Hat Blocks Are Fun - Part 1

At this point, as a milliner I'm really focusing on blocked, rather than sewn hats. Blocking a hat involves taking material (usually felt or buckram), steaming it to get it hot and wet, and stretching / molding it over a hard shape. Traditional hat blocks are made of wood, although factory made hats are often made now on metal forms. The foundation for a hat that you make by working with felt and blocks is very sculptural, rather than sewing-based. I find it especially interesting to see the difference between the shape of the block and the hat it produces. Here are photos of a few of my favorites, I'll tell more about them in a future post.





Bay Area milliner Wayne Wichern has started a new blog as a resource all about hat blocks and blocking. If you're interested in the subject, definitely check it out. He's posted three great videos that show how blocks are made and used.