Saturday 26 April 2014

Love, Marriages and Baby Carriages

Spring! It's here! I'm almost afraid to say it out loud. It's still April, and you know how cruel it can be. But the buds are burgeoning and the birds are abounding. Last weekend a neighbour kid exemplified my mood, bouncing on a backyard trampoline in a bunny costume, ears bouncing madly away. I'm not as bouncy, being trampoline-less, but I'm still one happy milliner.

And I've been making happy millinery for happy occasions for the past several weeks. Weddings and baby showers! This little yellow hat room has seen a steady stream of traffic of brides, bridesmaids, wedding guests and expectant mothers.

Visiting a milliner is a new experience for most of us, isn't it? People come over not quite knowing what to expect. They bring photos of their dresses, or the dress themselves, which is even better, and before they know it, they're trying my samples on, combining elements and articulating ideas -- really getting into it, and becoming major players in the design of their own pieces. So much more fun than buying something ready-made from a store. How I love it!

One group just left, in fact. But not without a photo souvenir:

Akosua, centre, is the bride-to-be, with her fiance Dale and bridesmaid Dara.

Can't wait to get started creating the ideas we came up with!

Akosua promised faithfully to share photos of my work at work, so to speak. They all promise, but so few actually do! (No one writes to the milliner, as I poutily put it, with apologies to the late, great G.G. Marquez.) I would dearly love to share such souvenirs with you. But in the meantime, I can show you a couple of views each of some recent bespoke pieces in studio shots. Maybe that will be reminder enough?

These are pieces for events that have already taken place. I long to show you some more, in due course, once they have taken their star turns.


For a bride, from my Tea and Iced Cakes bridal collection.


It has custom dyed ostrich feathers in a celadon green, with a beaded finial to match. It looked exquisite in the bride's dark auburn hair.


For a wedding guest. Different wedding!


Appliqued embellished lace, for another auburn head.