Isabella Cobby – England

Red Tide

Description

Equilibrium to me is about the ‘Yin’ and ‘Yang’ of opposite interconnecting forces.

The shape of the headpiece is inspired by the crashing rolling waves of the sea (hard heavy rolling wired shape) and the bubbling foam froth that this creates (distressed light soft feather flower).

The colour choice of red and white represents the anger and blood of war and the calmness and purity of peace.

The art of millinery also brings me my own sense of balance in the world and it is very apt that ‘Equilibrium’ is the name of the first ever millinery competition I have entered!

The name ‘Red Tide’ is chosen to represent all these elements echoing with the quote by Tamora Pierce, “Waves are the voices of tides. Tides are life.”

Materials

• Red Sinamay
• Cotton Covered Millinery Wire
• White Feathers
• Millinery Elastic
• Petersham Ribbon
• Millinery Stiffener
• Millinery Stamens

Techniques

Base:

• 3 layers of sinamay hand blocked and stiffened over wooden button block.
• Wiring of button base
• Petersham ribbon was then hand sewn to the inside edge.

Main shape:

• 3 layers of Sinamay blocked over large down turn brim which was then cut into shape.
• Wiring of outer edge of sinamay shape which was then covered in sinamay bias binding.
• The sinamay was then steamed and fonds curled to create current form.
• 2 additional sinamay leaf shapes were also made in this way and added to the final piece.

Flower Trim:

• Hand cut feathers formed into a feather flower which was then gently distressed around the edges.

All elements were then hand sewn together to create finished piece.