Monday, June 30, 2008

How To Hat

Buckling under to popular demand, we have begun to teach millinery at Ellen Christine.  Classes are limited to not more than two student at each session, and the classes require a basic knowledge of sewing.  They're broken into categories according to the request of the group, but represent the vast amount of possibilities applied to the Art of Millinery.

The Basics: blocking felt or straw, depending upon the season.  This means we work with a series of wooden blocks to achieve a rudimentary familiarity with the manipulation of materials required in the millinery trade.  Basic millinery stitches are taught, and yes, there's homework.  We  do 3 hours in each session, over a period of 3 weeks, for a total of 9 hours.  The classes take place inhouse, evenings, from 6-9, or Mondays, from 12-3. Hand stitching rules throughout, for the most part, but we allow forays into machine stitching for some finishing.  Ingredients are discussed, and variety of application is executed, with the final result in a hat, finished, embellished, ready for the world.
There is a separate kit we supply, at the student's cost, with or without a basic balsa block in the size of choice.  Included is a detailed breakdown of stitches, a bibliography, and our personal attention, as professional milliners, to individual requests for project development.

Frames: this group covers (pun intended) the making of millinery frames for bridal and fabric hats.  There is lots of hand sewing,  patience is required, and  individual projects are encouraged. We teach the student to prepare patterns, work with buckram and French elastic, wire, mulling and blocking basics for making shapes happen. This group is excellent for theatrical applications.

Couture Finishing: in this group we work with ribbons and silks to create specialty and novelty trims, tulle, wire, flowermaking, feathers, and materials appropriate for the finishing of a hat.
We're open to suggestion , and vary the content according to the focus of the group, but schedule each session to cover one topic: flowers, feather, ribbon.
Please call the shop for further information, and any questions you may have.  The summer session will begin in mid-July.
Ellen Christine Millinery
255 W. 18th St.
NYC, NY 10011
212-242-2457
www.ellenchristine.com

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