Long Lazy Summer Days

Well Summer has officially begun so we should be looking forward to holidays and sunshine.

With that in mind I have now got a lovely selection of roll up ladies Panama hats with are as soft as butter and roll up inside a strong tube or you can make your own with a piece of card. 

Brilliant for going away, walking or in the garden.

Ascot this week with ladies day yesterday. I wonder if my ladies had any winners ? Always a hat lovers delight to watch the round up of fashion at the end of the week.

Lots of flowers out at the moment including dock weed and seed heads which I just love.

The little piece at the top of the post is a lovely stiffened lace with pearls on a black straw disc bound in pink silk to match a dress for a wedding. So pretty and delicate looking yet actually quite robust as it's wired to keep it's shape.

That bright pink hat has had a second piece in navy blue blocked I am just about start sewing it together and then trimming can begin. I will show you how it turned out next time.

Chrissie x

This Weeks Round Up Of Hats

This week has been about finishing off hats that had been blocked and are now ready to put together.

In other words ready for the hand sewing to begin.

Choosing the trims that bring the hat to life and give it a presence.

I always design the shape and materials but sometimes I do change my mind about the trim as the hat just seems to dictate what it needs.

You can't do this for a bespoke order so making for the shop gives us a little poetic licence.

I also sometimes like to collect a selection of interesting fabrics and textures and then make something completely without an outright plan, the results are often very pleasing.

I have roll up 100% ladies panamas from Ecuador in stock now, £58 each in lovely neutral shades perfect for holidays as you roll them up pop them in a wide tube and pack them in your suitcase.

Easy to post so get in touch at the shop if you'd like one or pop in and try on.

In other news my lovely Acer at my back door has just flourished in the rain and a little sunshine and is an absolute treat.!

Proud as a peacock

A client who lives a considerable distance from the shop needed a hat for a wedding and had her heart set on a very large asymmetrical brimmed hat.
Peacock is one of her favourite colours so I set to work on making the shape of her desire.!
Now normally speaking a fitting would be required for a hat and especially for a hat of this sort of proportion.
Time was not on our side for this event and I fretted about the fit, the comfort, the posting and packaging and quite a few other things.
In the end it arrived in time,safely in it's enormous box, fitted perfectly and she LOVED it.
It's a great compliment to be trusted but I admit to a momentary rush of tears when I got the happy phone call to say all was well.
Now I am looking forward to seeing the photographs.

Something to shout about

Here are two hats that were made with one thing in mind 'PHOTOGRAPH ME'.
The one worn by a former Miss England at Ascot a couple of years ago, found it's way into lots of newspapers, the second is still awaiting it's debut.
It's great fun when you are commissioned to make these P.R. hats but they do cause a few headaches like making sure the plane will stay in place or your pork pie won't slide off the side of the hat.
In the middle photograph the cream hat is made from felt and has two wings with central cuts supported by black wire.Once that stage was complete the very elaborate trimming began.
The pork pie was made from washing up sponges and lots of small pieces of tissue paper,one lady actually thought it was a real pork pie.No smell should have given it away.!
I don't have any other hats like these in the pipeline at the moment but as both of these came completely out of the blue you just never know what you might be asked to make next.

Thanks to Ed Chadwick photography for picture of felt/plane hat, great to have a photographer next door at Snug Gallery.

Topping the style stakes with a mini top hat

My lovely mini top hat block creates a terrific shape. Measuring 16cm across the top of the crown it's big enough to be a hat rather than a fascinator.
This one in black straw has a single quill, merry widow veiling and is trimmed in black silk.
Fun, shapely and just a little daring, perfect for head turning glances.
Now ready for popping into it's little red box and then off to the races tomorrow.
Lets hope my client has picked a winner.