Anyone know where I can buy a decent felt hat blank for a poke bonnet or Eliza Bennet/Jane Austen era hat? Or a RTW hat?
Don't need links to hatters, miliners who make bespoke stuff, or supplies other than the blanks. I really need a complete hat, or a felt hat blank.
Lots of patterns on Google, but very few hats or hat blanks. Hatcrafters are probably your best bet, though they're not exactly cheap. The straw could be dyed black or "slipcovered" in a pinch. If you were to take on making a hat, they seem to be made from buckram. I remember my mother doing that (I have two of her hat blocks), soaking it and putting it on the block, pressing it down, molding it while wet, then once it was done and dry, covering with fabric and furbelows. Or ribbon, flowers, etc.
I have one of Lynne McMaster's hat patterns that we are going to try anyway. It has a soft 'body' and a harder beak, which I shall probably stiffen with Timtex. We just wanted another ready made one AS WELL! :D
InspirePoint website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.