Cloches, Forties Felt and Draped Satin

The final sequence from my wonderful photoshoot from June with Dee and Mel! These hats are all already sold, some to my lovely models, and some through the Blackheath Hub. But the photos are so lovely, I still wanted to share them with you.

I have since made a copy of this green cloche in blue for someone who fell in love with it when they saw these photos on my facebook page.

I showed you this pink cloche on me earlier, but this is its new owner, looking fabulous in it, and showing how well it can work with a non-1920s outfit.

I hardly ever attempt the same hat design twice, but this post features two! Not only did I remake the green cloche, but this mottled brown felt is a copy of a previous hat.

The original was in grey felt, and was a gift for a friend at work, whose generosity with her time and expertise helped me through a difficult year finding my feet teaching in a new faculty. I'm partial to this design for that reason, along with its charming simplicity. It is a hat that doesn't look like much by itself, but looks gorgeous when worn. I may have to make a third one!

This little red felt cap was inspired partially by a 1940s hat, but I strayed off into my own realm with it. I still feel a forties vibe from it, but I'm not sure whether that is the best way to classify it. I love the button and tails detail, which I would like to use again, whether I repeat this overall design or not.

This hat is another one that has been on a long journey from the beginning of its creation to a good photo shoot and a new owner! I began with the main front piece, inspired by this 1950s photo, almost a year ago, when I chronicled the recycling of an old costume dress project into this hat.

I wasn't happy with using an elastic on it, and so it sat unfinished until the International Millinery Forum, and a class with Jan Wutkowski about vintage bandeau styles. I fell in love with "figure eight" attachments after trying on one of her examples and feeling how comfortable yet secure it was. This was the project I worked on in that class, but it took until June to get great photos of it!

Again, I want to try to make something similar, although I wouldn't attempt to repeat the exact design! Too much chaos (not to mention specific parts of the old dress!) went into its making to be able to replicate it. It has been one of my favourite creations, however, so I'm sure to revisit some aspects of it.

Really, this has been quite a post of favourites! So many delightful ideas - drapey fabrics, sweeping felts, little bows, and vintage buttons! Which of these design features do you like best?

(Entry to the competition is now closed. The winner will be announced here on Friday!)