Contemporary Millinery: Hat Design and Construction

by Sophie Beale

Overview

In the pages of this complete guide by "Britain's hottest new milliner," learn to express yourself through the design and creation of your own hats and headwear.

This book offers a fresh and enticing introduction to the art of millinery, blending modern design and refined techniques with trusted traditional methods. Clear and concise, it's been compiled with all budgets and a variety of skill levels in mind.

Readers will explore core millinery materials through a series of techniques based on a single wooden block and sculptural, hand-sewn, flat-patterned hats. They'll also learn ways of working sustainably.

More than 200 photographs, sketches, and clear guidance from Sophie Beale combine to offer over 20 activities, with instructions for 11 complete headpieces and hats, including straw hats, boaters, felt hats, veils, and more. The projects are carefully planned to make them easy to digest, each focusing on different, interchangeable materials and methods.

Includes helpful indicators for skill level, a glossary, and suppliers list.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780764362118
Publisher:	Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.
Publication date:	04/28/2022
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Award-winning milliner, designer, and instructor Sophie Beale developed a unique blend of knowledge working in London’s finest couture millinery workrooms. She studied millinery at world-renowned Kensington and Chelsea College with respected milliners including Hilary Peach and Royal Milliner Rose Cory. Sophie lives in London. www.sophiebealemillinery.com

Table of Contents

Introduction 6

The Basics

What You Need to Know before You Start 8

Tools and Materials 10

Millinery Materials 15

The Bias Explained 19

The Anatomy of a Hat 20

Taking a Head Measurement 20

Useful Millinery Terms 21

Millinery Stitches 22

Getting to Grips with Millinery Wire 28

Petersham Head Ribbons 30

Blocking

Blocking and Trimming Core Millinery Materials 32

General Blocking Instruction and Advice 34

Sinamay with Sculptural Ruffle and Spirals 38

Straw with Hand-Shaped Drape and Rolled Edges 44

Buckram and Leather with Angular Fabric Bow 50

Felt Percher Hat with a Brim 56

Couture Flat Patterns

Sculpting Headwear without a Block 64

Hand-Shaped Felt Saucer 66

Sinamay and Otgandie Halo Hair Band 72

Fabric-Covered Wide-Brim Boater 78

Sustainability

Limiting Waste, Repurposing, and Upcycling 88

Mixed-Media Headpiece 90

Patchwork Felt Pillbox 96

Upcyded Straw Hat 102

Additional Trims

Alternative Ways to Decorate Your Hats 108

Feathers 110

Birdcage Veil 114

Quilts 116

Versatile Rose 119

Finishing Touches

Adding the Final Details 124

Attaching Hats to Heads 126

Linings 130

Setting the Head Ribbon 133

Expanding Your New Skills Design Advice and Exercises 134

Taking It to the Next Level 136

Inspiration, Themes, and Research 138

Drawing Heads and Hats 139

Developing Designs 143

Designing for the Individual 146

Pattern Library 148

Troubleshooting 157

List of Suppliers and Useful Links 158

Techniques Index 159

About the Author 160