Hello! I have an old millinery book and in it, they talk about making a hat block out of stiffened willow esparterie. I really like this idea because I can't afford blocks at the moment and I don't necessarily like cutting up styrofoam. I know that willow is pretty much impossible to come by these days, so I was wondering if there are any hat foundations still available which might achieve the same thing? Hope it's not a silly question! Thanks for your help.See More

Hi all, I'm very much a beginner in millinery and haven't had the opportunity to play around much yet. I've been watching the buntal brims course and haven't really found much in the way of buntal mats here in the UK. I was wondering if there's anything similar that I might be able to use for the wired Breton? Or even if an unblocked capeline might be useable? I love the shape but don't have a brim block just yet so have to depend on wire. Thanks for your help!See More