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Elena Shvab

This workshop will enable you to create your own fabulous fascinator hat, and leave with the skills to carry on creating more. You’ll learn how to block a fascinator base, manipulate sinamay straw, use wire, work with veiling, and learn traditional millinery stitches. By the end of the session you will gain invaluable millinery skills and create a beautiful finished hat. 

Each video contains a detailed step by step tutorial and process of making a fascinator hat using traditional millinery skills. Elena will guide you and explaining every detail. You will also learn what materials to prepare in order to start making.

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This workshop will enable you to create your own fabulous fascinator hat, and leave with the skills to carry on creating more. You’ll learn how to block a fascinator base, manipulate sinamay straw, use wire, work with veiling, and learn traditional millinery stitches. By the end of the session you will gain invaluable millinery skills and create a beautiful finished hat. 

Each video contains a detailed step by step tutorial and process of making a fascinator hat using traditional millinery skills. Elena will guide you and explaining every detail. You will also learn what materials to prepare in order to start making.

As an option, a material kit including all necessary materials is available to purchase. For more information please contact me directly.

Elena Shvab is a London-based milliner and textile designer. Taking inspiration from nature, history, contemporary art and modern culture, she works with bold shapes and experimental textile techniques to create dramatic silhouettes.

Elena is an experienced millinery tutor, also offers hat-making workshops and private millinery tuition in her London studio and online. She teaches both traditional and modern hat making and shares helpful technique videos on the Elena Shvab Millinery YouTube Channel.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • How to make a fascinator hat
  • Traditional millinery skills
  • Materials and tools used in hat making
  • Blocking a hat base shape
  • Creating decorations for a fascinator
  • Attaching a hat with elastic

Syllabus

This section is dedicated to the process of blocking by stretching the sinamay over the hat block.

This section shows how to carefully remove blocked material from the hat block.

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In this section you will learn about the tools and materials you will need in order to create a Fascinator hat. A list of materials is attached, please note, the links are only a guide so you can see more clearly what the materials are. 

Materials will vary for every Country and may not always be available.

As an option, you can purchase the materials yourself or you can order a learning kit directly from me. The kit includes all necessary materials so you can start making. Contact [email protected] for more details

In this section you will learn about traditional and alternative hat blocks that are used in hat making.

Learn how to measure and cut the material and the importance of the bias.

Learn about different shapes you can make for your fascinator hat base.

In this section you will learn how to manipulate and attach the wire to a hat base.

Easy to follow technique of creating a sinamay bias strip that will be used for trimming of a hat base.

This section shows how to attach a bias strip to a hat base, how to create neat and accurate finish.

After blocking and trimming a hat base, it's time to start making decorations. First decoration is a pleated sinamay fan. This section will teach you how to measure, cut and manipulate the material to create a stunning decoration.

Second decoration is a wide bias strip. We will use same technique as for making bias strip for trimming, but will use different measurements.

The most attractive part of making a fascinator is decorating a veil. This section will teach you how to manipulate and work with veiling.

As all decorations are ready, it's time to put the together. This section will show how to arrange and securely attach all parts together.

The last step is to stitch the elastic that helps to secure the hat on the head.

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Activities

Coming soon We're preparing activities for Create a Fascinator Hat with a Designer. These are activities you can do either before, during, or after a course.

Career center

Learners who complete Create a Fascinator Hat with a Designer will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Milliner
A Milliner designs, creates, and produces headwear, from everyday hats to elaborate fascinators and special occasion pieces. This career demands a blend of artistic vision, precision, and mastery of traditional techniques. This course provides a direct and invaluable foundation for becoming a Milliner by teaching you the specific art of making a fascinator hat. You will learn traditional millinery skills such as blocking a hat base shape, manipulating sinamay straw, using wire, working with veiling, and mastering various millinery stitches. Understanding how to measure and cut materials, create decorations like pleated sinamay fans, and assemble all parts securely are core proficiencies. The detailed step-by-step tutorials ensure you gain practical expertise, directly contributing to your ability to craft high-quality, bespoke headwear. This course helps build a foundation in the intricate craft of hat making, essential for anyone aspiring to excel in millinery.
Artisan Crafter
An Artisan Crafter creates unique, high-quality, handcrafted goods, often specializing in a particular medium or type of item. The specific skills taught in this course are directly applicable to becoming a successful Artisan Crafter, particularly one focused on wearable art or bespoke accessories. You will learn the entire process of making a fascinator hat, from selecting materials and tools to mastering traditional millinery skills like blocking, wiring, and intricate stitching. The ability to create detailed decorations, manipulate materials such as sinamay and veiling, and achieve a neat, accurate finish is paramount for an Artisan Crafter. This course helps build a strong foundation in producing a refined, handcrafted item that showcases attention to detail and creative execution, which buyers of artisanal goods highly value.
Fashion Accessories Designer
A Fashion Accessories Designer conceptualizes and creates items that complement and enhance garments, including headwear, jewelry, bags, and more. This course offers a significant step in understanding the creation of unique, wearable accessories. Focusing on the design and construction of a fascinator hat, you will learn to manipulate materials like sinamay straw and veiling, understand structural elements through wirework and blocking, and develop an eye for aesthetics when creating decorations. The insights into traditional millinery skills, combined with the creative process of assembling elements for a finished piece, can be directly applied to designing other fashion accessories. This detailed exploration of materials, techniques, and artistic construction helps build a foundation in creating distinct and marketable fashion accessories, a crucial aspect for any aspiring designer in this field.
Entrepreneur Small Business Owner
An Entrepreneur Small Business Owner launches and manages a commercial venture, often driven by a passion for creating unique products or services. For those interested in starting a business focused on custom accessories or handcrafted items, this course offers a tangible product and a skillset to build upon. You will learn the complete process of creating a fascinator hat, encompassing traditional millinery skills, material selection, design aesthetics for decorations, and meticulous finishing. These practical skills enable you to produce high-quality, sellable items. The detailed instruction on crafting fashionable headwear can help build a foundation for developing a distinctive product line and establishing a successful bespoke accessories business.
Costume Designer
A Costume Designer crafts the attire, including headwear and accessories, that characters wear in theatrical productions, films, or other performances, often requiring historical accuracy or imaginative flair. The skills acquired in this course are directly transferable to creating bespoke headwear components for various costumes. You will gain hands-on experience in traditional millinery skills, such as blocking hat bases, manipulating sinamay, incorporating wire for structure, and working with veiling to achieve specific textures and looks. The ability to create detailed decorations and assemble them securely can be invaluable when designing period-specific pieces or fantastical headwear. This course helps build a foundation in crafting intricate headwear elements, which is a key aspect of bringing a character's aesthetic to life.
Fashion Educator
A Fashion Educator teaches students about various aspects of the fashion industry, including design, construction, history, and textiles. This course may be helpful for those interested in a career as a Fashion Educator, particularly in areas like accessory design or textile crafts. You will gain a deep, hands-on understanding of traditional millinery skills, including the step-by-step process of making a fascinator hat. Learning how to block hat bases, manipulate materials like sinamay and veiling, and meticulously create and attach decorations provides practical knowledge. While significant experience or advanced degrees are typically required for teaching at higher levels, this course can help build a foundation in specialized craftsmanship and pedagogical structure, which are valuable for explaining complex techniques to others in fashion education.
Textile Artist
A Textile Artist uses fibers, fabrics, and other materials to create works of art, often experimenting with innovative techniques and forms. This course, guided by a textile designer, offers relevant insights into manipulating materials and creating three-dimensional forms from textiles. You will learn how to block and shape sinamay straw, manipulate it for decorative purposes, and integrate elements like wire and veiling to achieve specific artistic effects. The detailed instruction on cutting materials, understanding the bias, and creating various decorations – such as pleated sinamay fans – directly translates to the broader field of textile art. This course helps build a foundation in material manipulation and structural textile creation, essential for developing unique artistic expressions within the realm of textile art.
Museum Conservator Textiles
A Museum Conservator Textiles specializes in the preservation, restoration, and study of historical and artistic textile objects, including garments and accessories. This course may be useful for an aspiring Museum Conservator Textiles as it provides a practical understanding of traditional construction techniques and materials used in headwear. You will learn about traditional millinery skills such as blocking, specific stitching methods, and the manipulation of materials like sinamay straw and veiling. Understanding how a fascinator hat is assembled, from wiring the base to attaching elastic, can provide invaluable insight into the integrity and degradation of similar historical pieces. While this role typically requires advanced degrees and specialized training, this course can help build a foundational knowledge of the craft, which is critical for informed conservation practices.
Prop Maker
A Prop Maker designs and constructs objects and scenic elements for film, television, theater, or events, often requiring skill in various materials and crafting techniques. While focused on fascinators, this course may be useful for an aspiring Prop Maker by providing a practical introduction to creating intricate, three-dimensional objects from diverse materials. You will learn traditional millinery skills like blocking and shaping materials, manipulating wire for structural support, and understanding how to work with textiles like sinamay and veiling to achieve specific aesthetic outcomes. The process of creating detailed decorations and assembling them securely to form a finished piece translates well to the broader challenges of prop creation. This course can help build a foundation in detailed crafting and material handling, which is beneficial in the imaginative world of prop making.
Product Designer
A Product Designer conceptualizes and develops new products, considering aesthetics, functionality, and user experience across various industries. This course may be useful for an aspiring Product Designer by offering a focused example of creating a tangible, wearable product from conception to completion. You will gain experience in material selection, understanding how to block basic shapes, manipulating elements like sinamay and wire for structure and form, and designing decorative components. The process of assembling different parts into a cohesive, finished fascinator hat provides a micro-level insight into the product development lifecycle and attention to detail required for successful product design. This course can help build a foundation in fundamental crafting and design principles.
Bespoke Tailor
A Bespoke Tailor creates custom-fitted garments for individual clients, demanding exceptional precision, attention to detail, and mastery of construction techniques. While not focused on clothing, this course may be useful for an aspiring Bespoke Tailor by honing key crafting principles that are highly transferable. You will learn traditional millinery skills, including meticulous cutting and measuring, manipulating materials precisely, and employing various stitches to achieve a neat, accurate finish. The focus on creating a custom-made fascinator hat, where fit and presentation are paramount, reinforces the dedication to quality and individual craftsmanship central to bespoke work. This course can help build a foundation in fine handcraft and precise construction, which are invaluable for careers demanding high-level custom creation.
Fashion Stylist
A Fashion Stylist curates outfits and accessories for clients, photoshoots, or events, requiring an astute understanding of trends, aesthetics, and product composition. This course may be useful for an aspiring Fashion Stylist by providing a unique insight into the craftsmanship behind a key accessory item. By learning how to make a fascinator hat, from blocking a base to creating intricate decorations and understanding how it's attached, you gain a deeper appreciation for the design, quality, and construction of headwear. This knowledge can enhance your ability to select and integrate accessories effectively into complete looks, allowing you to speak with greater authority about the pieces you choose. This course can help build a foundation in understanding accessory construction and quality.
Events Decorator
An Events Decorator designs and sets up visual elements and themes for special occasions, creating atmospheres through custom decorations and arrangements. This course may be useful for an aspiring Events Decorator by expanding your practical skills in creating bespoke, aesthetically pleasing decorative items. The process of making a fascinator hat involves manipulating materials like sinamay and veiling, designing and executing intricate decorations, and assembling unique visual elements into a cohesive finished piece. These crafting skills, particularly the focus on creating elegant and detailed forms, are transferable to producing custom decor for events. This course can help build a foundation in creative material manipulation and detailed aesthetic assembly, which is beneficial for crafting unique event decorations.
Personal Shopper
A Personal Shopper advises clients on fashion choices, helping them select clothing and accessories that suit their style, body type, and needs. This course may be useful for an aspiring Personal Shopper by deepening your understanding of accessory craftsmanship and quality. By learning the detailed process of making a fascinator hat – from material selection and traditional millinery skills like blocking and wiring, to creating and attaching decorations – you gain insight into what constitutes a well-made, high-quality accessory. This knowledge can empower you to provide more informed recommendations to clients regarding headwear, recognizing superior construction and design elements. This course can help build a foundation in appreciating the craftsmanship and intricate details of fashion accessories.
Visual Merchandiser
A Visual Merchandiser creates captivating product displays and in-store experiences to attract customers and drive sales, particularly within fashion retail. This course may be useful for an aspiring Visual Merchandiser by offering a deeper understanding of the construction and aesthetic appeal of fashion accessories like fascinator hats. By learning the traditional millinery skills involved in blocking shapes, manipulating delicate materials like sinamay and veiling, and creating intricate decorations, you gain insight into how these items are crafted and presented. This knowledge can enhance your ability to artfully display headwear and other accessories, highlighting their unique features and craftsmanship to maximize visual impact. This course can help build a foundation in understanding product aesthetics and detailed presentation.

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