Sunday, November 27, 2011

Figure 8 Out

Souped Up Figure 8 with a Little Bowl of Flowers


This is a Figure 8 clamp style Hat from the 30's/40's.  I bought this original years ago and it still had the paper 10 cent price tag on it from Woolworths.  Trust.  The tag disintegrated BOO!  Its a sweet little black number. I styled my leather flowers after the little vintage bouquet pinned to the side of the skull block.
 I started with a length of steel spring wire, felt tubing I made and a felt round I cut from left overs  from a hat.
I sewed the wire to the edge of the round with a wide zigzag stitch, it can also be sewn by hand. I overlapped the wire 1 1/2 inches.
Soft Metallic Leather
 I cut a 1 inch wide strip of leather instead of using the felt to bind and cover the edge of the round. The binding strip is started where the last of the zigzag stitches are and the wire is just a tail hanging alone. 
Sewing the Binding Strip
After the binding strip is sewn onto the round I threaded the felt tubing onto the wire tail and connected the felt tube ends together and I bent the tail wire with a pair of pliers at a right angle close as I could get to the zigzag stitching. Then I turned the binding and glued the edge of leather with some crazy glue called "Tiger __?__ Glue for Leather.  Its nice, it has no smell. I'll post the name later. 

I sewed the leather edges at the center back and added a small piece of the leather to cover the seam.  Looking back I should have used the felt.
I cut flower shapes from felt and the leather, added stamens,wire and brown floral tape and made a little bouquet to sit in the tiny soup bowl on the very top.



Top and Back .... Peace Out

BTW... 

Sunday, November 20, 2011

NBC "The Feast" Thanks to Hannah Snavely and Marco Villalobos

Designer and owner, S.

Los Angeles' newest haberdashery, The Millinery Guild, opened this fall on Beverly, bringing quirky hatter Susan "Montez" Murphy’s avante-garde, handcrafted creations to the Westside.
The light, bright and airy space stocks  Murphy's own vintage-inspired in-house line, Montez, which she crafts using wooden hat blocks circa the '30s and '40s, plus toppers by Cristina de Prada, Su WeHa, Bijou Van Ness and Carpe Diem.
And, while most folks come by the shop looking to replicate the adorned look of a certain sapphire-bedazzled newly-crowned princess, according to Murphy, anything goes when it comes to headwear, just as long as you're not headed to the movies.

Video by Marco Villalobos . 


  I'm Gobsmacked!   



10 comments:

Leah said...

OMG how amazing! Reminds me of what Anna Dello Russo would wear.. love it!

Glad to find someone with high-fashion vintage sensibilities too.. Now following!

xoxo,
Leah
www.couturearabesque.com

Armando y Montez said...

Thanks Leah , the mannequin looks a bit like Anna don't you think? I dig your blog!

Cristina de Prada - milliner said...

You look gorgeous and speak the TRUTH!! Cocktail hats in, fascinators out!! :-)

Cristina de Prada - milliner said...

Oh and, that figure of 8 "clamp" is on my to-do list!! (high up!). Good that I'll have you to ask for guidance when I get stuck!
Much admiration from,
Cristina de Prada

Armando y Montez said...

Cristina My peep! You'll never get stuck!, I think you're perfect!, fan#1forever..

trashtastika.com said...

Love this!! I've never made a figure-8 hat...so clever! I do love the silver leather too. I'm SO out of the loop millinery-wise (pun not really intended) - it's nice to have some inspiration :)

LEONID GUREVICH said...

Simply amazing! And to show the whole proceeds is really a treat.

Do you make mens hats as well, dear?

Leonid

Armando y Montez said...

Leonid, Luv Luv Luv your style!! Yes I make men's hats. I've added your blog to my Links.. Everybody go check his blog out he's an amazing artist and I do not use that word loosely!!! Super Illustrator! One word WOW!! http://leonsescapades.blogspot.com/

Monty

Armando y Montez said...

Fashionate Traveler, You Rock! I love your blog and your style and freedom from the norm I LUV!
Thank You pS I love Puns!!

Adrienne said...

Fabulous blog I have been following you for a while and want to pass on this award. If you are interested you can accept it from my blog page. http://wearthehat.blogspot.com/