Lady Ironbridge

Julie Hargreaves

Australia

• HATalk Issue 1: Living History – The Drapers Shop, Margaret Owen at work

I’d visited the Blists Hill Victorian town and Ironbridge a very long time ago and the article brought back fond memories. My hat is inspired by and interpreted from the Victorian hat fashions, using classic millinery techniques typical of that era. However, it was the word ‘Ironbridge’ in the article that kept standing out and I wanted to use that as the essence of my design theme. Having acquired a rusty can which had been transformed into a piece of metallic lacework by years in a creek, it was obviously going to be part of the hat! Once stabilised with a coating of shellac, I could work with it to create the headband trim which is the main feature of the hat.

The metallic theme continues in the choice of materials, either in form or colour. The flowers and leaves are made from knitted wire mesh, the hat fabric and lining are gold coloured, steel grey petersham is used, etc.

From a few concept sketches, I created a paper mock-up of the shape I was aiming for so that I could test out the look and fit. From this I drafted the pattern for the construction of the buckram base, the fabric covering and the lining. All the hat is hand sewn with the exception of the lining and the bow. Sewing on the hard material of the ‘iron lace’ was a bit tricky, without using glue and trying to keep stitches from being obvious. The organza bow was deliberately large and flouncy to balance the hardness of the metallic trims.

• Buckram
• Millinery wire – cotton covered #19 and #21, steel wire and joiner
• Bias tape
• Gold coloured taffeta fabric
• Gold coloured satin lining
• Steel grey coloured rayon petersham
• Gold coloured hat elastic
• Flowers/leaves made with gold coloured knitted copper wire mesh
• Iron lace from a rusty tin can eroded by nature, with a shellac coating
• Bow – cream organza
• Organza/satin ribbon

• Pattern drafting
• Creating rigid frame foundation using buckram
• Wiring frames
• Covering foundation frame with fabric – crown and brim
• Sewn lining
• Petersham headband
• Making flowers and leaves from knitted wire mesh
• Working with metal and protective coatings
• Making bows, working with sheer fabric