Lizzy

Jenepher

Australia

• HATalk Issue 114: Hats of the Month by Christine Thompson

I, like Christine, have had a fascination for fungi for a long time. I often look at images and see the potential to create an interesting and unique headpiece, just like Christine showed in her article. I have taken my inspiration from an image by Liz Kabanoff of a Bridal Veil Stinkhorn fungi which she photographed in the Blue Mountains, near where Christine lives. I used Liz’s photo as a starting point for my hat. I did not set out to create a replica of the fungi, I used the distinctive characteristics of the Stinkhorn to determine what form my hat would take.

The shape of the hat is similar to the hood of the fungi and to achieve this I created a hat block from an old sinamay crown made on a 1940s hat block which I packed out with straw pieces and stiffened.

I experimented with various techniques to determine how best to create a texture that I felt implied the texture on the hood of the fungi. I had no difficulty selecting a material for the bridal veil section of the fungi, crin. I manipulated the crin by hand to create openings similar to those seen in the photo and ironed unravelled sections to form tassel-like features which mirrored the straight line of the stem.

I like to work with reclaimed materials and a damaged and dirty op shop purchased hat was used. This proved a challenge as I had to determine how best to use the hat as it had several holes in it. I like to line my hats with interesting fabrics and I loved that I could make use of a beautiful secondhand silk scarf from my stash.

• Recycled damaged wool felt hat
• Italian cotton and metallic thread yarn
• Assorted beads and sequins
• Crin
• Thread
• Second-hand Italian silk scarf
• Millinery wire
• Petersham ribbon

• Make block to replicate the shape of fungi by packing out a 1940s sinamay crown
• Clean hat body
• Roughly block around damage to determine the placement of embroidery
• Machine embroider yarn onto hat body
• Beading applied
• Hat re-blocked
• Wire applied to fold of hat
• Head fit ribbon applied
• Crin manipulated and tie tacked into place
• Pleated lining made from the scarf