ULLABENULLA

Pea Pod Tiara and Other Treasures...

Beautiful work by Bailey Tomlin!

Millinery Fiesta

Sunday afternoon, Lucille and I visited Phyllis Beals in her amazing home, where she was having a Trunk show, with her friends Deborah Starks and Joan Vilms. Some of you may remember my post from last year's visit filled with color and creativity! Well, this year was even better!!! Phyllis met us at the door, wearing an amazing corkscrew like felted hat (that I quickly purchased right off her head!) and offered us the most divine EggNogs we have ever tasted!

Lucille and I spent quite a bit of time trying on each and every hat we could find. Doesn't Lucille look like one of her dolls in this hat?

Along with numerous Felt hats, was a selection of fairytale like Straw hats and beautiful head bands all displayed with magic in mind!

Even Marie Antoinette made an appearance, sitting on Deborah's table, wearing beautiful jewels any Queen would adore! Surely if Marie's hair were red, she'd look like Deborah!

Like any true artist, Phyllis has a gift for collecting and display! Her twice yearly trips to Mexico inspire and fill her home with joyful color, playful light and amazing Latin energy! She is truly a Pixie Crowned Queen living a Fiesta life!!!
Please don't miss the fabulous jewelry of Joan Vilms as well! Somehow I neglected to get photos of her wonderful work, but her charming presence was heartfelt and true! ENJOY!!!

A Cherished Collection!

After getting a few comments about my 'bridal wreath collection' seen in my birthday photos, I decided I should do a post on them. The History of Victorian Wedding Orange Blossoms is old and romantic.

"Incorporating orange blossoms into the bride's costume originated in ancient China where they were emblems of purity, chastity and innocence. There are few trees so prolific as the orange; it is one of the rare plants that blooms and bears fruit at the same time, thus becoming symbolic of fruitfulness. During the time of the Crusades, the custom was brought from the East first to Spain , then to France , then to England in the early 1800's. By then, many enchanting legends had spread throughout the continent of maidens entwining fresh orange blossoms into a bridal wreath for their hair... Queen Victoria created the vogue for the sweet smelling blossoms when she wore them in a grand wreath for her 1840 wedding... When real orange blossoms were in short supply or in northern climates where citrus fruits did not flourish, wax replicas were used instead."

When I saw my first wreath, I fell in love with the sentiment of someone creating these lovely flowers of wax to be worn by a bride - and only later learned of their history. I was lucky to find a few wreaths in local antique shops a number of years ago, and then searched Ebay for others. Word got around and a lovely woman in Berkeley told me she was selling her collection and suddenly I had more than I knew what to do with! At that point I had a vision of displaying them like a quilt, each on individual boards, as you see above. Once I was able to create a square of 25 wreaths I stopped collecting - where would I put any more??? I did add a 'French Marriage Globe' to my collection (used by wealthy brides to display their wreaths and bouquets) - which I adore. Most of my wreaths are French. My favorite ones are those that look like real Orange blossoms, (this one came with the Wedding Menu card!)

Many are very decorative, with pearls and ribbons added on; shaped like wheat sheaths or spring berries... One is completly made of gold paper, and another came with the grooms bow-tie! I love them all, for their romantic symbology and sweet sentiment!!!

Spring Romance

I really like the wearable romantic details of the clothing of Japanese designer Junya Tashiro. And just look at those 'bird-cage-y hats'!!! She makes me want to dig out all of my old laces and create a new outfit that sings of Spring!!!

Hats From The Chinese Opera

These amazing 19th century headpieces are from an exhibit on Chinese Opera Costume. I just adore their opulence and magical colors. The blue and blue-green colored elements were created of Kingfisher feathers, a common decorative element in Chinese Opera Costumes of the time. Breathtaking!!

New Years Party Hat???

(A peacock headdress, circa 1913)

Hats By Phyllis!

Yesterday I had the genuine pleasure of meeting hat designer Phyllis Beals at a 'trunk-show' in her home! A mutual friend of ours has been trying to get the two of us together for years, (we litterly live only 9 blocks apart!) but somehow it never happened until yesterday! What a treat to be with her (shown in first photo to the right with her friend Joan)! Her hats, her home, and even her car (see last photo) are filled with an overflow of artistic delight - a perfect reflection of a woman who radiates whimsical beauty and playful spirit!!!

Woody's Hats...

These delightful hats are by Woody Whittick of West Yorkshire.

Spring Fling

Sweet little hats by Kelly Christy of New York.

A head of Knowledge

(Found on Dressing with Dignity)

Milliner's Muse

'Eccentric British style icon Isabella Blow has helped make Irish milliner Philip Treacy a household name by stepping out in his outrageous hats for more than a decade.' Bursting with personal style and the courage to wear what she wants, Isabella shows us in true British Fashion, how to fearlessly be who you are and create your own script (and wardrobe!) to the play that is life!

Felting in Finland

Oh my goodness, I want to go to Finland and take a felting class with Elina Saari! (Isn't she cute?) Look at the amazing clothes she makes to go with her 'out of this world' hats! Be sure and look at her class photos here, talk about inspiring!

Butterflies on your head!

These delightful creations are by British Milliner Juliet Fawcus!

Blooming Hats

These hats are by Bay Area Milliner Kate Bishop.

Millinery 101 - Part 2

Today was day number two of my hat class with Master Milliner Wayne Wichern! And what a day!!! First he spray starched our hats so that they would retain their wonderful shapes. The top photo shows my 3 hats to the left, still having their 'ties' on, ready to be sprayed. After spraying we took our hats off their wood blocks and finished the edges, using an industrial sewing machine (talk about FAST!) - it took a bit of practice... Then we added a grosgrain ribbon to the inside, sized to fit our heads. Last we began the process of Embellishment! For my first hat, (black and tobacco) I had originally thought I would sew the two colors together in the middle, to create a taller hat (kind of like you see in its original incarnation) and then handsew the pleats together on one side, like a one-sided accordian. Well, this ended up being too tall for my taste. I cut off one tobacco colored band and sewed it onto the bottom edge, and then freyed both sides of what was left of the tobacco part, twisted it, and made a 'butterfly' embellishment out of it. Voila! so much more interesting, and I really like how the freyed edges look against the finished hat.
For my second hat, (cloche in two tones of tan) I simply hand-sewed down an extra pleat to the side, which gave it more shape and added a little more interest.
My last and favorite hat turned out to be a bit of a challange. It become stuck to the form while starched, so when I pulled it off, it turned inside out and had horrible wrinkles all over it! NOT what I had in mind... I re-blocked it, steamed it back into shape, let it dry, and then it came off perfect! I played around with a few different trimmings, knowing I definitely wanted to use a vintage purple straw 'puff' that I've had stashed away for ages. Wayne pulled out some wide black 'horsehair' ribbon and I knew that was it! I bunched it up to one side, making a faux bow of sorts, added my puff on top and it looks splendid! It needs a little 'special something' of a button for the center, but otherwise its quite a statement piece! My husband thinks it would be the perfect hat for Professor McGonagall (of 'Harry Potter') to wear to the beach (with a Victorian bathing suit and black parasol of course!) I think I'll wear it to my parents Golden Wedding Anniversary this June, with a dress rather than a bathing suit, but I kind of like the parasol idea... What do you think???

Italian Hat Blocks

If you know the basics of hat making you'll apprciate the beauty of these contemporary hat blocks made by Roberto Bini of Florence. His shapes are like little sculptures to me, beautifully constructed and well thought out.

Flaps that flip...

I just love these hats by Terry Graziano from NY. "The results of her kinetic imagination are women’s hats that can change silhouette and mood at the wearer’s whim. Buttons, drawstrings, pleats, tucks and folds – these are the deceptively simple features that, when manipulated, allow one hat to provide several different looks, often ranging from sophisticated to edgy. When combined with a woman’s imagination, the possibilities are endless." Be sure and look at all her other hat designs too!

BJORK!

Beach Blanket Babylon and Bjork Pics

She wore the whole world on her head...

Beach Blanket Babylon!

And the last one by Jo Ann Salyers.

Edible Hats!

ARE YOU HUNGRY? DINNER IS SERVED!

AND THE PARLOR MAIDS BROUGHT DESSERT!

(Found at the Costumer's Manifesto)