Winter Felts and a Vintage Hat Block Addiction

I know that my northern hemisphere friends are enjoying their summer, but here winter is really kicking in. Our fire has been going for months already, and the ground has been frosty many mornings. Consequently, I am going to share some wintry hats today!

The first is one that I made for myself. Today's top tip: don't let anyone else model a hat you made for yourself.

Because of the size (it is quite large) I started off wearing this angled to one side, as shown here. I quite like it this way, but for everyday wear I've now started wearing it on the back of my head.

The beret, and the hat shown below, are both formed on vintage hat blocks I picked up via Ebay last year. As much as I love free-shaping felt hats to my own whim, I have a serious weakness for the cool shapes of old blocks. It is so ridiculously hard to not buy them all. *sigh*

The only downside is not knowing exactly how they were intended to be worn or trimmed. While the beret is fairly straightforward, I wasn't sure about this swirly one at all.

In the end, I just block it and experiment. I'm pretty happy with how this one ended up, and I think it suits Lucy really well.

As you can see, my love of felt feathers is still going strong!

This green and black cloche is one I made last year and finally gave a proper photoshoot outing.

This one, like many of my hats, had me filled with doubt until I saw it worn properly and looking fabulous on a beautiful model.

These last two (and some others from the same blocks) are all currently in The Blackheath Hub, the local bricks-and-mortar that stocks my hats. Meanwhile, the beret is getting a good workout in my own daily wear.

Hat blocks like these are works of art. I just love looking at them! But I'm not going to allow myself to purchase any more until I've blocked more on the ones I own. I have a few others (vintage and new) that I'm only just starting to experiment with!

What's the vintage item or crafting supply that tempts you the most? Do you resist or just go crazy once in a while?

Changes and Renewals

I've been working on some new projects and some changes lately. The first is that I am starting an email newsletter!

Now, I've been hearing for years that I need to have an email newsletter, and I've been ignoring that advice for all that time. Primarily because I had no idea what I would put in it. I imagined it being like the newsletters I get from big companies that just tell me about new products or sales or other stuff that I only occasionally care about.

This year, I've actually found some newsletters from blogs and small businesses that I enjoy, that I almost always open, that have inherent value to me, and that rise far above being a sales pitch.

Thus inspired, having brainstormed and planned and finally taken action, I am ready to launch!

Naturally, the newsletter will include information about my business offerings, such as new hats for sale or when I am available for custom work.

But it will also include much more. I'm using it as a way of sharing the cool content that isn't enough for a whole blog post, fun and interesting links, and some behind-the-scenes news and images from my work. It will also include links to the latest blog posts, so you can use it as a way of following along here if you want.

If that sounds interesting to you, get signed up!

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The other news is that I've shifted my online shop back to Etsy! I know that some of you already know this, because you were sweethearts and favourited my shop even before it had much (or anything) listed yet!

I've added a bunch of items and will be listing some more soon, both ready-to-send completed items and made-to-order repeats of previous designs. Your support is always appreciated, so if you have an Etsy account, please click on over and give my shop or my items a little "favourite" love. It would make me smile :)

Thank you lovely people, and if you sign up to the newsletter, you will be hearing from me again before long!

A Pink Straw Boater Hat and Vintage Cherries

One of the reasons I started my "How to Wear..." series with boater hats (along with finding such great inspiring images to use), was that I was working on completing my own boater hat.

I started this hand-sewn straw braid boater an embarrassingly long time ago, at the 2014 International Millinery Forum, in a class with (my favourite) millinery teacher Jan Wutkowski. Indecision about the finishing details and trims meant this one was on the shelf all that while. I'm so glad it's finally done!

And I really love it! It was a lot of work, but totally worth it, and I really want to start another one now. I'll add it to the list...*sigh*

For trims I've gone with some vintage millinery cherries that I've been itching to use, velvet leaves (a current obsession of mine!) and a black braid band.

Modelled by the stunning Lucy at our perfect Blue Mountains lookout location. We had so much fun exploring the many similar-but-subtly-different background options with all the different hats (more to come!).

It was also great to try the hat at different angles. I love the look of the forward tilt, but I think for everyday wearability I would be going with the back of the head. What do you think?

This happy summery number has gone into my etsy shop today.

If I do get to another one anytime soon, I'm thinking of a robin's egg blue. What do you think? What other colours do you think would suit the boater style? I'd love to hear your opinions in the comments.

The Sisterhood of the Travelling Hat: Biddy Stanford

 
Adelaide has been doing a lot of visiting in the UK. She clearly had a lot of fun with Biddy Stanford (and vice versa!).

I met Biddy on instagram, and she was super-keen to be a part of the travelling hat journey, or as she put it, become one of the "elite Hat Sisters." I love that.

I hope you feel special, ladies!

It just brings me such amazing joy to see the joy that Adelaide is spreading with her around the world. I couldn't have predicted how happy with was going to make me.

There is one more UK stop to share with you before Adelaide crosses the great Atlantic!

"Leopard Print is a Neutral" Whimsy

I'll tell you a little secret. (It's not really a secret.) You can tell when I have finished a project at the last minute, because I'll be modelling it myself. That is definitely my last-resort backup option!

It is almost the end of May, and I'm just squeezing in my Whimsy design for this month.

For a little while (and possibly still), there seemed to be a lot of leopard print going around on the blogs I read, and it got into my brain, along with the quote I've used for my whimsy's title. I don't know if this quote is attributed to someone, but it is being used so much on the internet that I couldn't find out!

I loved the idea of making a leopard-print flower, and wanted to experiment with using different fabrics with this hand-made flower technique I learned at the last International Millinery Forum, in a class taught by Serena Lindeman.

I managed to find a leopard-print top in an op-shop (don't worry, it was ugly) and here is the result!

Now I just need to get the June design made in time to get it modelled by someone else...

The Sisterhood of the Travelling Hat: Kate-Em

Adelaide, the travelling hat, is visiting in the United Kingdom again, and has recently been with Kate-Em, of the blog What Kate-Em did next.

Kate-Em took these lovely photos on a weekend away in Lincolnshire. Check out the rest of the photos on her blog. They are gorgeous. I love the outfit Kate-Em chose to pair the hat with, and I love that she took some photos of the back of the hat too!

If you aren't following her already, Kate-Em's blog features a lot of amazing vintage knitting, some of which is also available in her etsy store, and she has recently joined instagram too.

How to Wear a Boater (Sailor) Hat

Today I'm bringing you the first of new type of post, which I hope to do more of in the future. I'm focusing on a particular hat style again, but this time, on inspiration for styling outfits that suit the hat style.

The hat of choice for today is a boater hat. A vintage style popular from the 19th century onwards, these hats feature a flat crown and small-medium brim, and are usually made from straw.

When worn by a woman, this style of hat was more traditionally called a sailor hat, and (like most hat styles) the feminine versions are often more varied. These days, we tend to use boater regardless of gender.

I've scoured the internet (ok, Pinterest) for some great looks that feature boater hats. I'm bringing you the best photos from some stylish bloggers who wear a boater really well. All the images are copyright to the bloggers, used here with their permission, and each one links back to the blog post about that outfit (with more photos!).

Boater hats make me think of summer and associated activities, particularly boating (obviously) or riverside picnics, so I love them with slightly nautical colour schemes, and bright colourful summer dresses. I also think of Edwardian silhouettes, and Eton schoolboys. To me, boaters are unquestionably cheerful and fun, and just made for sunny days.

We start with Bonita from Lavender and Twill. She recently purchased this vintage yellow boater and this charming photo is from her first outfit post to feature the hat. This soft pastel colour suits Bonita's signature style so well. It tops off a beautiful summery look (although I suppose it is clearly autumn in the photo!) with such light bright colours and perfect vintage style.

Carelia of the blog My Small Wardrobe has worn her traditional straw boater for a range of Fourth of July outfits in classic red-white-and-blue colours, that are echoed in the colours of the hat itself.

She pairs her boater with outfits that clearly speak to me of summer celebrations, and include elements of classic style, but are unique and modern.

What a perfect combination a straw hat and denim are, and I love the juxtaposition of masculine and feminine pieces. (Juxtaposition is one of my favourite things, and words.)

Annika, who shares outfit posts, DIYs and science facts at The Pineneedle Collective, has worn her boater hat with a wide variety of looks. They are all cheerful, cute and feminine.

I've selected some of her more vintage-style looks to share, but it was really hard to choose my favourites!

I seem to have gravitated towards the paler colours and florals here.

Valentine, who blogs at Hello It's Valentine, brings us some more florals, but also navy and stripes.

This bike! I've never seen anything like it. I'm a bit obsessed with outfit photos featuring bikes, possibly because I can barely ride one, and idealise the life that bike-riders have.

I think this photo below is still my favourite of all the boater outfits I've found! Just perfect.

So we've got boaters with skirts, dresses, pants, and shorts; with bold primary colours, classic neutrals and soft pale shades; and all the touches of riverboats and picnics that my heart desires! And they show to perfection how well a boater can be worn at all angles - flat on top of the head, angled to the side, to the front, or on the back of the head.

Want more? Check out the rest of the images on my Pinterest board for How to Wear a Boater/Sailor Hat, and the rest of the great outfits posts from Lavender and Twill, My Small Wardrobe, The Pineneedle Collective, and Hello It's Valentine.

To keep up with the "How to Wear..." series and other hat-related content, sign up to the email newsletter.

I'd love to know what styles of hat you would enjoy a "how to wear" post about, so please tell me in the comments!