Some Fun in the Studio

In January I had three women come visit me in the studio. They tried on hats while I worked with another (very good) customer of mine. The studio was filled with laughter and the Polish language while they busied themselves putting things on their heads.

I was glad that they were patient enough to wait for me because I could see that they couldn't quite figure some of the hats out—as is often the case. But once I was free, I set all the hats right and we went about trying bunches all over again.

I love having groups of women in my studio. For me, they are my focus groups—I get to see where hats may need adjustments, whether or not they're comfortable, or whether or not they're nailing my idea. The women?—they get to see the possibilities. They get to see themselves in a whole new light.

Thank you to these three lovely women who made my day.

Side Projects

I mentioned several posts back that I like to keep a little busy work at hand in case the Lack-of-Creativity Bandit strikes. Well, have I got a project now!

At the beginning of the summer I picked up something called a "coffee table dining set" on FreeCycle. It's basically a table the size of a dining room table, but at the height of a coffee table. The table came with four very cool armed chairs that look like vintage dining room chairs, but are short to fit under the table. It's the chairs that got me—they are pretty darn cool. I'm guessing the whole set is from the early sixties.

So how is that this set has become a side project? Well, the upholstering on the chairs is totally trashed. And it's obvious that the set was well esteemed in the family because it has tags on if from the last reupholstering it had in West Virginia. Now it's my project. I'm guessing that since I have a toddler it will probably take me about four years to complete the project.

By the way, if you've never reupholstered anything, it's an amazing amount of work to take all the fabric off since you need to preserve it for a pattern, not to mention documenting the whole thing so that everything gets put back in the right order.

There you go—no more down time. Hopefully I won't regret this.

Keeping my Eyes Open for Inspiration

I picked up these little beauties while visiting a dear friend's mother in a nursing home. These are seed pods from what I believe it the Catalpa tree. I'd love to just stick them right on my head. I keep stuff like this around the studio because nature is unbelievably inspiring. What's growing or buried in your surroundings this time of year?

Never Let it Outshine You

Ideally, you want a hat that won't outshine you, right? At least, that's my philosophy.

A good hat will enhance your best facial features, minimize the stuff you don't like, and won't look like some kind of parade float on your head. And it all really depends on your face and more importantly—your attitude.

I often wear funky, eye-catching pieces on my head, but I make sure I never let them dominate. I'm lucky to have pretty strong facial features, so I can get away with a lot, or I use my clothes to balance the look out. I also have the right attitude—put it on and forget about it! If you're self-conscious about what you're wearing, people will sense it.

So, when choosing a hat, look at the whole picture of you and not just what you're putting on your head. Adjust the hat, adjust your attitude, walk out the door and shine.

Photo courtesy of Flickr: vinceconnare