A Time for reflection

The view from my studio.

I am accustomed to the local church bells ringing every hour that I can barely hear them anymore. But as I write this blog I notice that they ring differently and louder at noon. As the church calls its parishioners to service, the bells struck a cord—reminding me to reflect upon my year.

I can see the hundred-year oaks from my studio window. I often linger on those tall branches while I design and engineer hats. Curating and building a studio until I felt “full” of the supplies I needed to work was a big task this year. If only it were just a pencil and a piece of paper. I found immense comfort in creating this now more than any other year in my life. Feeling uprooted and lost after two big moves in the past five years did more than just unsettle me, it brought me to my knees. Feeling quite alone in a new city, I turned to what I knew would help me forge on: art.

I didn’t appreciate or understand how healing art was until this year. And as we are making that final lap around the sun, I am already looking forward to 2020. I am grateful for all the friends and clients who have supported me this year. They will never know how much they have meant to me. THANK YOU with all my love.

I plan on finishing up the final Winter hats in January, between the last one or two contest hats I hope to submit as well. I have a piece selected to London Hat Week again, and I am looking forward to my second trip to Hat Week in April 2020. There will be an assortment of retro and futuristic-inspired hats on display at Menier Gallery in London. Mine is an Erte-inspired piece from the 1920s. Look for photos on this website after the exhibition opens in April. I have also entered the MIMC millinery contest in Melbourne. It’s a new one for me, and I loved the challenge of this year’s theme using recycled materials. I already have boxes of scraps squirreled away. This challenge really made me look at my “stuff” and clear some of my clutter. Look at some of the things I have worked on below.

Other things to look forward to in 2020 is a new bridal collection, and my attempt to create “everyday hats” that are not really everyday, but neutral enough for someone to feel they could step outside wearing while meeting friends for coffee. I would love to bring some of those hat-wearing days back. My custom turbands did very well this year, so I plan to push the styles a little further using more unique fabric combinations. Is it time for another NYC sourcing trip? Here is an example of one of my Winter neutral pieces, and available for purchase.

One of my biggest hurdles to tackle next year is my online shopping presence. The majority of my sales are to local clients, and I admit my online presence has been lacking. There are so many things to juggle! But stay tuned, stay warm this Winter, and have a very Happy New Year! Kiss kiss hug hug!