Millinery Makeover!
Nearly two years ago, i made a post about a sinamay straw tricorne. The hat has been on display in the millinery studio area ever since, waiting for the perfect show and character to come along, and for a designer to see it and have an "a-ha!" moment.
That has happened on Nicholas Nickleby--costume designer Jan Chambers wanted the hat made over for the character of "Mrs. Crummles," the flamboyant wife of a theatrical impresario. I was thrilled the hat was going to finally make its stage debut, though i never would have foreseen what it would eventually become! This is what it was to begin with:
The original hat of cream sinamay straw, trimmed with silk organza,
a burnt black ostrich plume and a horsehair cocarde.
And this is what i made it over into:
The designer requested that the hat be gold, but rather than dyeing and reblocking the sinamay (which there wasn't time for), i sprayed it with a gold floral spray. The crown is covered in a layer of red and black crosswoven silk organza, overlayed with tricolor metallic lace, and the band and binding are of a red and black crosswoven silk taffeta. The hat is trimmed with tricolor brocade ribbon, coq and pheasant feathers in two colors, and a spray of gold berries.
Crazy, huh? I wouldn't recognize it on the street as the same hat if i hadn't made it over myself! (Though honestly, if i saw it on the street, i would have to give its wearer some serious congratulations for the sartorial courage of wearing it around in the world.) However, i can't wait to see it onstage as worn by the fabulous "Mrs. Crummles"!
That has happened on Nicholas Nickleby--costume designer Jan Chambers wanted the hat made over for the character of "Mrs. Crummles," the flamboyant wife of a theatrical impresario. I was thrilled the hat was going to finally make its stage debut, though i never would have foreseen what it would eventually become! This is what it was to begin with:
The original hat of cream sinamay straw, trimmed with silk organza,
a burnt black ostrich plume and a horsehair cocarde.
And this is what i made it over into:
The designer requested that the hat be gold, but rather than dyeing and reblocking the sinamay (which there wasn't time for), i sprayed it with a gold floral spray. The crown is covered in a layer of red and black crosswoven silk organza, overlayed with tricolor metallic lace, and the band and binding are of a red and black crosswoven silk taffeta. The hat is trimmed with tricolor brocade ribbon, coq and pheasant feathers in two colors, and a spray of gold berries.
Crazy, huh? I wouldn't recognize it on the street as the same hat if i hadn't made it over myself! (Though honestly, if i saw it on the street, i would have to give its wearer some serious congratulations for the sartorial courage of wearing it around in the world.) However, i can't wait to see it onstage as worn by the fabulous "Mrs. Crummles"!