Featured Discussions - Learn How To Make Hats Online | Hat Academy Millinery Courses

Dyeing leather

2023-01-08T18:02:51.524Z

Hi and a happy new year wherever you may be! I’m in a cold dark wet UK with a bit of a challenge…..got a client with a beautiful crazy bright bright zingy green (jade/emerald but bright) and she would really like a halo style headpiece covered in leather….now I cannot find the colour to match anywhere so wondered whether I could dye a light coloured nappa leather? Anyone had experience of this (good or bad!).

I know the block alone will be a challenge for me as it is an angular shape she has chosen that I have never blocked before! I have only taken the easy way and used a beret percher which turned out pretty well.

Hopefully someone out there will have an idea and look forward to hearing.

best wishes

Penny

Please help... Rusty Antique Iron Molds!

2022-08-14T16:24:58.814Z

Hello to all.

I have purchased an antique brass and iron flower mold. It was dirty and had some rust. I cleaned with vinegar, baking soda and salt according recommendations found on internet. The mold looked clean and free of rust, but when I heated it and tried to shape a flower, there were rust/dirty dark spots all over my white fabric flower. I've repeated the process several times, but I get the same results. The metal continues to tarnish, rust even looking green. One half of the mold is brass and the other half is iron.

I really want to purchase more beautiful molds, but many of them are extremely tarnished and patina. If so many flower makers are using these antique tools, there must be a remedy... Are they re-coating the molds or is there another secret that I need to know? Please share the answer if you know. Thank you

Terie

Unhappy customer

2022-02-24T09:14:54.826Z

Just trying to get my little millinery business up and running and am seeking some advice re a complaint. A customer purchased a wool felt fedora style approx 6 months ago and has now complained that it has faded. She also said that she had trouble with the wire in the brim bending. She did go on to say she is quite rough with her hats. I'd just appreciate to know how others deal with complaints. This is one area in which I do not feel comfortable. Thank you.

VINTAGE HAT BLOCKS FOR SALE

2022-02-08T22:38:24.428Z

Good afternoon, Milliners...

My name is Dana McIntosh and I live in Chestermere, near Calgary. Before I reach out to my antique store contacts, I thought I would check with you all first...

I have a selection of vintage wood head blocks labelled 'Rubans de Paris' (circa 1920 - 60s) of 39a Maddox Street, London W1. My Mum acquired these in London, second hand in about 1970. At the time, Mum was doing her City & Guilds Certification in Millinery in order to teach Adult Education in the UK, having been a Milliner in Canada a number of years.

I have available four domed-tip crown blocks, four wooden stands, one flat-tip crown block, two collars, and two assorted cloche brim blocks. I have no providence to corroborate, but do remember Mum telling me that the rounded cloche block was used by the Milliner to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother's Milliner to make that popular upswept brim we so often saw adorning her.

I see online online prices for these vintage millinery blocks fetch in the region of $230 each (hence my thoughts to approach an antique dealer).

It is my wish to see the collection sold entirely in a single lot sale, and I know my Mum would be so happy if a Milliner would continue to hone her talents and creative joy using her tools of the trade. Based on pricing research, I am offering elements in the picture at the low firm price of CAD$1,000 cash, all in. (As an antique value, they are worth much higher... especially in a N. American market) If you are in the Calgary area, I will go so far as to deliver to your address personally (they're not light!).

My email is Danoise@hotmail.com for further enquiries.

Sincerely, Dana

Blocking conical hat

2022-01-21T14:38:43.196Z

I would love advice for blocking on a wooden cone. My vision is to use Sinamay or Parasisal as seamlessly as possible for a light, airy hat. Alternative would be to fashion a straw braid hat with cotton/Lurex braid. Do I need to install corset boning on interior with ribbon to cover? Thank you for your guidance,

Hat Conformer

2021-10-30T22:06:22.061Z

Thought this community might appreciate the most recent conformer that I made from walnut and red oak. I've seen a few 3D printed ones in recent years, so I decided to make my own that closer resembled the older ones I'd seen.…

Blocking Pins

2021-10-08T13:38:50.153Z

Hello Pros, I hope you are all doing well. Could you please share what type/kind of blocking pins you all use? The ones I use seem to rust only after a couple of uses and I keep having to replace these. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, and have a great weekend.

Is it normal for a 58cm hat form to actually be 58.4cm around?

2021-09-21T08:43:00.218Z

hi, I’m new here and would really appreciate some advice. I bought my first wooden hat form. I order it in size 58cm. When i got it it was actually 58.4 cm. The person I bought it from says that’s normal for it to be not exactly 58cm. Is this true? These expensive wooden forms are not true to size? Should i have ordered. 57cm, and built it up? now it’s too big for the hats i wanted to work on.
he said I could return it, but he won’t replace it. Is it the same everywhere, that they are not made true to size?

really appreciate any advice.

Challenges in Millinery

2021-08-14T00:37:04.024Z

I was hoping someone could share some honest challenges with regards a career in Millinery.

I don't just mean the technical challenges of making a hat but perhaps also business related challenges - accounting, sales, purchasing, expectations of customers etc, etc.

Thank you

How to Manage Inventory/Selling

2021-07-29T11:04:41.909Z

For those of you that sell, how do you all manage inventory? Do you do a 'one and done' for each hat or do you make additional pieces the same style as orders come in? Or keep a few in stock ready to go? Also, do you offer the same style in different colors?