Hat Making

I suppose it would only be natural that someone so gifted in making ribbon flowers would also make hats. After all, hats create a great palette for all sorts of artistic expression! Ribbon flowers and trims, feathers, ruffles, and tulle can all work together for a stunning effect! So, in addition to silk and satin flowers and trims, Deb shared some of the hats she made. She started by showing us her (antique) wooden hat blocks. Their surfaces were worn to a beautiful patina from use over time. They are the form that heavy buckram is placed over to create the unique shape of a desired hat. The buckram is coated with a vegetable sizing and becomes pliable when wet. It can be molded, formed, tucked, and darted to create the shape the designer wants. After it dries it becomes very stiff and makes a solid foundation for the rest of the hat. At that point, many beautiful fabrics and trims can be stitched on. Deb even showed us how she used builder's Tyvek (high density polyethylene fibers) as a material for some of her hats. They meld, shape, and bond so beautifully when mixed with tulle, laces, and textiles. From fascinators to fedoras, Deb made hat-making look simple yet elegant and fun!

Click on the photo montage for a larger view.

A Piece of Magic is a Hat

What comes to mind when you think of the word "hat"? Now, add the words "TEA party" to your though. Does that change your idea of what a hat is?


My grandmother always wore a hat when she dressed up and went out. Because I knew of no one else who wore hats, I felt that it was quite a quaint tradition for old ladies. Little did I know how wrong I was! Although the "hat" is no longer a required accessory for a dress-up affair, it is still cherished by many as an object of good taste and proper dress. Groups of the American population are not allowing the "hat" to fade away completely and many are diligently working to bring it back into popularity. Jill, who blogs at Thoughts on Life and Millinery, is one who enjoys hats and works to promote the use of a hat as a beautiful addition to any wardrobe. And then there are the "Red Hatters", a group of women over 50 who wear purple attire, red hats, and socialize abundantly over TEA. They display some of the most magnificent around!


Milliner, Leigh Magar, states that "wearing hats is a southern tradition, though one that seems to be waning. I'm trying to revive it by hosting TEA parties where we all don hats." Another author reminds us that "fashion is a kind of communication.  It's a language without words. A great hat speaks for itself" (unknown).

My sister, Judy, donned another kind of hat while on a trip to a tea plantation in Indonesia. I call the beautiful tea pickers she is posing with the real TEA ladies of the world! These hats both shelter from rain and sunshine. A practical and beautiful asset to each lady's wardrobe.


"A hat is a flag, a shield, a bit of armor, and the badge of femininity. A hat is the difference between wearing clothing and wearing a costume; it's the difference between being dressed and being dressed up; it's the difference between looking adequate and looking your best. A hat is to be stylish in, to glow under, to flirt beneath, to make all others seem jealous over, and to make all men feel masculine about. A piece of magic is a hat." (Martha Sliter)


That quote really says it all, doesn't it!

Easter Parade

In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it,

You'll be the grandest lady in the Easter Parade.
I'll be all in clover and when they look you over,
I'll be the proudest fellow in the Easter Parade.
On the avenue, Fifth Avenue, the photographers will snap us,
And you'll find that you're in the rotogravure.
Oh, I could write a sonnet about your Easter bonnet,
And of the girl I'm taking to the Easter Parade.
 *

Written by Irving Berlin 
* 

Natalie