Alongside making our very own tash, we are dabbling with some millinery. I am designing and making a hat for Countess Gertrude of Gormenghast - inspired by my recent dinner party ha! I am now settled on a design and excited about our session with milliner Sean Barratt on Monday.....

'As the candles guttered or flared so the shadows moved from side to side, or up and down the wall, and with those movements behind the bed there swayed the shadows of four birds. Between them vacillated an enormous head. This umbrage was cast by her ladyship, the 76th Countess of Groan. She was propped against several pillows and a black shawl was draped around her shoulders. Her hair, a very dark red color of great luster, appeared to have been left suddenly while being woven into a knotted structure on the top of her head. Thick coils still fell about her shoulder or clustered on the pillows like burning snakes. Her eyes were of the pale green that is common among cats.'

Countess Gertrude.

Some initial research - loving the idea of a veil for this character. Oh and yes that is Kirsty.

Incorporate the Gothic architecture of Gormenghast Castle in the structure of the hat?

Due to her companionship with birds, want to play with the idea of using more then feathers to decorate the hat.....

Final Design.

And yesterday this arrived! From ebay?!? Who knew! Ha.....

Found this material in Oxfam. Perfect for the base of the hat.

And last night I blocked the basic shape for my hat, which will then be cut down to the kidney style hat in my design. I just allowed the buckram to soften, placed it on the block on the bias, tied in place and smoothed out the wrinkles.