Hats ca. 1877

The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan debuted in 1879, but "by a simple arithmetical process you'll easily discover" ... that the show is set in 1877.

Thus began my research into designing hats for the Stowe Theatre Guild production (in which I also play Kate).

This is the type of thing Pinterest is made for! Forget recipes with gorgeous food photography or home decor ideas; I'm interested in collecting historical research.

I will share photos in another posting. Until then, here is a look at my Pinterest board: ca. 1877

Here's one of the images that inspired the hats I eventually created:

Custom Hat Process

I wanted to share a photo of a custom cloche I recently finished:

Burgundy fur felt cloche

That's a 3/4 view. First we discussed basic shape (cloche), then type and color of felt (plain finish burgundy fur felt). After I blocked the overall shape, we talked about trim a bit and how the brim should be cut. 

Based on her face shape, I went with a flared, asymmetrical brim. (She has an eyebrow ring, so the brim was cut higher on that side to show it off!) I didn't want the bulk of a welted (turned under) brim, but I wanted to add some wire for structure/stability, so that's the logic behind the choice of the matching grosgrain ribbon. 

She liked the burgundy paisley silk from another hat I had done, so that's how the band was chosen. And the cockade was my idea — to suit her personality. Similar to a rosette, which she had admired on another hat of mine, but a specific type of vintage flair that I thought really suited her.

Custom cloche (right side)

Custom cloche (front)

Creative Covetousness

I want it all. There, I said it. I want all the hat blocks my little heart could desire. I want all the vintage trimmings money can buy.

I think most creative people are the same way. My husband, a photographer, lusts after better gear and expensive lenses (or "glass" to the initiated). Me? I want to load up on hat blocks and hat-making supplies.

It feels good to know that I don't generally want to spend my money on "toys" like a new iPhone or TV. I want to spend my money on things to help me create.

Here's one object of my affection that, alas!, I am not able to justify buying:



I have so many millinery things I'd like to do with this gorgeous lace. Well, it's so pretty I at least enjoy looking at it even if I can't buy it. :)

Procrastination!

Eep! I've procrastinated updating my blog for almost two months. The ironic thing is that I have many things in my head that I want to write about, so it isn't even a problem with writer's block. I've just been prioritizing making hats. :)

So I'll be trying to blog more regularly going forward. I also have to build my web site.

Lots of big and exciting stuff to do!

Hat Love

I put my red fedora on sale in my Etsy shop. A huge 25% off! The sale is for Valentine's Day, so it lasts through the end of the day only.

Red fedora on sale

Also, as a follow up to my earlier post, be sure to check out:
My hat-centric Etsy treasury, featuring other milliners. (Some hats have disappeared since I created the treasury.)

Hats I Like, my Pinterest board specifically dedicated to the work of other milliners.

Camaraderie, not competition

My former job centered on competition. The details of it aren't pertinent. Competitiveness, especially when it can lead to catty, back-stabbing behavior, is poisonous. And it is certainly no ally to creativity. I'm not opposed to all competition in general. But I'd much rather have a team spirit and be able to feel happiness in others' success, too.

In my blog description, I say that I blog about other milliners I admire. I haven't done much of that, but it's just because I've procrastinated writing the blogs — not because I don't have a long list of hat-makers I love and not because I don't want to feature them.

I look at it in two ways:

(1) What if I introduce someone to other hats and they like those hats better? What if they buy one of those other hats and not mine? Well, what of it? I can't stop someone else from liking another milliner's hats. And I wouldn't want to! There are more hats out there than I could possibly make. One milliner I like has a very distinct style. At some point, I might make a hat somewhat like hers. But I won't try to make her hats. And her style isn't mine. There's more than enough hat love to go around. If you want her style of hat, you'll go to her. If you want my style of hat, you won't.

(2) More people wearing hats can only be better for all hat makers. Before I was a hat maker, I was a hat-wearer. And I bought mass-produced hats. Mass-produced hats (probably) don't steal market share from couture milliners. If you buy a hat for $50 from a major or semi-major brand, it's not likely that you did that instead of buying a $200 bespoke hat. But if you love your $50 hat and wear a hat every day, then eventually you might want a higher-end hat. And the more people who wear hats, the more they are "in," and the more people who will start to wear hats. (People complaining about why hats can't come back so they can wear them ... that's a full-on rant for another day.)

A few days ago, my Facebook page (Silverhill Creative Millinery) was nearing 100 likes. At the same time, on Twitter, I found out that Greer McDonald Millinery was the same number of "likes" away. So we cheered each other on. And we liked each other's pages.

Today, I posted this tweet:

As we approached 100 FB likes (which I just reached), @greermchats and I cheered each other on. My fave hat of hers: etsy.com/listing/113117…

— Silverhill Creative (@SilverhillHats) February 14, 2013

It feels good for the creative soul.
Isn't that a charming and lovely hat? ... And it's very different from my own work. :)
I linked to her Facebook page above, so you can like her too.

A Gift to Myself

My mom asked me what I wanted as a holiday present, and I couldn't think of anything better to ask for than a gift certificate for millinery supplies. But, to make sure I made my holiday gift mine and not just business-related, I used it to make a hat for myself. I completely splurged on a cashmere hood and used the full yard I had bought of some vintage trim.

Here is the result:

Brown cashmere cloche, vintage Art Deco trim

I am in love with it! The supplies were too pricey for me to make a similar hat for sale without a buyer lined up, but I am happy to make a similar style to this on custom order.

I also just submitted photos of this hat for a contest that Judith M Millinery Supply is running on Facebook.

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