Hand Covered headband

The base for many a fine headband, I use silk with beaded tulle overlay to achieve this 'lush' look, above is the finished design.

You only get to see a small amount of detail however the whole shape and look would be very different on a flat band.

This is the latest in customers own fabric, below.

Often the beading has to be re attached as below.

I tie off the ends of the beading to make sure that they do not shift
or drop off while being worn, as below.

An earlier post you will remember this is how I hand cover
the flatter metal bands in petersham.

How to Make a Hat with Stitch Detail

I attach the ribbon by stitching in place from the underside hiding all the stitches under the headfitting.

Where the ribbon meets I decide to have a small feature in the center of the ribbons, this is just the same ribbon width however I have folded it so that it is narrower as this always looks better.

Using pins I decide where I have to curve the ribbon with the iron and where I will stop the curve and have the ribbon straight so that it sits flat on the brim.

Matching the ribbon for around the crown luckily I have the exact colour in a vintage petersham. I have also heavily stitched this ribbon so that it matches in both colour and texture.

Stitching from the underside is trimmed of loose ends.

You have to be prepared to squish the crown to get the stitching where you want it. No stiffener on this brim (some slight sizing on the crown) and so it is all quite flexible - my trusty ol 'singer' is perfect for this job as she will stitch any thickness and gives a beautiful even long stitch length.

Working out the pattern I used a silver pencil so I had a rough guide for my stitches, pins are there also just as a guide and as I draw with the silver pencil I remove the pins as pins in a brim while you are doing this intense stitching can throw you off and cause your stitching to go haywire. I want the stitching to emulate a ribbon detail that you would find on a 1940's style hat.

Making hats for the shop and this is how I go about making a felt hat with stitched detail. The colour of the hat and stitching pretty much needs to be spot on as I think it looks better unless it is decided that a contrast would be good ie. black with cream stitching. I made this hat from a lovely burgandy coloured Peach bloom hood. The cotton I have stitched with matches perfectly as does the ribbon I have used on the headfitting and hat band.

Summer Sun Hats 2009

Well, I had one in my hand still sewing it's label in when I walked into the shop yesterday and it sold on the spot. A divine watermelon, very fine straw so I guess I shouldn't be surprised but I like my creations to stay around a bit longer than that. Part of the joy of creating a beautiful hat is to look at for a while before it walks out the door (!) A few photo's I took over the last couple of days hiding in my air conditioned studio out of the hot hot heat in Melbourne.

Stephen Jones video

In March 2010, 'Hats, an Anthology by Stephen Jones' will start touring the world for the next six years. Its first port of call will be Australia.
A video from the recent Stephen Jones Exhibition at the V&A that I was lucky enough to see in London in May this year, see a Stephen Jones hat made from beginning to end, check this out !

On 25th February 2009, Stephen staged a major exhibition at the V&A, London attracting 100,000 visitors, introducing both fashionistas and novices to the wonderful world of millinery. Working with radical hat designer, Stephen Jones, the V&A presented an 'Anthology of Hats'. Drawn from V&A and international collections and ranging in style and period from a 17th-century Puritan's hat to a 1950s Balenciaga couture piece to hats by Jones and his contemporaries including to the latest creations by young milliners such as Noel Stewart, the exhibition investigated the cultural and historic importance of millinery. The exhibition is arranged in four main themes - Inspiration looks at the myriad of sources including historicism, exoticism and the natural world; Creation explores the techniques, materials and processes; The Salon focuses on the buying and selling of hats and the millinery shop; and The Clients which examines the wearing and etiquette of hats and features headgear worn by well known clients of some of the world's top milliners including Gala Dali, Isabella Blow, Anna Piaggi, Dita von Teese.

How to make a Hat : Black Felt Cap with Faux Patent Trim

Hand sewing on the petersham band trying to be careful not to pull too tight as it will pucker, then I hit the edge that I had just sewn with a hot steam rag and then (after all had dried) added a small shinny strip to cover the hand sewing and to add the final touch.

Front and back views as hat is nearing finish, photographed on my trusty old poupee which I bought at 'Siegal & Stockman' in London before I returned home to live back in Melbourne (in 1988) - she has made many, many hats with me and still loves trying them on before the client !


Adding the head fitting - client has very small (21 1/2 inch head), I tacked the peak onto the crown and then added the (measured) head fitting by pining into place and then simply got the lot under the sewing machine and zipped around and all was sewn on at once, peak to the crown and head fitting to the inside, simple !

Finding the back seam

Above is the original - I actually think the black version is nicer (!) as it has a finer look because the black faux patent was a finer material to work with.

I have just finished this hat for my client, a lovely woman with long black, black hair and I think she is going to be very happy. I have made it in all black - so the result is very dressy and will look great on her. I have photographed the steps in achieving the result, the reason I did not make the original one in black was that I could not find the material in black but after searching high and low finally came across some and here is the result - what do you think ?
Sorry I have no photo's of this on the block. I have no excuse other than I just forgot to take photo's right from the beginning.
I try and make my range in a variety of colours as I object to making everything in black, black and more black (boring ?) but as I have now been making hats for over 20 years I think maybe I should just give in and make everything in black and then everyone will be happy !
I think though I will stick to my lone attempt at variety and colour - what do you think ?

Help which colour....?

A fabulous display at one of my suppliers of hundreds of ribbons, ric rac braid, cords, satin......... the list is endless in Hong Kong.