More Fun with Turbans

As you can see, I'm getting full use out of my newest acquisition: a 1930s/1940s-era turban hat block.  The decoration possibilities on this lovely tool are endless (and I'm doing my best to explore them all)!

This time, I used a piece of vintage black wool felt, and covered it with a section of light brown vintage fancy veiling.  I created a colorful faux bird (calling to mind a Bird-of-Paradise) out of a frame of wired buckram and spun cotton.  The head and shoulders are covered in tiny electric-blue iridescent peacock body feathers.  The main bird body is covered with brownish-hued, slightly iridescent pheasant body feathers, and the tail fan is made out of four dyed ostrich feathers.

More Hats for the Etsy Store...

Now that my millinery studio remodel is finally finished, and I'm starting to get some of my personal health issues under control, I've been able to get back to work creating hats!  I forgot how much I enjoy it...

This custom order faux bird tilt topper just flew off to its new home yesterday...It was an absolute joy to make (probably my favorite hat design of all time).

I recently purchased a vintage hat block, and have been enjoying using it to create various styles of turbans.  The first version was made out of a dark green wool felt, with black vintage veiling and three brown vintage mink tails.  This one is available for sale as an in-stock item in the Etsy store.

The next version (and my personal favorite) was constructed out of pale pink felt, with pink vintage veiling, and a faux bird (whose tail fan I created using antique goura feathers and antique white ostrich feathers). This style of turban is available as a custom order in the Etsy store.  

I'm about to begin working on another colorful version of it - this time using black felt, dark veiling, and a bird made out of electric blue peacock body feathers, with a tail fan consisting of peacock corona feathers and golden-orange ostrich feathers.  It will be absolutely stunning!

On the Work Table...

My work table always has several unfinished millinery projects on it at any given time.  I love to multi-task (can you tell?).

 

Currently, I'm working on a custom order top hat with faux bird.  However, due to bad weather in other parts of the nation, some of my feather shipments have been delayed.  

So my bald birdie is waiting for his body feathers to arrive in the mail soon...

I also have a new-to-me vintage hat block to play with!  It's a 1930s/1940s turban design, and I have been playing around with different decorating options.  I so loved the dark green felt color of the custom hat order that I purchased some for myself and made a turban on the new block!  

I was gifted some vintage mink tails many years ago, and have never quite known what to do with them until now.  They seemed the perfect finishing touch for the green turban.

I also made myself a lovely pink turban to match my most recent thrift store find (a pastel pink Emma Domb dress).  I created a faux bird for it using a vintage faux bird body, a fan of white ostrich feathers, and some antique goura feathers.  

An Evening of Glamour Awaits...

I made the decision to list my wild faux parrot hat in my Etsy store.  As much as I love it, the hat isn't quite "me."  I'm hoping it will fly off to a wonderful new home, and be worn about the town often.  It pairs perfectly with a glamorous evening dress...

We got some really fabulous pictures of it while photographing my new millinery studio.  

The tilt hat is constructed of a black felt base, and the colorful faux parrot is surrounded by a swirl of vintage pink veiling.

Let Them {Wear} Cake!

 

One of my wonderful friends recently had a birthday, and we celebrated at a lovely little pizzeria in Ashland.  I loathe giving store-bought gifts, and I wanted to give her something special.  So I made her a birthday cake hat.  Because I'm that awesome.

The hat is made out of black felt (dinner plate) and white felt (birthday cake).  It has lace around the sides of the bottom (decorative marzipan frosting), and even felt candles with sequins for the flames!  "Happy Birthday" is written in "frosting" (really soutache braid).

I think the hat was a hit!

The Importance of Choosing the Right Color

When you are taking pictures of items you plan to sell online, it is important to choose a proper background color.  You want a color that makes your product stand out and look good.  For example: I normally photograph items for my Etsy stores against a white background, but there are certain pieces that get way too washed out with white.  Take a look below at the same hat, first pictured against a white background, and then against black.  I haven't photoshopped anything, only the background colors were changed.  The white background washes out the white feather on the hat, practically making it disappear.  On the black background, the white feather stands out boldly, and the darker background also seems to make the red felt POP out.

Just something to keep in mind the next time you do your photoshoots!

Seeing Red: 2nd Version of the Mad Hatter Tea Cup Hat

I had some requests to make a different version of the Mad Hatter tea cup hat in red felt this time.  I made a few other changes to the design as well.  This time, instead of using the black & white-striped antique ribbon (which was a gift, and I cannot for the life of me find ANYWHERE that sells more of it!  I only have enough to make two more hats with it, and I am saving that for any custom orders I may get), I found the most adorable antique (slightly narrower) ribbon with red and green poker clubs on it.  I thought this was perfect for the mad hatter theme!  

I also decided to use a larger, single curled peacock feather for the steam, instead of a cluster of smaller curled ones.  It makes it more striking this way, I think.

The hat is available for purchase as an in-stock item and as a custom order.  The in-stock is a lower price because I was able to utilize materials on hand, as opposed to having to order new materials (and meet the expensive minimum order requirement) from my supplier.

Newest Millinery Creations

I finally found some free time to finish up some of my hat projects.  Most of these are already listed in the Etsy store, so go check it out for details!

Down the Rabbit Hole...

I recently completed several new hats for my Etsy store, some of which have already sold.  One of the most popular hats was this Mad Hatter Tea Cup hat.  The hat body is styled after a vintage 1940s-era tilt hat.  The wired crown is pinched and tucked to create that fabulous flared silhouette.  The steaming beverage is composed of an iridescent fabric for the liquid, and white curled peacock feathers for the steam.  I bent the wired brim a bit to give it more of that rakish air.

The in-stock hat used in the photographs has already sold, but you can still get your own version via custom order.  I will try and make a few more in-stock hats of this style for the shop soon.  I find it somewhat humorous that in-stock always sells better than a custom order listing of the same hat...I guess it has something to do with people's love of instant gratification?  Who knows!

Latest & Greatest

 

I made another hat!  Yes, of course, it has a faux bird on it...what can I say?  Frank Palma (vintage faux bird hat milliner extraordinaire) is my inspiration, and I happen to have an unquenchable lust for vintage faux bird hats anyway.

But there is something different about this birdie hat...

It has a nest on it!  Made out of vintage veiling!  With millinery berries for eggs!

I feel as though the great milliners of old would be proud...

Finished Fedora!

Gentlemen, may I please have your attention?  

(And Ladies, go ahead and enjoy the "eye candy!")

I present to you my finished vintage-style fedora, shown here in a lovely navy blue felt!  

This is a two-piece hat, with a wired and bound brim, and black satin ribbon (with light blue soutache braid detailing) on the sides of the crown.

Coming soon, as a custom order, to your favorite Etsy store...*wink*