Vista Fiber Fiesta

In my pursuit to understand and control

all aspects of creating my original felted hats

I realized another important component

is the wool roving I use to create my hats.

This train of thought led me to my newest adventure...

my very first visit to a fiber arts show.

These shows are extremely popular all over the WORLD!

Luckily there was one just 30 minutes away in 

San Diego County. 

Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum in Vista, CA has a barn FULL of looms.

Fiber arts encompass many pursuits including spinning, weaving, knitting, animals, shearing, dying AND felting.

I was hoping that the vendors would have unique fibers and reasonably 

priced roving and batts...

I was not disappointed!

Lots of fleece from numerous different animals in all stages of preparation.

And after reading about how fibers are carded there was a gentleman that was using a carding machine and explained the process to me.

There were many demos ongoing and just think...

spinning fibers is the FIRST STEP in creating textiles.

It was like journeying back in time.

Was hoping there would be numerous animals but, there were just these Alpacas.

They are sheared once a year and  yield 5 to 10 pounds of fiber that can be spun into yarn;

or felted.

 The best thing about using animal fleece for my hats is that the animal is not harmed.

They just get an incredible hair cut!

My ultimate goal is to source my fleece from local herds 

and even know which animal the fleece is shorn from.

I felt because knitting isn't weird enough.

Amazing British Milliner Jane Smith

Last year I heard that a hat block carving class would 

possibly be offered at Fullerton College.

I instantly began emailing monthly asking for details and updates...

Finally the dates were decided and the details worked out and I signed up

ASAP!

This class was just beyond everything I hoped it would be.

Students from all over the country were greeted with cute British bags 

full of supplies and our safety gear...

Looking at the supplies and exciting and intimidating at the same time.

Learning to create an inexpensive hat block 

was a vital link in my millinery goals. 

The British milliner Jane Smith is a very accomplished artist 

and you have probably seen her work in numerous films, most recently 

Far From the Maddening Crowd.

Jane is very practical and her advice was strong and based on decades of experience.

That is the greatest value of classes with experts; they save you from many, many beginner mistakes.

For three days, 8 hours a day every student cut, carved and sanded their creations.

And not one student ever left early. 

  Before

After

The last day I worked up the courage to blindside Jane with a selfie.

She is a lovely individual with great British dry humor.

I am hoping to take another class with Jane Smith...

and I'm really hoping to take it in England!

Class 3 and final class of the Summer of Hat Classes.

Wayne Wichern Embellishment Class

 After waiting all summer it was finally time to travel to Seattle

 and attend the amazing Wayne Wichern 

Embellishment class in Seattle!

Four of my original naked hats traveled with me looking to be embellished.

The class had a few locals, two students from out of state and one woman from Canada.

All hoping to wring Wayne's mind of 29+ years of millinery experience.

The challenge was fitting decades of experience into a 3 day class.

Wayne had so many great tips and techniques to deal with all sorts of materials.

No request or hat was too great a challenge.

But, what he really stressed was experimenting and manipulating/combinig your materials 

as many ways as you can imagine.

Wayne makes very beautiful, formal hats and mine are much more funky.

But, the class was still eye opening and greatly expanded my ideas index.

Of course outside of class time I did manage to make it to 

downtown Seattle and have a lot of fun.

Pikes Place Market is a smorgasbord of colors, textures and excitement.

 Didn't make it to the Space Needle but, spotted it in the skyline :)

  And finally found the famous Fremont Troll!

There is a real Volkswagon under his left hand,

But, the long weekend was all about 

improving my hat embellishment skills.

I truly struggle with this final step of creating my hats.

Dozens of techniques were demonstrated...

by the amazing Wayne Wichern. 

He was my first millinery instructor

and a genuinely sincere soul.

Class two of the summer of hats was a great success!

Great Fashion Video on Youtube

This is a very entertaining 2 minute video that models 100 years of fashions.

The look for 2015 is not in my wardrobe :(

www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4z90wlwYs8

Felt So Right in Easthampton, Massachusetts

Massachusetts is the first stop 

of my 2015 summer hat classes !

Took a red-eye into Boston and 

landed just as the sun was rising.

Just wanted to show off this awesome pic I snapped out the plane window

My felt hat class in Easthampton didn't start until the next day 

so I got to explore Boston...

450 Harrison Ave #67, Boston, MA 02118

and chanced upon a wonderful hat shop in the

 SOWA ( South of Washington ) artsy area of Boston

named Galvin-ized Headwear.

Marie Galvin

Galvin-ized Headwear is the store front and studio 

of the amazing Boston based Irish milliner,

Marie Galvin

www.galvinizedhats.com

Marie has a wonderful selection of all original hats 

in different shapes, sizes, and materials.

2009 Hatty Award hat by Marie Galvin

 Marie was extremely nice even though she was very busy making hats for custom orders.

She asked me not to photograph her inspiring studio work area because she felt it was 

in disarray.

Meeting milliners always inspires me and makes me envious.

Marie Galvin is making beautiful hats

and I'm still learning. 

A quick stop for cannoli in the North End of Boston 

at the world famous Mike's Pastry 

helped lift my spirits.

Two hours and 30 minutes east of Boston I finally found 

the quaint, little town of Easthampton where.

84 Cottage St. Easthampton, MA 01027

my hat felting class was at New England Felting Supply which is located in an old theater.

New England Felting Supply has a cozy, cute storefront and I thought 

"Egads, THIS is what I flew across the country for ?? "

www.feltingsupply.com/

 And then I walked into the back and entered a felting oasis !!

It was awesome and inspiring.

The classroom area had beautiful, fanciful felt hats everywhere I looked

 and the hats were all the work of an extremely talented 

fiber artist from Michigan who specializes in 

" exceptional, fun, out-of-the ordinary felt hats ";

Dawn Edwards

Felt So Right

www.feltsoright.com/

Shopping at the wall of Merino wool was like being in a dream

Dawn is a wonderful teacher and genuinely nice person.

She freely shared her techniques, ideas, and tips for felting success.

Something Dawn shared was a technique to add character to any hat during felting.

Of course I had to try it...

I kept soaping and wetting and agitating...

until it was all successfully felted. 

And then I cut it open to reveal...

a giant flower growing out of the side of my hat!

My flower is pretty hideous but, the technique I learned 

has lots and lots of possibilities.

My new friend from class also made a flower grow out of her hat :)

After felting and laughing and talking for two days we all were friends.

I definitely know that felting will 

be a big part of my millinery process.

Art hats are not my goal but,

Dawn taught very valuable techniques 

that will greatly improve my future felting.

First hat class of Summer 2015 was a success!