Swan Success!

I'm pretty sure that there's some kind of blogging etiquette which recommends the avoidance of trigger happy posting, largely in the interests of looking like one has a life, but  a) One doesn't: my life currently IS hats and b) I'm too elated to care!

I still need to make a couple of tweaks to the pattern, so poetic licence can be accountable for the untidy folds (including the U-bend in the poor creature's neck!), but overall... I think this is going to work!!!

Swan song: Brown paper rehearsal, 0.5m triangle

Monday Morning Momentum

Was oddly wide awake at stupid o'clock today, and since it's high time for an update, I thought some Monday morning pictures were in order. The bad news is that the Magic Plastic only lasts a couple of days, and so I've gone back to the drawing board on the bubble hat (boo hiss). In the meantime though, I've got a lot of new things on the go...

A chip off the old block
Probably the most exciting development is that my Dad is making me some blocks which will potentially save me a fortune!! Handmade, quality blocks are works of art in themselves, and therefore (understandably) pretty pricey. After much research, we've invested in an enormous plank of flawless African Obeche, and Dad kicked off the first button block yesterday - I'll keep you posted on his progress...!

The first cut on my new 19&1/2" 'Martin Johnson' button block

!

Buttons, origami and the Great Ping Pong Discovery
I had a great two days with Rose in London too - two buttons (a 17" round silk on canvas foundation for the Hummingbird Project, and a 19&1/2" cerise wool felt button for some felt and feather spiral experimentation) as well as a monster brim for a black sinamay showstopper.

In the meantime, I've also finally found the guidelines to make an absolutely beautiful origami swan that I fell in love with about two months ago but couldn't work out the folds. I've been practising in paper so far, but today's objective is to try an enormous half metre model to see how it'll work as a hat - the wings will be slightly differently arranged to sit across the face with veiling.

Orgiami swan: Paper rehearsal from A3 triangle

After my sister found some great instructions in an origami book (thanks Natalie!), I've also folded this little chap who's now just awaiting a small black button base on which to perform. I love him!!

Origami elephant: Stiffened dupion silk

This led to the Great Ping Pong Discovery - I'm not sure how the more traditional milliners will feel about this, but I've spent a lot of time over the weekend nail varnishing ping pong balls, I love the look!

Like the Royal Doulton balloon man!

The three black ones are for a tulle 'cloud' fascinator for a wedding I've got coming up, complete with sequins, glitter and magpies (three for a wedding!)

Hessian experiments
The hessian hat is also coming along nicely, although suitable decorative ideas have been proving elusive. After four hours (!!) of deeply unsatisfactory experimentation last week, I finally discovered what i think is a pretty cool setting for the silk velvet pansies - I'm a massive fan of lasers, and these really remind me of them! I had originally intended to use a daisy chain, and eventually settled on a wire setting. Which is your favourite?

Daisy chain: Silk dupion and velvet daisies with wire setting on a stiffened hessian base

Fancy pansies: Silk velvet blooms, dupion leaves and curled ostrich feather setting on same hessian base

Handmade Mondays
Finally, I've recently discovered this fabulous crafty community on Handmade Harbour, and so I've joined the party - partly to hopefully secure some more followers, partly because I think it's a genuinely lovely idea, but mainly because I love beng nosy about other creative people's endeavours! Today is my first linked post - regular Monday updates to follow!

Plastic procrastination

Today I am supposed to be learning to write a business plan. I have a lot of websites about how to write a business plan open in front of me, and frankly it's all very confusing. So I've been blowing bubbles.

Typically, millinery involves a lot of natural materials, because they retain whatever shape you steam / press / stretch / stiffen them into. My recent magazine mining however, has revealed a new and unexpected penchant for the plastic fantastic, and I was particularly taken with the idea of wet look, translucent but permanent bubbles à la Hussein Chalayan's infamous bubble dress. His bubbles seem to be made of two part plastic spheres, which are fine on a dress but pretty heavy for headwear. With a bit of internet research, I discovered Magic Plastic...

It's a little messy initially, but you basically blob a bit of plastic out of the tube into your hand, mould it onto the end end of the pipe, gently blow until you've got a bubble, then twist and pinch the other end shut! i'd say 'Magic' covers it! :)

 

I'm not sure how long these will last, or how practical they are for the great british wet weather, and because they're PVA based I'm also not sure how best to fix them onto a suitable base without melting holes into the surfaces - further expertimentation is definitely required, but as a first go, I'm pretty excited about my bubbles.

And then I'll definitely get on with the business plan.

The Plan

Four months ago, my life turned upside down - suddenly single, I despised my corporate job and felt totally jaded with the London existence. So, given my new found independence, I decided to do something about it and start again: I quit my job, moved back home to the Shire, dyed my hair bright orange (of course!) and eagerly hatched The Plan...

Over the next couple of months, I'm having some time out of the rat race to try and make a proper go of my passion for hatting. From the sensible yet banal necessities of business planning and shameless self promotion, to the exciting experiments of new materials, improbable ideas and setting up my new studio in the 'little back bedroom' (kindly and temporarily gifted to me by the 'rents to avoid the whole house being covered in snapped pins, knotted thread and sinamay offcuts), I'll be recording my exploits and endeavours and hoping that someone (anyone?!) somewhere (anywhere!?) thinks it's interesting!

(Also, I stopped smoking yesterday and need a regular something to keep me occupied - blogging seems like a safe bet..!)