labricoleuse: (hats!)
[personal profile] labricoleuse
Today my assistant Miranda Morales and i finished two of the hats we've been working on...well, finished barring any requested changes during tech next weekend. Want to see them?



If you are familiar at all with Amadeus, you'll recall the flighty opera singer, Katerina Cavalieri, who initially is Salieri's vocal student but who goes on to star in the premiere of The Abduction from the Seraglio. The first hat i've got images of is for her Seraglio opera costume. While this hat is pretty ostentatious, you've got to look at it with the understanding that the hat pales in ridiculum compared to the costume that goes with it. Once the show opens, i will share some stage shots of the whole shebang. But for now, there's this:

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front view, turban-inspired hat in striped silk
(lace front wig by Jaime Blinn-Bagley)

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oblique view

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back view




This next hat has been a long time in the works. It began life as a rather nice, fine-weave, fairly wide-brimmed 1950s sun hat, though the straw was so dry as to be brittle and even torn in one area, and the trim which had been attached to it (a raffia braid of sorts) was rotting. I knew i could refurbish it--the basic hat had been a good one--and so the decision was made to do so rather than purchase a new straw cartwheel of equivalent quality, in the interest of thrift.

The first thing i did to it after removing all the rotted braid crap was to wrap it in wet towels to rejuvenate the straw like i described in this past post here. We put it on the actress in a fitting and decided upon the new shape of the brim, and i stitched along the new brim shape, cut down the hat, and bound the edge with milliner's grosgrain dyed to match. You'll recall from the last image in yesterday's post that i then sized it in our spray hood, shaping the crown divot with a pint cup. After that, it was time to trim it up...

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ta da!
(that diagonal shape on the right side is a repair where the straw was torn)

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oblique front

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back view
(note the lift in the back--hidden by the huge bow--to cant the hat up and forward on the head)

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oblique back

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trim detail


At right in the above image is a closeup of the repair; the straw was wet, then patched with a sturdy net and zigzag machine stitch. The excess net was cut away and the straw allowed to dry. While this wouldn't be ideal for a streetwear hat, for a stage hat, it's not visible even at an 8' viewing distance. Only audience members who read this blog will know it's there. :)

The hatband was manufactured from a thin rayon velvet ribbon that is part of her costume, and the middle woven diagonal stripe (found in a trim drawer). The plumes were steamed into a curl and the entire garniture--plumes, flowers, ribbonny bits--is mounted on a hidden buckram foundation shaped like a little triangle and covered in straw-colored fabric. Can you spot it? (Answer: No, you probably cannot, since only about 3 square mm of it is visible, because i have the skills that pay the bills.)


And, i'll leave you with a tourist photo that we took today. One of my coworkers brought in Easter cupcakes which had plastic hats on them, and since it was All Millinery All the Time today...

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Shakespeare sports a jaunty hat in the Land of Enormous Footwear


If you look carefully in this photo, you CAN see that i had to pad Shakespeare's hat with a tiny bit of foam to get it to fit him; it was a smidge too large. I can't decide if that's funny or sad. It's clear i've clocked some overtime this week to the point of punchiness if i'm fitting church-lady hats on playwright action figures in my spare time.

And now, i'm probably over-and-out for a while, since i have periodontal surgery coming up on Wednesday, followed by tech on this show. The upside is, next time i post i ought to have stage pictures!

Date: 2008-03-23 01:50 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] wendyhouse.livejournal.com
it's not sad, it's part of what makes you such an excellently cool person. of COURSE Shakespeare needs an Easter bonnet!

good luck with the teeth :)

Date: 2008-03-23 02:51 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] labricoleuse.livejournal.com
Of course, what he really needs is a matching frock. But, while i've got time to pad out a tiny hat, i don't have time to whip up a tiny pink gown to go with it. Oh well, a gal can dream.

And thank you. I had this same surgery on the other side of my mouth last month and it went smoothly, so i'm hoping for more of the same. Fingers crossed!

Date: 2008-03-24 05:21 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] eggies-red-dres.livejournal.com
Shakespear definatly needed a new hat, he appears in this picture to have matching pink under- eye- shadow.

And what a time and place to be in the giant shoe place, I mean the craftsmanship, The Bard should be Well Pleased I should think.

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