CRAZY FOR HATS SNEAK PEEK FOR FALL '09!!

    

           I WAS GOING TO SAVE THIS NEW BLOG FOR MY BI-WEEKLY ENTRY, BUT JUST GOT SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS NEW CREATION, THAT I'M SENDING IT OUT A BIT EARLY. HERE ON THE EAST COAST IN THE USA, WE ARE CHEERING ON THE SUMMER SOLSTICE TOMORROW! DOESN'T FEEL MUCH LIKE SUMMER WITH ALL THE RAIN WE'VE HAD! BUT, I'M IN FALL '09 MODE, AND REVING UP MY LINE FOR THE SCITUATE ART FESTIVAL IN OCTOBER, AND FOR MY AUSTRALIAN AUDIENCE, WHO ABOUT NOW, ARE PULLING OUT THEIR WINTER CLOTHES. 

I WILL BE DOING A PLANNED ENTRY SHORTLY AFTER THIS ONE ON 

THE "HISTORY OF THE CLOCHE", BUT FOR NOW, WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU THE PROCESS OF MAKING THIS NEW CREATION.  

THIS HAT IS 100% WOOL, WHICH I HAVE WASHED AND DRYED TO MAKE THE WOOL FELT INTO A THICKER , MORE HAT-LIKE FABRIC.  IT ALSO MAKES THE FABRIC DENSER, THUS MAKING THE HAT WARMER.  I'VE USED A FLANNEL BACKED LINING, WHICH ADDS STILL MORE WARMTH. 

YOU WILL ALSO SEE THE MUSLIN CROWN THAT I MADE FROM THE PATTERN, WHICH IS THE WORKING MODEL USED TO PERFECT THE SHAPE AND SIZE OF THE HAT. 

AFTER THE HAT IS MADE AND LINED, THE REST OF THE HAT IS ALL HAND-FINISHED.

MY FAVORITE PART OF MILLINERY IS THE FROSTING OF THE HAT.  

THE DECORATION PART OF THE PROCESS IS LIKE EATING CHOCOLATE TO ME!!

THUS, THE TRIMMING FABRIC IS WHAT INSPIRED THIS HAT, AS DOES MOST OF THE HATS I MAKE.  IT'S THE FABRIC THAT SPEAKS TO ME AND IT TELLS ME WHAT IT WANTS TO BECOME.

THE TRIM FABRIC IS A LOVELY, DRAPEY, WOOL BLEND JERSEY IN A GORGEOUS PURPLE, BLACK, AND GRAY ABSTRACT PATTERN, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN 

DE RIGUER IN THE 1920's. 

THERE WILL BE MANY MORE CLOCHES TO COME WITH COUNTLESS 

VARIATIONS AND FABRICATIONS.  

TO VIEW OR PURCHASE ANY OF THE BEGINNINGS OF MY FALL '09 LINE, PLEASE STOP

 IN TO MY ETSY SHOP  AT WWW.ORSINIMEDICI1951.ETSY.COM

AND DON'T FORGET TO STOP BACK HERE FOR "THE HISTORY OF THE CLOCHE"

WHEN I'LL BE UPLOADING PHOTOS OF MY OWN COLLECTION, AND SOME  REPRINTS OF PICTURES FROM HARPERS BAZAAR FROM THE 1930's!!!

YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THAT!!

HATS OFF TO YOU!!

ELSIE COLLINS/THISTLECOTTAGE

WWW.ORSINIMEDICI1951.ETSY.COM

CRAZY ABOUT HATS!!

I'M CRAZY ABOUT HATS!!!

I CAN'T SEEM TO STOP COLLECTING THEM!!  AT PRESENT, I OWN ABOUT 75 HATS FROM THE 1920'S UP TO 1960.  THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE PERIOD REPRODUCTIONS I'VE MADE FOR THE THEATER.  

I JUST AQUIRED ANOTHER LITTLE SWEETIE YESTERDAY AT A CHURCH THRIFT SHOP IN GREENVILLE, RI, FOR $1.00!!  IT'S CA. 1950'S,VERY "I LOVE LUCY", IN YELLOW WITH CREAM STRAW.  A JULIETTE STYLE CAP, WITH UNDULATING WAVEY EDGES, AND A REMNANT OF YELLOW POINT D' ESPIRIT NETTING, IN NEED OF SOME RESTORATION. I USE PERIOD TRIMMINGS FOR AUTHENTICITY WHENEVER POSSIBLE. 

I HAVE BEEN AN AVID COLLECTOR OF ALL THINGS VINTAGE FOR 40 YEARS!  YEAH, THAT MAKES ME REALLY OLDE!

MY FAVORITE HAT IS A CA. 1959 BUBBLE TOQUE WITH THE ORIGINAL LABEL INTACT BY CHRISTIAN DIOR, NEW YORK, PARIS, LONDON.  IT IS WORTH ABOUT $225.00, WHICH IN MY OPINION IS PEANUTS, CONSIDERING THAT WE'LL NEVER SEE THEM AGAIN.

I'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME RESEARCHING CLOCHES AGAIN, FROM THE 20'S, PAYING CLOSER ATTENTION TO TRIMMINGS, AND FABRICS.  I'VE STARTED PERFECTING A PATTERN FOR MY NEXT COLLECTION FOR FALL, OF CLOCHES USING WOOLS,  VELVETS, VELVETEENS, AND TAPESTRY FABRICS, AND LARGE VINTAGE BUCKLES AND BUTTONS FOR TRIMMING.  ALL WILL BE LINED, AND ONE OF A KIND.  THE PERIOD STYLE LININGS WILL BE CO-ORDINATED WITH THE OUTER FABRIC CHOICES FOR REAL PIZZAZZ!! I WILL BE ACCEPTING CUSTOM COLOR ORDERS, AND SPECIFIC HEAD MEASUREMENTS FOR A PROPER FIT.  I'LL BEGIN UPLOADING A SNEAK PREVIEW OF SOME OF THEM IN MY ETSY SHOP THIS WEEK!! STAY TUNED TO WWW.ORSINIMEDICI1951.ETSY.COM!!!!

DID YOU KNOW THAT HISTORICALLY SPEAKING, THE CLOCHE HAS SURVIVIED THE CHANGES OF FASHION FOR OVER 80 YEARS?!!

THE BASIC SHAPE HAS SEEN COUNTLESS EVOLUTIONS, AND VARIATIONS MORE THAN ANY OTHER STYLE OF HAT!  MAYBE THAT'S WHY I LOVE IT SO.  AND IF YOU'RE NOT A HAT PERSON BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU DON'T LOOK GOOD IN HATS, WELL, MAYBE IT'S TIME TO TRY ON A CLOCHE!!

A CLOCHE FRAMES THE FACE IN A VERY FLATTERING WAY, NO MATTER WHAT SHAPE FACE YOU HAVE.  THEY ARE ESPECIALLY BEAUTIFUL WITH A SMALL BRIM, MAYBE SOME VIOLETS ON AUBERGINE VELVET, OR A LARGE ART DECO BUCKLE ON MENSWEAR HERRINGBONE WOOL.  JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE WINTER WHITE WOOL, CREWEL EMBROIDERED LITTLE NUMBER I'M WORKING ON AS WE SPEAK!! 

SO, I HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED MY LITTLE MANIA ON "LE HOMAGE DU CHAPEAUX"!!!

DID YOU KNOW THAT COCO CHANEL GOT HER START AS A MILLINER IN PARIS?

MORE ON THAT IN MY NEXT BI-WEEKLY BLOG!

TALK SOON, 

 ELSIE COLLINS/THISTLE COTTAGE STUDIO @

WWW.ORSINIMEDICI1951.ETSY.COM

PS--NEXT TIME I'LL SHOW YOU THAT LITTLE "I LOVE LUCY" SWEETIE IT JUST PICKED UP, AND MAYBE A FEW OTHER TASTY TREATS WHILE I'M AT IT!!

UPDATE: JUNE 15th, THE CHARCOAL AND AUBERGINE SCROLL TAPESTRY CLOCHE  SOLD IN MY ETSY SHOP JUST HOURS AFTER I UPLOADED IT TO A LADY IN AUSTRALIA, WHERE IT IS COMING INTO WINTER!!  IT WAS A ONE OF A KIND, BUT AS I SAID, THERE WILL BE MANY MORE CLOCHES TO COME, SO STAY TUNED TO THIS BLOG AND MY ETSY SHOP FOR NEW HAT ALERTS!!

THISTLE COTTAGE STUDIO @

WWW.ORSINIMEDICI1951.ETSY.COM:  ALL THINGS ROMANTIC,  INSPIRED BY THE RENAISSANCE, PERIOD FASHION, VINTAGE, SHABBY CHIC, COTTAGE- STYLE, AND A MORE GENTILE WAY OF LIVING LIFE!!

The Joy of Teaching & Creating

I SPEND A LOT OF MY WEEK TEACHING A VARIETY OF THE TEXTILE ARTS TO ADULTS AND CHILDREN AT MY STUDIO, THISTLE COTTAGE STUDIO, IN N.PROVIDENCE, RI.

  I AM ABOUT TO LAUNCH MY SUMMER SEWING & CRAFT CAMP FOR KIDS IN JUNE. PLEASE SEE THOSE DETAILS ON CRAIGSLIST.ORG, AND iLIST.COM.   IT IS ALWAYS A HARD BALANCE TO KEEP BETWEEN TEACHING, WHICH I LOVE, AND CREATING NEW WORKS FOR MY ONLINE RETAIL SHOP WWW.ORSINIMEDICI1951.ETSY.COM , WHICH I INTEND ONE DAY, TO MAKE MY FULL TIME INCOME FROM.  AS MUCH AS I LOVE TEACHING, ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE, I FEEL CREATIVELY OBLIGATED TO BRING AS MANY OF MY ABUNDANT IDEAS TO LIFE AS POSSIBLE.  I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH A FLOW OF CREATIVITY THAT RUNS LIKE NIAGRA FALLS!  UNFORTUNATELY, UNTIL I LEARN TO MARKET MY SHOP ONLINE IN A WAY THAT BRINGS IN A STEADY LIVING INCOME, I FIND IT NECESSARY TO REROUTE THAT CREATIVITY INTO SMALLER TRIBUTARIES BY WAY OF TEACHING.  I HOPE THAT DOESN'T SOUND TOO MUCH LIKE THAT CONDESCENDING ADAGE, "THOSE WHO CAN'T DO, TEACH".  IT ISN'T LIKE THAT AT ALL!  AU CONTRARE!!  IF I COULD SPEND 16 HOURS A DAY CREATING NEW DESIGNS IN ALL SECTIONS OF MY SHOP, I'D BE A HAPPY CAMPER!!  THERE IS NOTHING THAT MAKES ME HAPPIER THAN IMERSING MYSELF IN THE PROCESS AND MINUTIAE, OF MAKING THOSE TINY MAGICAL DECISIONS ALONG THE CREATIVE PATH TO A NEW RENAISSANCE MASK, OR A NEW PERIOD HAT REPRODUCTION, OR  SCULPTING A NEW IDEA FOR A PIECE OF HAND KNITWEAR, OR LEARNING TO USE MY NEW KNITTING MACHINE!!  I WILL BE GEARING UP FOR THE SCITUATE ART FESTIVAL AGAIN COMING UP IN OCTOBER. 

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE KIND OF ARTIST WHO REVELS IN HAVING MORE THAN ONE PROJECT GOING AT ANY TIME.  I GET BORED SO QUICKLY, AND THE GEARS IN MY HEAD SPIN SO FAST THAT, THE ADAGE, "SO MANY IDEAS, SO LITTLE TIME" RINGS LOUD AND TRUE FOR ME!

THAT ALL SAID, YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHAT I'LL SPIN OUT NEXT.  I DO HOPE YOU WILL, AND INVITE YOU ALL TO VISIT THISTLE COTTAGE STUDIO AT WWW.ORSINIMEDICI1951.ETSY.COM, REGULARLY!  

  HAVE A LOVELY AND CREATIVE DAY!!

ETSY vs. eBay

There's been a lot of discussion about eBay and ETSY, and I'm here to tell you that there is NO comparison! I had an eBay store and closed is last Nov. '08, and cancelled everything there,  It was not my venue! They continued to debit my checking acct. for 6 mos., ignoring my commands, sending me round in circles, wasting my time with tabs and clicks that were dead ends!! It was only when I figured out that they were playing head games that I threatened to and did contact the Atty. Gen. office of CA, informed my attorney, and offered free publicity online.  I was pushed and bullied, ignored and abused by them!  I finally got a refund after an online war with them! I was pushed into using 4 blanking letter words, and am Twittering about it anyway, because people need to know that eBay has no respect for people.  ETSY on the other hand is a community of artists who care about each other, and it shows!  I've found a home and my venue!  I've also found a wonderful ETSY mentor who is devoted to teaching us how to make a living online. Check out Tim Adam DEsigns on ETSY, and Facebook, and his tutorial site, Handmadeology.com! He's phenomenal!! I made three sales on ETSY in April! Thank you to those who made those purchases at www.orsinimedici1951.etsy.com!!  I treat my customers like royalty!!

THISTLE COTTAGE STUDIO SUMMER SEWING & CRAFT CAMP FOR KIDS HEATS UP!

THISTLE COTTAGE STUDIO WILL BE HOSTING A SUMMER CAMP FOR KIDS STARTING JUNE 15TH IN MY N.PROVIDENCE, RI STUDIO.  OPEN TO CHILDREN AGES 9-17 YRS. OLD.

PLEASE LOG ON TO iLIST.COM FOR A FULL COURSE MENU AND PHOTO GALLERY OF THE STUDIO, STUDENTS, CONTACT INFO, AND REFERENCE.  TCS IS THE PROUD SPONSOR OF OUR STUDENT, RACHEL, FOR WINNING THE PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER'S SUMMER ARTS SCHOLARSHIP 2009.  TCS'S OWNER, ELSIE COLLINS IS AN AWARD WINNING DESIGNER, AND HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE RI STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES (2002)

Something's Humming in the Trees!!

You know you're in harmony with the seasons when that overwhelming creative surge of energy rises with the tree sap in the spring.  It's a sure sign that ones creative juices are ready to make something wonderful.  Your  ideas have been germinating and incubating, and maybe even hiberating all winter!  There is even a humming in the trees!  It's almost audible if you listen very carefully.  So many ideas, and not enough time in the day.  Oh, how I wish I could invent a magic wand!!  But, then, I'd miss the tangible process of making an idea come to life.  There is NOTHING more satisfying than channeling inspiration, and bringing it into the world like a birth! Any artist involved with the cosmic connective process of creating knows exactly what I'm talking about!  It's as powerful a high as any drug, only better!  It is addictive though.  And you do lose track of time.  It does transport you, and transforms you.  You are somehow different at the completion of each project.  And you always want more.  And finally, you have this uncontrolable 

desire to share it with the world. Somehow art connects us, from the beginning of the process, to the end of it.  And it self perpetuates, and so is infinite, because the universe from which the creative inspirations spring forth, is infinite.  It is a never ending, generous act of giving, and co-creating with God, if you will.  I have had some of the most spiritually enlightening moments when I am creating a new project.  I have been creating art in many mediums for over 40 years, and the energy that drives me, thankfully is still surging!  It's a beautiful thing for which I am eternally grateful to have been given such an incredible gift.  I attribute the magnitude of this creativity to my mother who was extremely talented.  Her ancestral lineage has been historically connected to the Orsini-Medici of Renaissance Italy.  That family dynasty was responsible for the patronization of Michelangelo, DaVinci, Raphael, Veronese, Tintoretto, Titian, Dante, Brunelleschi, and so many more!!  I don't think I will ever be able to fully absorb the contents of my DNA.  A trip to Tuscany is on my bucket list, but can't imagine how I will ever be able to pick myself up off the floor of the Sistine Chapel!!

For now, I will continue to be happy creating new pieces for my ETSY shop.  I do hope you will visit and see my new Spring line a www.orsinimedici1951.etsy.com

                                                         Ciao!!