One of the things I’ve been thinking about recently is my hats, and where they’re going.
Before Christmas, they were really well-received at a local craft fair. Even the feedback from people who made sure to tell us that they were definitely not going to buy a hat was overwhelmingly positive! Buoyed by this result, after Christmas I signed myself up to go to a wedding fair, and made some more “weddingy” hats to display.
I was really pleased with the designs I’d come up with, but it quickly transpired that they weren’t going to be anywhere near as well received as the cloches. Time to think again.
I think what I’d overlooked, in the mad rush to make plenty of stock for Christmas and the wedding fair, was that these hats were always supposed to be a means to an end – a stepping stone to learn the skills, so I could then move on to a different kind of hat. I became so bogged down in what I thought I could sell, that I forgot all about what I had originally been trying to create.
I’ve learnt a lot from the hats I’ve made so far, and I’ve really enjoyed working with organic cotton lace and beautiful wool felt. These headbands, for example, will definitely be staying around. I’ve also realised that the reason I’ve been so quiet on the blog for so long is that I simply don’t feel comfortable writing a post whose sole purpose is to try and sell you something. Which, to be honest, is all I’ve been trying to do for the past year. I mean, yes, of course I need to sell the hats once I’ve made them, otherwise I’m just filling my work room with stuff! But I’d much rather share a thought or explain a process than just try to sell a hat.
What I’d originally intended to make was a series of freeform hats like this, from handmade felt. I also wanted to use handmade felt to make traditionally-formed hats, such as my favourite cloche shape shown above. Unfortunately, the fibromyalgia’s been so bad this year that I haven’t had the strength required to make the quality and thickness of felt necessary for this type of hat. However, at the Christmas craft fair I did have quite a long chat with a local felting expert who was quite critical of my pieces (at my request), and gave me quite a few tips for techniques and tools that I might find helpful.
I have to admit that I have absolutely loved almost every single hat that I’ve made so far. The learning curve has been an enjoyable one, and the materials are extremely satisfying to work with. Just for now though, it’s time to take a little break, have a little think, and work out what to do next.