Summer Hat Festival - Caussade France

Chateau Dumas is a wonderful place to get creative in France.  This year I was able to travel to France and participate in a week long millinery workshop.  Just as exciting is the annual Hat Festival.

Each Summer in France in the village of Caussade and Septfond there is a hat festival.  Part of the celebrations include a competition for milliners.  Entries come from all over the world.  I had booked in to do a Bridal Headwear workshop with the wonderful Dillon Wallwork at Chateau Dumas.  I thought it would be fun to enter some hats into the competition - just to see them in amongst all other hats from everywhere.

The celebration includes a fair and street entertaintment.  It creates a real carnival atmosphere.

There were some amazing pieces submitted in each of the competition categories.

 

There it is....



Me and my hat on the other side of the world.



Here's the other one - from Australia to France

How to Make Ribbon Trimmings for Millinery

This is such a versatile trimming.  On those days when creative inspiration isn't working for you - you can make up heaps of these and have them ready for just the right piece.

Ribbon petals used in a single row make a great looking edge.  Sew them together and you have a wonderful flower trim.

Measure the ribbon

Use whatever width ribbon you like. 

So if you have a look at the picture you can see my petersham ribbon measures 2 inches and I cut it at 4 inches.

Double the width of the ribbon and cut it.

Find the centre and fold down each corner towards the centre.  The ribbon should be even with the edge of the selvedge.

Put a pin in or iron so you have a nice neat edge to your petals.

Turn down one corner into the middle

Turn down the other corner

 Turn over to the reverse side.  Fold each corner into the centre and tack into place with a needle and thread.

Add some bling and your imagination can run wild about how you can use it.

Learn Millinery

I have just completed a four day millinery workshop with Master Milliner - Neil Grigg.  Neil is from Sydney and travelled to Rockhampton in Queensland to conduct this workshop.

Check out Neil's website - just beautiful.  http://www.neilgriggmillinery.com/

Just a shed in the backyard but what amazing and creative things came out of this shed over the last four days.

The wonderful thing about Neil's workshop is that you make what you want.  There were 8 in the class and we each made at least 3 pieces in the four days.  Each piece so different but all absolutely amazing.  Here are some photos.

The orchid pattern is cut from the brim of a capeline

Neil Grigg - manipulating parisisal to make a flower.

Flower being placed on headpiece

  

Another flower made from the brim of a parisisal hood

Check out the studs that just really mix up this piece .

This colour is just amazing - it is a velour felt.

There was even an opportunity to make  bridal headpieces

Black and white is always such a classic - a luscious red silk dupioni bow is the best way to complete this.

What a charming little cocktail hat.

Silk Abaca - such a wonderful colourful and just wonderful to manipulate into sculptural pieces.

The beginning of the guipure lace headpiece.



Guipure headpiece now finished.

So pretty - lace - pleated crin and black roses.



Making Fabric Flowers for Fascinator for St Patrick's Race Day

Just got a little sidetracked from my previous post about making silk roses for a bride.  I made these on the weekend for a headpiece for a georgous girl going to the St Patrick's Race Day. 

These are dog roses and are dead easy to make.  I really like these flowers as they sit quite flat - sometime you need a flatter flower.

Just to make sure you understand - both these will not be on the same hat.  The green silk flowers are for the fascinator and the other one is made from cotton.  I always think it is so amazing that changing the fabric can change the whole look.

I have sold  these dog roses with a little attachment at the back so you can thread it through a headband, use as a brooch or use on a thin belt or ribbon around the waist.

A pretty little hat at Ascot?

I was trawling about the internet and came across this amazing photo of a groovy lady at  the Ascot Races in England last year.    I absolutely adore her pink gloves.

I wonder if a hat can ever be considered too big? The photo does not show her handbag - I wonder if she went with something equally as subtle.

Perhaps I am underestimating the versatility of this headpiece  - it could double as a bed swag or a picnic blanket.

Crazy Inspiration for Millinery from the Kitchen

Such fun! Just goes to show don't think inside the box... Click on the link below and look at the salad bowl in your kitchen completely differently.