Mad about millinery

Well, the school's started, even if it hardly felt like it in the first couple of weeks and we're slowly getting started with our projects for the beginning of the year. The Victorian dress project is at a stand still and may stay that way for a while, but that doesn't mean I haven been keeping busy. I finished my first wedding project, a lace bolero and alterations of a ready-to-wear gown and have been working on another commission as well. Here's what I've been doing now and then  to calm my nerves for a couple of weeks now:

I started my first wire frame hat project :). It's slightly influenced by the great hats of the Edwardian and late rococo eras, but not a reproduction of anything in particular. I couldn't bring myself to wait for an order of millinery wire to arrive from abroad, so I just made it out of regular wire, following instructions from millinery handbooks from early 20th century.

The frame is pretty basic, an oval crown with a round brim. I turned one side of the brim up and the other one down to add a bit of interest to the shape. The crown and the brim are made in one piece with three wires around the crown and another three for the brim.

Here's the crown covered in ivory tulle and the rest of it draped to give an idea of what the brim would look like covered. Since this picture was taken, I've already sewn the tulle in place a bit more neatly. I wanted this hat to have a kind of an etherial look and I think the tulle works quite nicely for that.

Here's a peek at the lace I'm planning to use to cover at least part of the brim. This was also the initial inspiration for the project as I was trying to think of ways to use this lace without it looking too bridal.

I'll also be trimming the hat with some wide black and ivory satin ribbon, a transparent ribbon (that's used to stiffen curtains and looks kind of like crinoline but isn't), black and white ostrich plumes and a bunch of white fabric roses. As this won't be a modest everyday-wear hat in any case, I'm going for an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kind of look with the trims.