My creativity has always leaned towards making anything three-dimensional — from theatre set design at college to a Bachelor of Arts in contemporary crafts at Falmouth School of Art, where I specialised in large-scale sculpture and installation.
After I graduated in 2007, I realised I needed to scale down my work to something I could make from home, as I couldn’t afford a studio. And so, after doing a series of odd jobs, I decided to join a short course in millinery and was immediately hooked! It was like my hands had always made hats and the process felt completely natural to me.
Within a couple of months I had moved to London, where I embarked on every hat-making course there was and spent my spare time experimenting and making my own designs. I also did a couple of internships with top London milliners and picked up lots of really valuable traditional skills.
I would always go on to practice and develop new techniques in order to make something unique to me, which I did with one special hat that went on to win the V&A “Inspired by” textiles award, which was a real highlight and boost to my confidence as a milliner.
The real start of my millinery career came when a friend I was working with at my part-time job (receptionist at the White Cube gallery) said she knew a milliner in London who may have a job vacancy. My friend introduced me to Sarah, the manager at John Boyd Hats, at an East London beer festival and that was that.
The next week I went in for a trial and was soon appointed a job as designer/maker at the royal milliner’s Knightsbridge atelier.
My time working at John Boyd Hats played an integral role in shaping me as a milliner. I was so lucky to learn from John Boyd himself, who had been making hats for 75 years and was a true inspiration with many incredible stories of making hats for Princess Diana, and the incredible fashion of the 1940s and 1950s — the “age of elegance.” He gave me the freedom to design hats for each collection as well as make our client orders — both of which had their own challenges and rewards.
I was also responsible for seeing the clients on a one-to-one basis to discuss and design the perfect hat for them. This allowed me to see firsthand what type of hat suited different face shapes and personality types, as well as learn the importance of a comfortable hat! It was a wonderful place to work with many Champagne parties to balance out the long hours we did during Ascot season.
Since Mr. Boyd’s passing at the amazing age of 92 (and still making hats until he was 90!), I have set up my own business and have crafted hats for TV, film, and Madame Tussauds, which I absolutely love! It has a totally different feel to making and selling hats and a unique set of challenges, often due to very tight deadlines. I’ll never forget making 25 hats in just one week and running from room to room in my tiny flat to get everything done on time.
I have two beautiful cats, called Mabel and Fred, who love to sit with me whilst I sew. They really are the best company! And Mabel is a great model!
Unlike making fashion hats, where I tend to use similar techniques for each collection, commissions for costumes will often be something I have never made before. This is both exciting and terrifying! A large chunk of the making time is spent on the initial working-out process and I always joke that, by the end of each project, I am an expert in that one thing but will probably never do it again!
I absolutely love what I do but it’s not for the fainthearted. Since going it alone I have had to do a regular day job alongside millinery, as freelance work can be very sporadic. Since leaving London and setting up on my own, I have managed a lovely independent boutique in Hastings and now I am back in Norwich, where I am the shop and volunteer manager part time at a lovely arts charity called Anteros Arts Foundation.
The important thing for me has been to take any opportunity that comes my way. Last year, I was delighted to be awarded a QEST scholarship for millinery, which has allowed me to fill in any gaps in my making skills so I can now accept more freelance jobs. This has been another great boost after a difficult few years in the hat-making business!
My hopes for the future are to be making hats pretty consistently and to stay connected to the community of amazing milliners in the U.K., which has been one of the all-time joys of the job — because milliners are just the best!
PROCESS FOR CREATING THE WOW!house HAT
This project began with the mood board for an artist studio space designed by interior designer Clare Gaskin. I chose one aspect of the room to go with, which was an amazing palm tree curtain. From here, I created my own inspiration board and began designing the hat. I decided to use a fun technique I had used for a previous hat I made using organza stars to make a striking brim.
The first step was to choose the right colours that would be eye-catching and connected to the original inspiration. The next step was to decide on the size of the brim. I cut a piece of wire and, using my hands, smoothed any kinks or bends from the wire to create a neat flat circle. This takes quite a bit of work! I then started to lay out the organza stars onto some tulle; once I was happy with the layout, I sandwiched the stars with another layer of tulle and sewed them neatly to the wire to create a fabulous flat brim.
The next stage was to block the base, and I left it until this point as I wasn’t sure what colour or material to use. I went for a navy blue sinamay, a hat-making material made from woven banana fibre. This fabric comes flat, so I cut out three pieces large enough to cover the shape I was making, sprayed them with water until very damp, and then began to shape and pin the material over the wooden hat block, pulling it on the cross so it wrapped around neatly. Sometimes, you need a bit of muscle for this part.
Once dry, it was time to put everything together. I took the base off the block, sewed in a head ribbon and added an elastic. Then, I spent quite a bit of time trying it on so I could pin the brim on in just the right place. Once pinned, I sewed it all together by hand and, finally, added some matching sinamay swirls.
It’s not your everyday hat, but it’s really fun and the original design was actually a happy accident! Whilst I was making organza blossoms, I noticed how pretty all the cut-out pieces looked together and decided to experiment with making them into a brimmed hat — and it looked lovely!
The words “Done is better than perfect” have really helped me this year. My work is so labour-intensive that sometimes I have to realise I need to let go of perfection and just do it.
My creativity has always leaned towards making anything three-dimensional — from theatre set design at college to a Bachelor of Arts in contemporary crafts at Falmouth School of Art, where I specialised in large-scale sculpture and installation.
After I graduated in 2007, I realised I needed to scale down my work to something I could make from home, as I couldn’t afford a studio. And so, after doing a series of odd jobs, I decided to join a short course in millinery and was immediately hooked! It was like my hands had always made hats and the process felt completely natural to me.
Within a couple of months I had moved to London, where I embarked on every hat-making course there was and spent my spare time experimenting and making my own designs. I also did a couple of internships with top London milliners and picked up lots of really valuable traditional skills.
I would always go on to practice and develop new techniques in order to make something unique to me, which I did with one special hat that went on to win the V&A “Inspired by” textiles award, which was a real highlight and boost to my confidence as a milliner.
The real start of my millinery career came when a friend I was working with at my part-time job (receptionist at the White Cube gallery) said she knew a milliner in London who may have a job vacancy. My friend introduced me to Sarah, the manager at John Boyd Hats, at an East London beer festival and that was that.
The next week I went in for a trial and was soon appointed a job as designer/maker at the royal milliner’s Knightsbridge atelier.
My time working at John Boyd Hats played an integral role in shaping me as a milliner. I was so lucky to learn from John Boyd himself, who had been making hats for 75 years and was a true inspiration with many incredible stories of making hats for Princess Diana, and the incredible fashion of the 1940s and 1950s — the “age of elegance.” He gave me the freedom to design hats for each collection as well as make our client orders — both of which had their own challenges and rewards.
I was also responsible for seeing the clients on a one-to-one basis to discuss and design the perfect hat for them. This allowed me to see firsthand what type of hat suited different face shapes and personality types, as well as learn the importance of a comfortable hat! It was a wonderful place to work with many Champagne parties to balance out the long hours we did during Ascot season.
Since Mr. Boyd’s passing at the amazing age of 92 (and still making hats until he was 90!), I have set up my own business and have crafted hats for TV, film, and Madame Tussauds, which I absolutely love! It has a totally different feel to making and selling hats and a unique set of challenges, often due to very tight deadlines. I’ll never forget making 25 hats in just one week and running from room to room in my tiny flat to get everything done on time.
I have two beautiful cats, called Mabel and Fred, who love to sit with me whilst I sew. They really are the best company! And Mabel is a great model!
Unlike making fashion hats, where I tend to use similar techniques for each collection, commissions for costumes will often be something I have never made before. This is both exciting and terrifying! A large chunk of the making time is spent on the initial working-out process and I always joke that, by the end of each project, I am an expert in that one thing but will probably never do it again!
I absolutely love what I do but it’s not for the fainthearted. Since going it alone I have had to do a regular day job alongside millinery, as freelance work can be very sporadic. Since leaving London and setting up on my own, I have managed a lovely independent boutique in Hastings and now I am back in Norwich, where I am the shop and volunteer manager part time at a lovely arts charity called Anteros Arts Foundation.
The important thing for me has been to take any opportunity that comes my way. Last year, I was delighted to be awarded a QEST scholarship for millinery, which has allowed me to fill in any gaps in my making skills so I can now accept more freelance jobs. This has been another great boost after a difficult few years in the hat-making business!
My hopes for the future are to be making hats pretty consistently and to stay connected to the community of amazing milliners in the U.K., which has been one of the all-time joys of the job — because milliners are just the best!
PROCESS FOR CREATING THE WOW!house HAT
This project began with the mood board for an artist studio space designed by interior designer Clare Gaskin. I chose one aspect of the room to go with, which was an amazing palm tree curtain. From here, I created my own inspiration board and began designing the hat. I decided to use a fun technique I had used for a previous hat I made using organza stars to make a striking brim.
The first step was to choose the right colours that would be eye-catching and connected to the original inspiration. The next step was to decide on the size of the brim. I cut a piece of wire and, using my hands, smoothed any kinks or bends from the wire to create a neat flat circle. This takes quite a bit of work! I then started to lay out the organza stars onto some tulle; once I was happy with the layout, I sandwiched the stars with another layer of tulle and sewed them neatly to the wire to create a fabulous flat brim.
The next stage was to block the base, and I left it until this point as I wasn’t sure what colour or material to use. I went for a navy blue sinamay, a hat-making material made from woven banana fibre. This fabric comes flat, so I cut out three pieces large enough to cover the shape I was making, sprayed them with water until very damp, and then began to shape and pin the material over the wooden hat block, pulling it on the cross so it wrapped around neatly. Sometimes, you need a bit of muscle for this part.
Once dry, it was time to put everything together. I took the base off the block, sewed in a head ribbon and added an elastic. Then, I spent quite a bit of time trying it on so I could pin the brim on in just the right place. Once pinned, I sewed it all together by hand and, finally, added some matching sinamay swirls.
It’s not your everyday hat, but it’s really fun and the original design was actually a happy accident! Whilst I was making organza blossoms, I noticed how pretty all the cut-out pieces looked together and decided to experiment with making them into a brimmed hat — and it looked lovely!
The words “Done is better than perfect” have really helped me this year. My work is so labour-intensive that sometimes I have to realise I need to let go of perfection and just do it.
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My creativity has always leaned towards making anything three-dimensional — from theatre set design at college to a Bachelor of Arts in contemporary crafts at Falmouth School of Art, where I specialised in large-scale sculpture and installation.
After I graduated in 2007, I realised I needed to scale down my work to something I could make from home, as I couldn’t afford a studio. And so, after doing a series of odd jobs, I decided to join a short course in millinery and was immediately hooked! It was like my hands had always made hats and the process felt completely natural to me.
Within a couple of months I had moved to London, where I embarked on every hat-making course there was and spent my spare time experimenting and making my own designs. I also did a couple of internships with top London milliners and picked up lots of really valuable traditional skills.
I would always go on to practice and develop new techniques in order to make something unique to me, which I did with one special hat that went on to win the V&A “Inspired by” textiles award, which was a real highlight and boost to my confidence as a milliner.
The real start of my millinery career came when a friend I was working with at my part-time job (receptionist at the White Cube gallery) said she knew a milliner in London who may have a job vacancy. My friend introduced me to Sarah, the manager at John Boyd Hats, at an East London beer festival and that was that.
The next week I went in for a trial and was soon appointed a job as designer/maker at the royal milliner’s Knightsbridge atelier.
My time working at John Boyd Hats played an integral role in shaping me as a milliner. I was so lucky to learn from John Boyd himself, who had been making hats for 75 years and was a true inspiration with many incredible stories of making hats for Princess Diana, and the incredible fashion of the 1940s and 1950s — the “age of elegance.” He gave me the freedom to design hats for each collection as well as make our client orders — both of which had their own challenges and rewards.
I was also responsible for seeing the clients on a one-to-one basis to discuss and design the perfect hat for them. This allowed me to see firsthand what type of hat suited different face shapes and personality types, as well as learn the importance of a comfortable hat! It was a wonderful place to work with many Champagne parties to balance out the long hours we did during Ascot season.
Since Mr. Boyd’s passing at the amazing age of 92 (and still making hats until he was 90!), I have set up my own business and have crafted hats for TV, film, and Madame Tussauds, which I absolutely love! It has a totally different feel to making and selling hats and a unique set of challenges, often due to very tight deadlines. I’ll never forget making 25 hats in just one week and running from room to room in my tiny flat to get everything done on time.
I have two beautiful cats, called Mabel and Fred, who love to sit with me whilst I sew. They really are the best company! And Mabel is a great model!
Unlike making fashion hats, where I tend to use similar techniques for each collection, commissions for costumes will often be something I have never made before. This is both exciting and terrifying! A large chunk of the making time is spent on the initial working-out process and I always joke that, by the end of each project, I am an expert in that one thing but will probably never do it again!
I absolutely love what I do but it’s not for the fainthearted. Since going it alone I have had to do a regular day job alongside millinery, as freelance work can be very sporadic. Since leaving London and setting up on my own, I have managed a lovely independent boutique in Hastings and now I am back in Norwich, where I am the shop and volunteer manager part time at a lovely arts charity called Anteros Arts Foundation.
The important thing for me has been to take any opportunity that comes my way. Last year, I was delighted to be awarded a QEST scholarship for millinery, which has allowed me to fill in any gaps in my making skills so I can now accept more freelance jobs. This has been another great boost after a difficult few years in the hat-making business!
My hopes for the future are to be making hats pretty consistently and to stay connected to the community of amazing milliners in the U.K., which has been one of the all-time joys of the job — because milliners are just the best!
PROCESS FOR CREATING THE WOW!house HAT
This project began with the mood board for an artist studio space designed by interior designer Clare Gaskin. I chose one aspect of the room to go with, which was an amazing palm tree curtain. From here, I created my own inspiration board and began designing the hat. I decided to use a fun technique I had used for a previous hat I made using organza stars to make a striking brim.
The first step was to choose the right colours that would be eye-catching and connected to the original inspiration. The next step was to decide on the size of the brim. I cut a piece of wire and, using my hands, smoothed any kinks or bends from the wire to create a neat flat circle. This takes quite a bit of work! I then started to lay out the organza stars onto some tulle; once I was happy with the layout, I sandwiched the stars with another layer of tulle and sewed them neatly to the wire to create a fabulous flat brim.
The next stage was to block the base, and I left it until this point as I wasn’t sure what colour or material to use. I went for a navy blue sinamay, a hat-making material made from woven banana fibre. This fabric comes flat, so I cut out three pieces large enough to cover the shape I was making, sprayed them with water until very damp, and then began to shape and pin the material over the wooden hat block, pulling it on the cross so it wrapped around neatly. Sometimes, you need a bit of muscle for this part.
Once dry, it was time to put everything together. I took the base off the block, sewed in a head ribbon and added an elastic. Then, I spent quite a bit of time trying it on so I could pin the brim on in just the right place. Once pinned, I sewed it all together by hand and, finally, added some matching sinamay swirls.
It’s not your everyday hat, but it’s really fun and the original design was actually a happy accident! Whilst I was making organza blossoms, I noticed how pretty all the cut-out pieces looked together and decided to experiment with making them into a brimmed hat — and it looked lovely!
The words “Done is better than perfect” have really helped me this year. My work is so labour-intensive that sometimes I have to realise I need to let go of perfection and just do it.
The Women Create Foundation is a catalyst for small but significant strides to empower women creators through grants that help bring projects to life and foster innovation.
