Take This Hat to Ascot at Your Own Risk

My adventures in sewing wheat straw continue. Wheat straw is seriously rustic.  Sewing with it has caused me to recall the breathing techniques that were taught to me in birthing class, many moons ago.  (didn’t work then either) Tony has several times closed my studio door to put a physical barrier between himself and the colourful expressions that seem to fall out of my mouth and Dustin’s new catch phrase is, “Language, Mom!” But I just love the stuff.

I had to do a bit of self analysis to ensure that I wasn’t chronically drawn to abusive hat making relationships.  But I think I can explain why wheat straw and I stay together.  I know, I know, this is classic denial, but, really, hear me out.  This is the straw of the people.  It is not fancy or pretentious, yet it is so beautiful.  The colour is like variations on sunshine.   It’s imperfect and it’s perfectly real.

Here’s another one of this week’s creations.  It’s called, Hat for a seamstress.

This is the season for horse racing- Kentucky Derby, Ascot, Queen’s plate….  Milliners all over the world are busy creating masterpieces of pomp and flippery. (I think I made that last word up)  I have had some requests for fascinators from ladies that don’t know me well and I have learned to just say no.  When I don’t want to do something, the process becomes tortuous.    It’s just not me.  I could not go to a horse race.  I would inevitably do something inappropriate.  I mean, on purpose. Like eating a banana without peeling it while sipping champagne with the Duchess of Dingle.  There’s something about all that  entitlement that would cause me to go bad.  And if you were to fall in love with one of my hats and wear it to the races, the hat would inspire you to do the same. You have been warned.

My hats want to go the Country Fair, the local farmersmarket, a weekend trip to Annapolis Royal,  or to the Lunenburg folk Harbour Festival.

My hats also love to take the cable ferry across the Lahave River and have lunch at the Lahave Bakery.
This photo of the Lahave ferry in the late 1800’s comes from a book called, Images of our past, Historic Lunenburg, The Days of Sail.  I bet you dollars to donuts that it’s available at Lunenburg Bound.

But if you have your heart set on going to the races then you should buy a hat from my dear friend and one of Canada’s best milliners, Edie Orenstein.  Some of her creations can be found at the Nova Scotia Designer Craft Council store next to Pier 21 in Halifax.  You can also contact her through her Facebook page.

If any of you are familiar with Vancouver, Edie was the founder of Edie Hats on Granville Island.  She’s kind of a legend and she’s hiding out here in Nova Scotia, at least for the next year.  She’s the real deal.

I will leave you with a couple of photos from the Lunenburg Farmers Market.  Yep, every hat finds its rightful head.

Carol is visiting from Ontario and she didn’t buy this hat….yet.  It’s killing me because it’s a perfect match.

And, finally, some really big news….Today Dustin learned to wash the dishes.  My investment has finally paid off.    After months of the kid flaunting our rapidly changing physical stature, it occurred to me that he was now tall enough to wash the dishes without serious risk of precious pottery breakage.  Life just keeps getting better and better.  See you all next week.