Better Late than Never

Hi, there. I am geting this post in right under the wire. This is my first straw hat assignment for my millinery class. I'm going to preface my following statement by saying that I really hate working with straw. It is less malleable than felt and will lose its shape quickly without the appropriate amount of sizing (gel, brush on lacquer, spray on). Needless to say I have had a lot of trouble with both my straw hats for this reason. I was able to mostly sort out the distortion on this hat so that the untrained eye might still think it looks fine. To my professor, I am guessing, it will look like a hot mess and she wouldn't be wrong. I had a lot of trouble using the millinery sewing machine which works quite differently than a traditional one and straw is not a material I am accosumed to working with; plus the added bonus of the raw edges scratching my skin creating a rash like irritation that would bothter me for about half hour after I had concluded working on it. Technical issues aside, I am a fan of the color palette and the simpliciy of the decoraion. My teacher will probably find fault with it but I have realized to trust my own design instincts within reason and I know from sitting so close to the front, that my teacher doesn't often like the design that my fellow class mates have gone for. I realize this post consists primarily of rant so let me say this, while I don't think I will ever become a full time milliner unless fate throws some twists my way. BUT, as a costumer and possibly future accessories designer, I think knowing what goes into the hatmaking process will only help me. I think it is a fascinating and beautiful craft that brings a lot of joy to a certain kind of person and I can only hope that it doesn't ever become a lost art.