Due to the nature of felt with no weave it lends itself easily to reshaping & embellishing to make trims from scraps. Create leaves, flowers curled loops & bows even add stitching.
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What's your millinery studio look like? How do you manage your work and storage space?
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Creating a perfectly fitted lining for your Headpiece or Fascinator is an essential finish.
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Colour co-ordination is essential when designing headwear with your client. Nine times out of ten they purchase the outfit firstly, then come to the milliner requesting you to match the straw. The best way is to use swatches of straw available here from The Feather Shop at a minimal cost. The Feather Shop will also be offering colour cards for their feathers, veiling and crinoline later this year. …

Fine fabrics such as chiffon, organza or georgette drape softly over a hat foundation. Learn to swathe fabric & secure invisibly to give a feminine old world look to crowns,brims or both. What you create in fabric can also be achieved with sinamay.

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QuillnAros artist Ellen B Kahn creates one off hand marbled feathers. As a freelance artist she has worked with Museums in Washington and Virginia but now is devoted to this amazing artistry using feathers from her own aviary. It has all developed from her love of caring for birds especially parrots. These…

Using fabric to cover your clients hat crown will co-ordinate the hat with the outfit. Nothing else makes the statement so clearly -"I have been to a milliner". Learn how to make a template from your block to make the pattern for the foundation and fabric covering. The use of fabric due to huge variety available will give you a marketing edge.
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What has shine, pliability and strength? Answer – the latest millinery sensation, Silk Abaca. It is a favourite for milliners creating headwear with a sculptural difference. Available now from The Feather Shop in an array of designer colours. Shipping world wide.
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Perhaps worn by a family member, a celebrity a Royal or your own personal headwear, what was you favourite hat you remember when growing up?
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Wooden Pillbox Hat Block 9cm high. Made from durable light weight, easy pin straight grained Milkwood. Includes free collar, made to order, sizes 53cm - 60cm. Post to Austaila only.
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Kathleen asks: "I received a comment on my blog from a reader asking where she can find hats made for a larger head size. Does anyone have any suggestions?"
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At the age of 13 the Vocational Guidance Officer at School suggested I become a nurse – I squirmed. He then suggested teaching Home Economics. This training in the 60's gave me the opportunity to learn and teach Millinery. So started my love to make & wear hats.

How did you become involved in millinery? » Discuss here

Revitalise your trims with creative leaves. In this lesson you learn how to make leaves in 14 different ways. Leaves can be added to a trim with flowers or without. Learn how to wire leaves you make from sinamay, pari, silk organza or printed fabric to create a 3D effect. Grosgrain leaves co-ordinate well with Grosgrain edged style as do felt leaves on a felt hat. Leaves can be the trim feature or…

Crinoline is often used as a trim but transform into a beautiful ethereal translucent brim by joining, wiring and binding. Create a small percher hat using narrow crin or use pleated crinoline for a unique look brim. The end result is a soft feminine look to your hat.
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Millinery through the years has been captured and documented in books which are a great source of retrospect and inspiration. Do you have a favourite you regularly flick through, or one to recommend?
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When preparing to block a hat or headpiece is it best to cover the block with Plastic Wrap or Auminium Foil? Learn when to use either for best results.
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Based on brim construction learn to: Reshape, twist, pleat, splice, embroider, braid. Add fabric to sinamay. Make Parisisal Hatinators & learn how to finish edges. Create crinoline, veiling, lace & fabric hatinators by binding and sculpting.

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When stitching with herringbone stitch, the angle of the thread will help to catch the fabric or wadding layers down firmly. It is a popular millinery stitch due to the "give" it allows. To stabilise felt folds when sculpturing your felt hat use herringbone stitch internally so the folds remain as designed.

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Hat Academy members loved Hatober special so much that we have changed the lesson prices permanently! Series One classes (1-20) which features basic techniques through to comprehensive millinery skills are all 25% off. Remember you have unlimited lesson access to all purchased classes so you can return to…

A favourite for Spring Racing, in this lesson you will learn: Variety of components create a cocktail hat, Cover with silk, lace & add veiling, Cocktails in sinamay with wire & binding & Sculptured parisisal cocktail hat.
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