Monday, July 4, 2011

Millinery class: Cocktail hat "Americana"

Today is THE day to present my other cocktail hat:
Americana

Cocktail hat Americana

This hat is sooo American: beside the colors, I used an old Levi's jean, and some 100% American silk for the trimming.

Cocktail hat silk

Here are the steps to make it, but before to create the right ambiance, a music I like:

So, the steps:
I smoothed 3 layers on the head shaped wood block (the kind I used for the 1st picture).
Each layer was moisten and really smoothed on the block, before starting with the next layer.
The first layer was a black satin (lining), the second was the buckram (you can see it on the picture below), and the third was the jean.
Once everything is totally dry, I had to decide the shape I wanted it. I did a drop:

Cocktail hat

Next, I added a metal wire all around, before sewing some bias (hand sewn!)

I added a comb inside the hat to make it stand on the head. The last step is the trimming: the silk flower!

Happy Fourth of July!!!