Bridget Early's Posts - Learn How To Make Hats Online | Hat Academy Millinery Courses2024-03-28T18:12:30ZBridget Earlyhttps://hatacademy.com/profile/BridgetEarlyhttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2993331552?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://hatacademy.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=2uydzitearsr6&xn_auth=noHow Important are your hands and Wrists?tag:hatacademy.com,2013-07-01:6485913:BlogPost:625062013-07-01T16:56:53.000ZBridget Earlyhttps://hatacademy.com/profile/BridgetEarly
<p>As a milliner, how often do you think of the importance of your hands and wrists? Of course, we all know that we need strong hands to block, but during your typical daily activities how often do you think, "I better not do that, I could hurt my hands or wrists?" If you are anything like me, you cut, chop, pull, push, and generally use and abuse your hands, wrists, arms, and yes, even your ribs. all day, every day. That is until that fateful day.</p>
<p>Who knew a regular daily activity…</p>
<p>As a milliner, how often do you think of the importance of your hands and wrists? Of course, we all know that we need strong hands to block, but during your typical daily activities how often do you think, "I better not do that, I could hurt my hands or wrists?" If you are anything like me, you cut, chop, pull, push, and generally use and abuse your hands, wrists, arms, and yes, even your ribs. all day, every day. That is until that fateful day.</p>
<p>Who knew a regular daily activity like a simple bike ride would have such an impact on my hat making? With five custom orders waiting, I met my bike riding partner a month ago to enjoy our regular bike ride. About 10 miles later, my hat making came to a screeching halt, when a field tractor failed to stop at a crossing, my front bike tire locked up, and I landed on both hands with fists gripped around the handle bars. The good news was that I have really strong arms which helped keep me from landing on my face. The bad news was that both wrists were in splints and I had a torn muscle over my bruised ribs. Let me tell you, wrecking a bike at 52 is nothing like wrecking a bike at 25.</p>
<p>Staring at my splints I wondered how on earth I was going to complete my custom orders. I couldn't even type, let alone stitch and block. Breathing was a whole other challenge Fortunately, my clients were VERY understanding, and willing to wait. A month later my ribs are healed but, my wrists are still sore and weak. Obviously, I couldn't wait for my wrists to heal completely. I actually have found that used correctly, wrist splints can allow you to block felt and straw, even when you can't pick up a jug of milk. Also, crocheting is great for rehabilitating your wrists. The rhythmic wrist action helps to pop the small bones in your hands and wrists back into place. It also provides you with a number of crocheted cloches to sell. </p>
<p>I am just now able to block more than one felt or straw in a day, and feel fortunate that I didn't have any more custom orders waiting, when I had my accident. I will, of course, go back to riding my bike as soon as I replace my poor bent bike, but it does make me pause and consider how often milliners consider how important it is to protect their hands, wrists, arms, and ribs are to their trade.</p>Karma Dickerson, WHAS 11 Louisville, wearing one of my derby hatstag:hatacademy.com,2013-05-09:6485913:BlogPost:552202013-05-09T17:30:00.000ZBridget Earlyhttps://hatacademy.com/profile/BridgetEarly
<p><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Karma Dickerson, WHAS 11, interviewing one of the more colorful characters at the Kentucky Derby infield.</strong> Karma needed a hat that was unique, fit her personality, and met all the requirements set forth by the news station. One of those requirements was that her face be visible. I achieved that by creating a hat that could be worn turned to the side and back. The sheer brim also allowed her face to be seen…</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Karma Dickerson, WHAS 11, interviewing one of the more colorful characters at the Kentucky Derby infield.</strong> Karma needed a hat that was unique, fit her personality, and met all the requirements set forth by the news station. One of those requirements was that her face be visible. I achieved that by creating a hat that could be worn turned to the side and back. The sheer brim also allowed her face to be seen even with a large brimmed hat. "I love the mystery of the hat," Karma said. "It was a hit."<br/> <a width="448" height="600" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2951375841?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" target="_self"><img width="448" height="600" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2951375841?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" class="align-center"/></a><br/>
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</center>Today's Woman hat featuretag:hatacademy.com,2013-04-03:6485913:BlogPost:491822013-04-03T20:36:06.000ZBridget Earlyhttps://hatacademy.com/profile/BridgetEarly
<p>Check out the April 2013 edition of Today's Woman Kentucky Derby issue for some beautiful hats, including one of mine on page 44. Anyone else in this edition? Speak up, so we know which are yours!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.todayswomannow.com/p/the-magazine.html">http://www.todayswomannow.com/p/the-magazine.html</a></p>
<p>Check out the April 2013 edition of Today's Woman Kentucky Derby issue for some beautiful hats, including one of mine on page 44. Anyone else in this edition? Speak up, so we know which are yours!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.todayswomannow.com/p/the-magazine.html">http://www.todayswomannow.com/p/the-magazine.html</a></p>Poor Milliner's Steamertag:hatacademy.com,2012-09-26:6485913:BlogPost:221412012-09-26T20:00:00.000ZBridget Earlyhttps://hatacademy.com/profile/BridgetEarly
<p>As a new milliner, my craft/obsession needs to support itself. That means that my equipment/supply fund can be a little lean. I can be found daily digging through drawers, my husband's tool box, kitchen cabinets, flatware drawers, my potting shed, even my grandaughter's toy box looking for something, anything really that can be used to replace actual millinery tools.</p>
<p>Recently, while canning this year's harvest, and pondering the need for a steamer, the jiggling of the pressure…</p>
<p>As a new milliner, my craft/obsession needs to support itself. That means that my equipment/supply fund can be a little lean. I can be found daily digging through drawers, my husband's tool box, kitchen cabinets, flatware drawers, my potting shed, even my grandaughter's toy box looking for something, anything really that can be used to replace actual millinery tools.</p>
<p>Recently, while canning this year's harvest, and pondering the need for a steamer, the jiggling of the pressure canner jolted my brain giving me the perfect solution. I already had what I now fondly refer to as a poor milliner's steamer. By filling my pressure canner about half way full, I can produce a generous stream of steam that will provide enough steam for even the heaviest felt hoods. The small vent allows me to direct the steam wherever needed. I can even set a hood over the vent to moisten the inside of the hood for blocking. I would caution anyone using this method to be careful not to allow the hood to stay in contact with the aluminum lid too long, to prevent hood damage.</p>
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<p>The small vent provides enough steam pressure for most any millinery need. Note the multiple water spots from steam on the canner lid.<a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3002188078?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3002188078?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="465" height="467"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Ample steam escapes the vent and clings to a wool felt hat.</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3002188303?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="442" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3002188303?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="442" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;">The first hat that I created with the help of my poor milliner's steamer. A chapeau for my husband--Melange Felt.<a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2892191517?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2892191517?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p>
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