Shoulder Bags & A Dash Of Glamour

I bought some lovely rich grey glazed cotton to make bags with and the first of the batch is this one with a white panel and a hand printed motif.

There's a pocket inside to keep your wallet and good strong comfortable shoulder straps.

The other extreme of fabrics is the crin above which is a very light and sheer headpiece which has been sprayed with ivory.soft gold and black to create a soft swirl of hues as you turn your head,

Finished with a swirl of black silk and a plume of tiny pearls.

It's tricky to see the lovely effect this gives on the picture but if you are local it's in the window at the moment.

Wedding Preperations

March today and as we slide towards Easter that means one thing for lots of milliners.

WEDDINGS.

Lots of people get married at Easter as schools have a 2 week holiday and it's the first chance of slightly warmer weather here in the U.K. although it's never guaranteed.!

So although we are still selling warmer hats and accessories we are pushing ahead with hats for Spring weddings and here are a few from last week.

A knotted straw with asymmetrical brim and pretty print trim. A soft green button hat with hand tooled silk apple blossom and a two tone grey and ivory medium topper hat with a distressed crin trim.

All very different but then so are weddings.

Which would you choose.?

Meet The Interns

Every year Hat Therapy takes on interns starting at various times in the year but collectively working as a team to make beautiful hats and accessories.This academic year 2014/2015 Hat Therapy has gladly welcomed a few new interns please meet them....

Firstly meet Helena  

Helena is currently studying Fashion, Marketing and Production at the Universtiy of Huddersfield and aspires to work in pattern cutting for a fashion house. She has also been commissioned to make two wedding dresses and a prom dress this year and is looking forward to getting stuck in to these projects. She says " working at Hat Therapy has helped me to develop my existing skills, expanding my knowledge and has tought me to apply them to a new and different context".

Next meet Evangeline

Evangeline is currently studying Textiles and Surface Design at the Universtiy of Huddersfield. Her interests are textile art and textile crafts and she is considering starting an online shop selling textile arts and gifts and maybe one day to open a shop of her own. She says " working at Hat Therapy has taught me pattern cutting and construction which is incredibly helpful to my practice as they are new skills that I can now feed in to my final year. I has also gained some retail experience that will be helpful when I am applying for a job".

Next up is Rebecca

  

Rebecca is currently studying Costume with Textiles at the University of Huddersfield. She would love persue a career in making costumes for the theatre. She says " At Hat Therapy I have learnt a new skill set that I will be able to utilise in my final year and also take with me into my profession after I graduate".

And also meet Jenny 

Jenny recently graduated in FdA Contemporary Textile Practice at Cleaveland College of Art and Design. She is currently starting her own business called Jennifer Hill Jewellery where she hand makes sculptural fabric jewellery with a theme of nature. She says " it has been interesting for me learning how a professional studio is run in a business and how to work as a team rather than working solitary".

All of us help each other out in the work room and our tasks vary from pattern cutting, constructing, machine sewing, hand sewing and using specialist millinery techniques.the work room is friendly and busy with alway plenty to do, it is a lovely atmosphere to work in and we are all enjoying it.   

  

Printing Our Own Fabrics

For ages I have wanted to print my fabrics to create interesting designs and this week it happened.
I was going to make some screen prints but decided it would be less messy and therefore more manageable to cut out craft foam and mount them on to wooden blocks.
To begin with I drew a few simple shapes like the one above but now I know it works well I can make the next ones a little more intricate.
I used lovely Irish linen to create two pretty pashminas and added embroidery,shell beads and a little lace.
It is colour fast and can be washed so perfect for accessories. I also printed a small area on the front of a linen clutch bag. Oh the joy of printing I think I've found a new passion.!