Katie Harrowven – United Kingdom

Fascinating Flower Fusion

Category: Traditional

Description

Making this hat was a very interesting but testing piece for myself. I’m quite new to millinery, having only done a couple of hat courses by two different tutors, one of these was making a small button hat using leather.

Having been given an GMB:FB25 block as a present, I was keen to make a hat with this intricate shape and using leather. I decided for the fusion element to make one side from leather and the other from printed fur, these were then sewn together and attached to the head band.

To add further texture and more material elements, I made silk dupion flowers in various sizes. Pheasant feathers were cut and curled to complement the printed fur.

To add a hint of sparkle, crystals and a beaded bead were added to the finish hat.

My vision was to create a hat of different textures, with body and height yet remain light and elegant on the head.

Materials

• Buckram
• Domette
• Millinery wire
• Nappa leather
• Ethical sourced rabbit fur ( Spain)
• Silk dupion
• Velvet ribbon
• Alice band
• Phesant feathers, treated ( sourced from local butcher)
• Uhu glue
• Swarovski Crystals
• Florists tape
• Cake wire
• Acrylic paint
• Stamens

Techniques

• Blocking
• Working and joining wire
• back stitch
• ladder stitch
• Covering alice band
• Covering and manipulating cake wires
• Cutting and curling feathers
• Peyote beaded bead
• Flower making
• leather manipulation
• Addition of crystals

Tools

• GMB hat block FB25
• Glovers needles
• Blocking pins
• Kettle
• Scissors
• Wire snips
• Soldering iron
• electric flower tools
• Pliers
• Thimble