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.

Like New (Or Maybe Even Better?)

A few months ago, I purchased a sad little faux bird hat on Ebay.  It was in desperate need of TLC: the veiling was shattered, faux birds missing nearly all their feathers and body parts, etc.  The hat was described by the seller as being "covered by chickens."  That description made me giggle, and I think was one of the reasons I purchased it.  Who else can claim to have a "chicken" hat?

I could see that at one time this hat was truly spectacular.  It was a 1940s black felt tilt hat by Frances Adams.  I knew that I could restore it to its former glory, but it was going to take a complete overhaul.  Beyond the felt hat base and the orange plastic faux bird beaks, everything else would have to be replaced.  I used a vintage black veiling to replace the shattered one, and attached it just as the original had been: looped like a figure "8" and tacked down at the edges.  Rebuilding the faux birds was much harder, as (because they were missing most of their feathers and parts) I did not quite know exactly how the original wings looked.  I did my best to reconstruct the birds as they were originally.  I believe I did a good job, and I hope Frances Adams would agree.

Coffee Date & A Photoshoot

Ryan and I frolicked around downtown Jacksonville this weekend, trying to get some pictures for the annual Mad Hatter Hat-making Contest.  I had just finished my first attempt at a vintage-style fedora (using the two-piece antique wooden hat block that Ryan had bought for me for Yule!), so we wanted to get some pictures of that, as well as my crazy whimsical felt tilt topper with vintage faux hummingbirds.  I had recently received the most amazing vintage 1940s rainbow plaid two-piece suit set from the awesome folks over at FabGabs.  Not only was this suit perfectly in my taste, but it matched my birdie hat!  So of course I had to wear it for the hat contest photos...

Unfortunately, lack of time and a plentiful amount of stress have resulted in a mental block on awesome photoshoot ideas.  Not to mention, it's going to be difficult to top last year's photoshoot of me playing chess against the statue in downtown Medford.  So, we settled for a rather bland set of pictures around downtown.  I have until April 1st, 2013 to come up with something better for pictures, so maybe inspiration will hit...

In the meantime, I think some of these turned out pretty well!

In the middle of the photo session, Ryan and I stepped into my favorite local coffee shop - the Goodbean - for some early afternoon lattes and panini's. 

It was so nice to hang out with my handsome husband (who also happens to be my best friend), play in the lovely sunshine, and spend the day being young and in love.  I'm a lucky, lucky girl...

And might I just say that my lovely gentleman has the BEST WORKSHOP EVER!!!!!!!  (He's handsome and handy!)

2nd Whimsical Faux Bird Tilt Topper

Well, here's round #2 on the whimsical faux bird tilt topper hats!  The hat is constructed using a piece of delicious chocolate brown velour felt (~late 1940s), two vintage yellow faux birds, the most lovely ~1930s vintage plastic cherries & flowers, and vintage dark brown fancy patterned veiling.  I made the veiling nose-length this time, as some folks may not be ready for the full face/chin-length veiling.  Plus, nose-length veiling means you can wear the hat out to dinner and not have to mess around with tucking the veiling up and onto the hat when you want to actually eat something.

I'm doing everything in my power not to fall in love with the hat and pull the Etsy listing (like I did last time)!

Whimsical

I had some vintage materials laying around, and two faux birds who desperately needed a home.  Therefore, I made another tilt hat!  

The hat body is constructed out of a piece of ~1940s black wool felt, with 1940s black fancy patterned veiling, vintage red velvet flowers, and my two lovely little vintage faux hummingbirds.  The birds did not come with tail feathers, but I felt that for the whimsical scene I was attempting to portray - two hummingbirds zooming around a bunch of flowers - that long, colorful tail feathers were required.  I had a vintage millinery decoration (a gift from the lovely Cindy who owns the Vintage Hat Shop on Etsy!) consisting of some very stiff rainbow-dyed rooster saddle feathers.  I gently removed these from the decoration and attached them to the faux birdies!

I had originally planned to list this in Etsy store.  In fact, I did!  But then I made the mistake of trying the hat on with one of my green dresses...*sigh*  I made it two days before I pulled the listing.  I can try and justify it: the veiling had some tears, everyone told me I had priced the hat about $100 too low, etc.  But let's be honest here: I have never yet been able to sell a birdie hat that I have made that was not a custom order requested by a client.  I just can't do it!!  Does this mean I'll never be successful as a milliner?  Maybe.  But if I have to trade success for keeping all of the awesome birdie hats, I'll do it!  At least I'll be poor and fashionable.

In the meantime, I have two other yellow faux birdies of similar size and style that I will be using to create a 2nd version of this hat design.  This time, I'll be using vintage brown velour felt, with the yellow birds, ivory-hued vintage flowers, and a vintage brown veiling.  This WILL be listed in the Etsy store (I swear!!), and may turn into another custom order option, as I have found a source for small vintage faux birds in a variety of colors.

I also tried my hand at creating my own vintage-style faux bird yesterday.  After owning and repairing countless bird hats, I know exactly how the birds are made.  The problem is that finding the materials to recreate them is near impossible!  I have yet to track down a similar material to use for the fiber filling...In any event, I cannibalized a modern craft store foam bird and used its head as part of the base, with buckram for the wing base.  I showed the finished bird to my husband, and he said he couldn't tell it apart from my other vintage birds!  Hurray!

Recent Millinery Creations 2013

I have been absolutely terrible about updating my blog lately...honestly, I have been over-worked and under-slept, and that it turn makes me pretty much incoherent for typing anything worthwhile.  I did manage to go out on a dinner date with my husband recently, and got to wear my fabulous FabGabs green 1940s suit - which I paired with my "Mitzie Original" 1940s bird hat and my kitty cape.  Sorry for the crummy lighting in the picture...

Okay, back to my latest millinery creations...

I finished my first custom hat order, and mailed it off to a very wonderful (and satisfied!) customer.

I made another double faux birdie hat in the "Caspar-Davis" style.

I also finished my long-awaited Painter's Palette tilt hat!  This one is available for purchase in my Etsy store.

Mitzie Girl

I'm finally getting around to posting pictures of my latest faux birdie hat!  

 This gorgeous tilt style hat has two colorful faux birds in front, and is completely covered in iridescent turkey feathers.  The label reads "Original Mitzie Creation."  I stumbled across it purely by chance, and it was (of course) love at first sight.  I had to have it!

Custom Hat(s) Made To Order!

This is one of my favorite "go-to" hats when I want to wear a hat but don't want to be over-the-top.  

I also love that (like the dragon cloche), it's short enough to wear while in the car (unlike my fabulous faux bird hats, which are so tall that I have to take them off before getting into a vehicle).

I am now offering the Dragon Cloche as a custom order hat: you choose your felt color, dragon color, and fire color!

Finally, I was lucky enough to purchase an amazingly rare lot of 7 vintage faux millinery birds!  I am going to be taking custom orders for tilt topper hats (or any other hat design you like!) utilizing these striking decorations.  Please contact me through the Etsy store for details and prices.