Couple of orders

Getting work done on a couple of the orders I pulled the other day. They are coming out very nicely. I'm LOVING all the new tricks I learned from my last two mentors!! The difference is so obvious to me.

This one will get a leather sweatband and lining (I've really gotta add that option to the website - it always feels like I'm trying to upsell people when I call to ask at the last minute.)

I have some trim ideas sortof pinned on. Here it is mostly naked:

And here it is from the side with feathers propped on.

The white stem of the large feather  pulls my eye too much
(thank you Lesley Wilson - I am STILL using those awesome feathers you gave me a decade ago!)

So I'm thinking about adding in this little yellow guy to purposefully pull the eye. (plus the outfit has some yellow/gold in it too.

I've been waiting to use this awesome jewelled button forever - and I think it looks great on here.

The feathers are quite lush, and curled cooperatively for me. 

And here is the lovely little Brown and Salmon hat:. (Really classy color combo, by the way.) I love getting to use my natural, undyed ostrich feathers, which are a lovely grey-brown color.

And her closeup:

I hope they send me photos of the finished outfits with the hats!!

Productive!!

Many, many hats pulled this weekend. My hands look horrible, and are pretty actively sore... But I got a dozen hats pulled!! Six orders and six for the shelf. I'm going to have a fair number of shelf hats at this rate. I will need to get busy updating the store page.

I used the immersion method, rather than just steam, so they will need several days to dry, but that is definitely the most efficient way to pull a dozen hats.

I'm almost feeling caught up with orders!! I have a couple of flat caps to do still, and a few "whenever you get around to it" hats, and then I could really start filling my shelves!!
Now-if I only had an event or trunk show in mind for where to sell them, that would be great!! In the meantime, I'm just busy making them:)

The finished order!

What a relief! Not only is the finished custom order NOT too small, as I had feared, but it was a teensy bit roomy!!

Very pleased about that.

Incidentally, my round topped "Lant roll" block is padded up to 24.5" right now. It would be a great time to order an extended size custom hat, if you were to need one in that shape. Just sayin, is all.

This is my first try posting from the mobile app, so well see if the photos show up. It came out so nicely!

Fun with Rust and Green

Hello Hat friends :)

I'm in a color combination mode: Rust and green.

Working on an extended size order for a rust hat with green trimmings, and I discovered that I'm pretty much rolling in options. I LOVE that!

 THIS is why, when I see awesome trims, I should get them right then. So that I have this much choice for when someone wants something specific.

This is only a teeny taste of the options.

And just a few feather choices

This is just some of the dark green blanks:

I'm really low on rust blanks now, like, pretty much out. Maybe need to do something about that.

Here's the custom order, in progress:

Still waiting for the edge ribbon to dry.

And some feather and trimming "thoughts":

A couple of hats in these colors are on the shelf, ready to ship!

This one is 22.75".

And this one (made for this order, but I fear it will be a tinch too snug.)

is 24.25"

Some lovely orders finished

Just finished up some orders - for the most patient of customers. THANK YOU for understanding the huge delays of a giant move. This one came out so totally classy -and I LOVE the combination of elements to make up the ornament. Gives me all kinds of new ideas.....

And here's a really voluptuously feathered Cavalier.

Feathers were SO floofy, that I couldn't get them all in the photo - even at the full length of my arm. (need a better photo setup.)

And two very sassy flatcaps. A forest Green:

 And a black and silver

Yay for lots of PROGRESS!!!

Historical Hatmakers!

 

I just love the interwebs.

I now have a collection of images of historical hatmakers! I do wish they showed a few more of the tools.

 

 

 

 

 

And: Best for last?

 

Updated to add!: and below, 1635. This one shows a tool the other images didn't show!

 

Here's the link to that site: http://collectie.atlasvanstolk.nl/collectie/data_gb.asp?display=1&q0=34068&f0=ID&search=Record

 

Leather Sweatbands - choices! choices!

Very exciting mail today!

In my attempt to continue my wholesale supplies trend, I've been trying to source out really affordable leather sweatbands. I found a place in New York (I know you're shocked), who has three different price points, and they just sent me six of each as samples!!

Here they are, with the highest quality (Roan - $450/gross) ones on the left, and the lowest quality (bonded leather - $150/gross) on the right

The Roan ones(below) are very thin and extremely smooth. They feel like they would not change the head size much and would be lovely to wear. I would have to choose whether to use brown or black, as I can't afford a gross of each right now. (Maybe they would split it for me....but I doubt it.)

The bonded leather are 1/3 as expensive and much thicker.  They honestly look quite serviceable. I could afford both brown AND black, which would be several years worth of them.

The one in the middle (below) is real leather and quite thick, and is right in the middle, price point wise and smoothness wise. BUT - It is so thick that I'd be concerned about the sudden effective downsizing of all my blocks. Could possibly afford both colors.

Best news, though - ALL of them are awesome - ALL are affordable, and I have enough to really test them out to see which I like best. Watch for updates as I start using them!!!