Friday 27 November 2015

Sarah's Wedding

Sarah and Tristan had set the date! The plans for their intimate bistro wedding were underway.

Sarah found me through a web search looking for fascinators, as so many of my clients do. She gave me several weeks' lead time, which is ideal, and very much appreciated.

Her hair was short, and the fascinator was going to play the part of her 'do. I got a sense of Sarah's taste before we met, so our time together was spent playing with elements she knew she liked. Together we concocted a combination of rose, filigree, leaves and feathers that was uniquely hers. "This is way more fun than choosing my wedding dress," she shared. What a great thing to hear!



Millinery decisions made, Sarah could turn her attention back to the other preparations for her wedding. I went shopping, then got down to work.

I chose three different shades of peau de soie in blush tones to give her rose focal point subtle depth and nuance. Crystals and beads added the bling.


Sinamay elements and feathers contributed rhythm, movement and texture. It was working for me! But Sarah's opinion was the one that counts. Thus the nail-biting wait for the verdict began.


She liked it! The milliner exhaled. A teeny tweak and it was done. Sarah came to collect her fascinator and make sure she could clip it in. Indeed she could! Another millinery exhalation.

Sarah told me she loved the process of working with me on the most "bridal" element of her contemporary wedding look. She kindly promised photos to share with you (all wedding photos by Connie Tsang), and she was as good as her word. Thanks so much, Sarah! It's been a pleasure!










Monday 16 November 2015

The Hat Lady and Arni

Arni found me through Catherine Curtis, where I have some promotional postcards. Catherine was making a dress and jacket for his wife, Sheila, to wear at a family wedding in St. Martin. Sheila needed a hat to go with it.

Arni and Sheila, warm, friendly and charming, came to meet me at my studio. Sheila gazed at the hats on the shelves and called them my babies. "That's what I call mine," she explained. It's quite the nursery she's got going, too - about three hundred hats! No wonder they call her the Hat Lady!


Catherine had given them some fabric cuttings from the dress she was making. Sheila knew she wanted something like a cloche, in white straw to go with the white background of her dress, embellished with the fabric. We talked and laughed and played dress-up, as I took notes. One sample in particular made Sheila smile, and I knew that would be The One. Arni wasn't so sure, preferring another, more traditional sample under consideration. Sheila pointed out that her choice was distinctive and unique. Arni had to agree and Sheila's choice carried the day.

Sheila really enjoyed the creative process of seeing her hat come into being. She had a clear vision of how her hat should be, and I worked to realize that vision. Many hugs accompanied her thanks when she came to collect it.

And Arni had to admit that he really liked it, after all.



The Hat Lady and her husband left with more than what they had commissioned. The "babies" at home welcomed a bunch of new siblings that day.


Just as well they don't need to be fed. Just loved.












Sunday 20 September 2015

Give and Take

I've been waiting for Carol to come back for several months now. Or a few minutes, depending on how you look at it.

Last winter I made Carol a cap decorated in appliquéd felt ginko leaves. She loved its inspiration, a black felt blocked hat, but a cap was more practical. "I'm not a hat person," she confessed. It's okay. I'm open-minded.

Months ago, Carol told me the cap needed taking in. She has been welcome to bring it back to me ever since. It pleased the stars to align today to bring us finally together. She parked, knocked on my door, and then Carol asked if she could check out my neighbour's garage sale. Who am I to say her nay?

It was worth the few minutes' wait, because Carol came bearing gifts! At an auction she bought a trove of vintage "whimsies" (or cocktail hats of the 1950's and 1960s) and a lovely brown felt hat I can remodel. How kind of her! The fine vintage veiling on some of them is bound to get reused on a new creation in due course. In the meantime, they can join my collection of little black vintage hats on display in my studio.


As if that wasn't enough, Carol wasn't done. Her eagle eye spotted amongst the garage sale remnants a pretty little tin which I also scored, and which will store something soon enough. I am quite the sucker for pretty little tins. Carol intuited this somehow. She is an artist. She knows things. I tried to resist (that cleaning kick I wrote about last time), but it was futile. The tin is mine! Mineminemine.

I take in a cap, Carol gives me lots of cool stuff. All this bounty for something that's all part of the service -- a hat that fits. Thanks, Carol!







Wednesday 9 September 2015

Photographs and Memories

Now that I'm all grown up (officially, anyway) back-to-school time always triggers two reactions in me. The first one -- I'm not gonna lie -- is relief that I, myself, am not going back to school. (I love learning! I really do. But I prefer choosing how and when and where and what, thank you.)

The second reaction is a strong impulse to clean, purge, and organize. Consequently, my shoe collection has just undergone a ruthless cull, and the rest of my wardrobe is quaking with fear. So is the mountain of fabric scraps I've accumulated over the years, remnants of hat-making and other sewing projects.

(You want a pile of fabric scraps? You can have it. Contact me and come and get 'em.)

A recent beneficiary of my seasonal categorization craze is my photos. At St. Lawrence Market, craft sales and my home studio over the years, I've taken lots of pictures of customers and visitors wearing my hats, bands and fascinators. The photos been seen here before, post by post, but now I've created a Client Gallery on Photobucket, with categorized sub-albums:

All Dressed Up
Chez Moi
Fascinators and Bands
For the Guys
Summer Hats
Winter Hats

I like the Story view best. It's an attractive way to see a bunch at a time, and still zero in where you like.

It's been a lovely exercise, triggering lots of happy memories of all those shows and visits, of the many people I've had the pleasure to meet, and who have done me the honour of becoming clients and customers, some repeatedly! I'm so lucky.

Wondering how my hats, etc. look on actual human heads? Wonder now more! How wonderful.





Saturday 29 August 2015

Brock's Hat

If only he'd wanted a fascinator, Brock would have had little trouble finding me online. Ironically, since he wanted a hat, the search took longer. Go figure.

He did find me in due course (of course!), in search of a hat for sun protection.

Brock came to meet with me with his spouse, Anne. It turns out that this genial couple live right around the corner from my home studio!

We chatted about how much we love the Beaches and the changes to it we've seen over the years. And condos. (Torontonians always talk about condos, whichever neighbourhood they call home.) It's always great to meet my neighbours, and extra nice when I can render them a millinery service.


Brock quite liked the hat I had made for Tim last year, but needed more brim. He tried on a few samples and I took some measurements. We decided on fabric and trim, and then I was ready to get to work.

Once construction was underway, I decided a fitting would be a good idea, so Brock and Anne returned. For about two minutes. Because the fit was fine. Thank goodness they didn't have far to come!


Brock's hat was finished shortly after the fitting, and he was happy with it. He described the whole process as an adventure. For me, it was a pleasure.

Tuesday 21 July 2015

Sister Act

“I love your fascinators” is always a salubrious introduction! Aine opened our conversation with these choice words this spring when she enquired about having a fascinator of her own made to match a dress. The occasion was her brother’s wedding in Ireland, her native land. She liked what I had to tell her, and her sister Orla did, too, joining Aine at her appointment in my home studio.

Orla (left) and Aine.

The ladies arrived with dresses and ebullience. Aine and Orla got right into the spirit of things, trying on every fascinator on hand, taking photos of each other, and allowing me to take my own. Their energy and enthusiasm was infectious!

Although both dresses were beautifully colourful and floral, Aine was going for a “more is more” look for her own headpiece, while Orla was happier to tone it down a bit.

Aine has been in Canada for a few years now, and having tested the waters, so to speak, encouraged her younger sister Orla to join her on this side of the Atlantic about a year ago. It was lovely to see them advise and consult each other as they decided on their fascinators’ base shapes, colours and trimmings, sharing their opinions to make sure that each would have a piece that would be just right for their individual dresses and personalities.

Our meeting successfully concluded, I went to work. Each palette was delicious to wallow in as I dyed, flowered, feathered, blocked and beaded. When the pieces were ready, the sisters came back to pick them up.

Nail biting time. Would they like them?




They liked them! They said many nice adjectives! “Gorgeous” was one I distinctly remember. They kindly posed for one more photo, and very kindly promised to send photos of themselves at their brother’s July wedding, in all their glory. There were hugs as we said our farewells. (Hug your milliner. We really like it. Makes up for those bitten nails.)


And they were as good as their word. A few days ago Aine sent their photos, saying “Everyone admired our hats and thought they were fab!” Quel relief! And even more exciting news – she got engaged!

Sigh…

I love a happy ending, don’t you?





Orla with her niece, Leah

Aine with her newly betrothed, James

With James's sisters, Carol and Hannah

Thank you, Aine and Orla! It's been a pleasure!




Monday 6 July 2015

Natasha at the Queen's Plate

Yesterday was the Queen's Plate, and its party within, Hats and Horseshoes. It's big, it's fun, and it's free to get in and park!

I really thought that my only presence there this year would be the piece I made for Natasha, which would have been quite fine, thank you. She had a fifties vibe in mind, in red, black and white. Not a decade I had spent much time referencing in my work, which now seems incomprehensible. It was a wonderful era for millinery. So it was good to have this challenge.

Natasha contributed lots of great thoughts on how she wanted her hat to look. She seemed pleased with the final result. She used nice adjectives and a hug. I like hugs!

I did get to go, though. It was a big surprise, since my original invitee got her dates mixed up and was going to be out of town. But my partner, the indispensable Scott, stepped up and invited me last weekend. My hero!

Shortly after we arrived, guess who we saw in line to be photographed? Natasha and her partner, Ron! Quel serendipity!

I could not have been more delighted to encounter her. I'm so happy to have contributed to her beautiful self's beautiful Queen's Plate ensemble.


Here is their official red carpet photo by Woodbine:


And here are some hat photos I took in my studio:




Red, black and white were having a bit of a moment. Right, Shaman's Ghost?


(Like last year, my millinery magnum opus for the big race happened to use the same colours as the winning horse's jockey's silks. I wonder if it will happen again next year?)

So anyway, I had one week to design and make myself a hat. And I got it done.


Scott's hat I had made before, so no panic there.


The rest of my ensemble was a result of closet shopping. Last year was so crazily windy at Woodbine Racetrack that I made sure I weighted the hem of my flared skirt, just to make sure I wasn't going to have an unwanted Marilyn Monroe moment.


And I didn't, because the wind was much less of a factor this year.

Colour was well represented, though! The scene was awash in a glorious riot of hues and tones and pigments. Intoxicating! (Not unlike the signature Blue Diamond cocktail. I recommend them.)

I spent the afternoon greeting my fellow milliners-about-town and George Brown College millinery program alumni, five of whom were competitors in this year's Millinery Design Competition. I was happy to simply be a cheerleader this year. (Competitors are invited, and rumour has it that there is a cutoff date to when you were a student. Apparently I was one too long ago now.)

The photos I took don't really do justice to this year's competition hats, so I'll borrow others' to show you the winners:

Third prize was this confection from Paddy Richardson called "At First Blush."


Second prize (for the second year in a row) went to Amparo Findlay's "Spirited Away."


And the grand prize went to Vanessa Lee Wishart's exuberant creation:


Congratulations, Vanessa, Amparo and Paddy!

Hats and Horseshoes is like a millinery Mardi Gras! I'll be back, and I hope I'll have the honour of dressing a few other heads next time. (Place your orders now. Avoid the rush!)

Here are way too many photos I took along the way. Enjoy!


The indispensable Scott Kennedy, author, gentleman, day-saver and hero. Sigh!


Handsome from every angle.


That would be me. That fifties thing is kind of catchy. And coincidental. My dress was bought ages ago and the hat was made last week to go with it.


With Northern Dancer, a big fave chez nous.


Krystle, in one of the first hats I glommed onto, a real standout. English milliner, no big shocker.


David Dunkley, QP15's official milliner, with a hat he designed made from Lego.


Me playing with Lego. They had a pixilated picture of last year's Queen's Plate winner and you could build little colour-coded squares and help put it together. I could have stayed and played for quite a while, but tore myself away after one square.


Plane! Low-flying planes descending to nearby Pearson airport are still my weird favourite things about Woodbine.


And now for some hats and people, some of whose names I know:


Anne and Julie



Doug


Liz and Jacquie, Toronto Vintage Society


Men in shorts. Trending!


LOVE this look! And the lady looks very wonderful, too.


More red, black and white moments.


Sharon and Trevor


The lady in silver (hat from Florida) was a prize winner in the Most Fashionable Lady contest after this. Can I spot 'em or what?


Steve

Tracy and Brent

And so we bid a fond farewell to this year's Hats and Horseshoes at the Queen's Plate. Can't wait to see what we'll all be wearing next year!