into the edge and and tried it on. Despite the fact that my classmates LOVED it on me, and the fact that I think it's coming out really beautifully, I believe I may have struck out for a second time in the "hats I personally want to wear on a daily basis" department.
 It's so funny - I can look at someone else and have a great guess on what will look best on them, but I'm apparently not so great at choosing the best shapes for MY face - at least not just by looking at a block I haven't used before.

The jury may be out till the hat is all done, cause I've got some fun plans for decoration on it, plus - it is shaping up to be a fall hat, and and my wardrobe is shaping up for spring. Spring! Where hats are straw and sinamay and parasisal:

Izzie had a sinamay hat she had just finished, which she let me try on. I don't have a picture but, ladies and gentlemen, THAT was *my* hat shape. Here is the block, covered with plastic and ready to start:

 I asked to start one of those, despite the fact that I'm actually supposed to be in the felt class. Izzie had a gorgeous cranberry red parisisal hood lying around that she let me purchase, which I had been eyeing since day 1.

 

Here it is just initially placed on the block:

and here it is with the string on and after some work:

We ran out of time for me to pull the brim, but I'm really excited about it - since I'm much more certain that it will look good on me, having tried the shape on already!

In other news, I had a request for a custom Greek sun hat like in these two images:  

He wants the point from the second image, but the brim from the first. I can do that.

Something about the images suggested to me that they might be made of straw, and with that in my head, I picked this awesome hat up to use as a blank. (for WAY less than it should have cost)

I look forward to showing it to Izzie and seeing what she thinks of the straw. It's lovely and fine-woven and pliable, and I think it will make a really nice quality hat.

Also had a request for this gorgeous hat:

Which also looks to me that it might be made of straw. (something about the lines that go around the crown).

Maybe I just have straw on the brain?

I don't own the right brim block for this one, and I don't know if Izzie does either. But - the requestor is a friend....so I'll look and see.

And that's entirely enough.

Some shots from last week's "Hat Class" with Izzie Lewis

My awesome little felt hat - using Izzie's cool hatblock collection!



We have a string in this groove - so that it dries with this indentation. Can't wait to SEE it!

 Izzie Lewis, showing a student how to block a straw hat (I think that's the straw) I've never done that...yet.

Me - working on getting the string deep enough into the groove.

Ribbon cockades class in May!!!

Yes - I now have proof that I occasionally DO plan ahead. (Mostly only when there's no other way to do something, but I clearly CAN do it. )

Proof: On May 12th and 13th - I am all signed up to take a vintage ribbon cockades class from this lady:
http://www.candacekling.com/ (click the classes and lectures link to see some examples of her work.)

I saw sample boards of some of these in Izzie's studio, and began to salivate and beg her to teach me how. Izzie told me about the class where she learned those techniques, that the teacher is here in Seattle once a year, and that the classes fill up quickly.i'm happy to say that here I am, all signed up and paid, four months ahead of time!!

Yay, Me!

I can't wait to see what I'll make! I will definitely take photos (though I'm rotten at that, too) and share the pretties with you all.

Squee!

Classy!

I'm taking a millinery class! It meets at the teacher's studio in West Seattle on Thursday nights for four weeks. I've been to two so far. This is the teacher's website: http://izzielewis.com/

Check out her work, it's beautiful! I took one look and decided that I definitely had stuff to learn from her.

Although 90% of what we are learning is a total refresher course from the grad school buckram hat segment, I've still gleaned some great tips, which I have either forgotten from before, or which are contrary to what I was taught. That's always a really interesting thing - when, for example, one professional says "ALWAYS straighten the wire out before you use it!" and another says "Never totally straighten the wire unless you are wiring something totally flat in all dimensions; work with the curve that is naturally in the coil of wire."

This lady didn't mention straightening the wire at all. (Ain't that fascinating?) but she really stressed HOW you use the bias, and not just WHAT bias does. This was new info to me, and totally worked. (Or - as previously mentioned, perhaps I forgot that from before, but I don't think so.)

There are some serious advantages to taking this course:

• It has gotten me out of my "I can't go anywhere but work, home, Zach's school, Drs and the grocery store" funk.
• It is more than a little empowering to navigate a new bus route to get to and from where you want to go. "Hmm....that worked great. Where ELSE do I want to go?"
• I have made an excellent contact in the hatting world, and one who is willing to share sources, information, and years of experience. There is always something you can learn from skilled artisans.
• It is always interesting to walk around in a life you might have chosen. Custom hats are this lady's full-time job, and I'm enjoying thinking about what grass is green and which parts of my own lawn I prefer.
• I'm making a hat - that I don't need, or need to sell. It is absolute, joyous art - just for the sake of it. I'm making a teensy little perchy green top hat.
• I'm interested to see how the quality of my finished product compares to the other members of the class's work. It would be affirming to find my buckram work to be acceptable to me after many years of not doing any.
• I've gotten wind (from Ms Izzie Lewis) of a vintage embellishments class that I MUST sign up for in Seattle. (I wouldn't have found it otherwise.) New cockades for the Trulyhats!! These things are not in any book I have found, and I WANTNEED to know how to do them.
• Apparently there are other classes that I can take from her, again not in any course catalog. I can't wait to take her felt class - I wonder what fabulous improvements in process and/or quality I'll glean from that!

All in all - a big win.

Also-I've started an actual supplies source list - no longer content to go by this big cardboard box in my shop full of catalogs, business cards, and swatches. It's a sortable excell sheet (of course). It's remarkable that it has taken so long for me to get to this point. I kept thinking - why do I need three different suppliers for millinery wire? Shouldn't I just find the least expensive one and order from there?  The trouble is - supply shops seem to be closing down in droves. I lost Greenberg and Hammer this year, and I've no idea where I'm going to get reasonably priced corset steels, for example.  If I'd had this sheet, I'd have my second choice place all lined up, and could add to it when I'm browsing for sources. (which seems to be my favorite passtime.)

In other news - I think the perfect record of "nobody has ever not paid me" might have just been scrapped. I'll re-send the invoice and see what transpires.

Cheers, all!