Flight of Fancy

Tina Williams

United Kingdom

• HATalk Issue 138: Feather Fashions: Millinery and the Plume Trade

Inspired by the HATalk Article 'Feather Fashions: Millinery and the Plume Trade' which details the deplorable actions which took place at the height of the plume trade, and the horrific volume of birds that were hunted during this period. I was inspired to pay homage to the birds who were culled simply for decorations to adorn the headwear of the wealthy and create a headpiece where the birds take centre stage, without coming to any harm.

Made using origami techniques, each bird is made from Sinamay folded into swallows of differing sizes, with each given the impression of flight by being held aloft by wire hoops. The headpiece was designed with the idea of the birds circling around the wearer's head, with inspiration taken from cartoons where birds would appear swirling whenever a character got a bump on the head.

• 1.2 mm Wire
• 1 mm Wire
• Light Blue Sinamay
• Royal Blue Sinamay
• Navy Sinamay
• Navy Straw Cone
• Navy Dye
• Light Blue Dye
• Royal Blue Dye
• Navy Lining Fabric
• Navy Petersham Ribbon
• Hat Elastic
• Matching Cotton/Thread

• The Sinamay is cut into squares and folded into Swallows.
• The Straw is blocked onto a Button block, and then wired.
• The 1.2mm wire is bent into prongs and sewn to the button.
• The 1.2mm wire is curved into a hoop and attached to the prongs, the hoop and prongs are then dyed.
• The elastic, lining and ribbon is sewn into the button.
• The 1mm wire it curved into 4 hoops and either dyed a shade of blue or left white, and all sewn together.
• The Swallows are then sewn to the wire.