Kathleen Gaffey – United States

Rivets, Ribbons and Rolls… with copper wire

Category: Traditional

Description

During my millinery career, I’ve often gone to the hardware store for inspiration. So that’s exactly where my mind took me, while designing this hat. Rivets are a beautiful way to join two pieces of fabric/leather and felt. But the concept of a copper metal wire intrigued me, and a thin copper wire was the answer.

Materials

• I used a velour fur felt hood, shaped and sculpted to achieve the rolls desired.
• Contrasting felt coils and trim were riveted onto the hood.
• Copper wire was used to attach the sage coil in vertical stitches to the fuchsia felt trim.
• Grosgrain ribbon was finally riveted to the hat to complete the trimming.
• Inside there is an adjustable hat band, for a perfect fit

Techniques

• Using traditional millinery techniques, the base hat was steamed over a basic block , then hand sculpted to achieve the asymmetrical rolls.
• The edge of the brim was turned under, sewn and trimmed, for a finished look.
• The hat was then designed over a balsam block, where the rivet holes were marked, then hand punched.
• The rivets were inserted and the hat underwent a third steaming over the original block.
• The inside hat band was hand sewn, then a final steaming/shaping. To attach the sage coil over the fushica felt.
• Tiny holes were measured and marked, and holes were punched to ease the needle and copper wire thru the felt.