It’s not often that I get completely obsessed by all things crafty as I am usually utterly hopeless at making anything look more than haphazardly homemade. However, a couple of weeks ago, I delved into the art of millinery with the most spectacular lady, Rachel Drewer. I can tell you, dear Reader, I am already hooked on hat making.
Secreted away amidst Hampshire farmland, Rachel has a wonderful little studio with oodles and oodles of fabrics, mannequins wearing glamourous creations and enough feathers to fashion her own aviary of birds! Heaven. A veritable sweetie shop for all you crafting folk. With Rachel’s work featuring in British Vogue and Country Life no less, her creations are regular features on the racing circuit. So it is not surprising that ladies are queuing up the farm track and beyond to have one of her bespoke designs and couture numbers. Leaving behind a career in the city, Rachel studied millinery with some of the world’s finest designers, including those who have worked for Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel and the Duchess of Cambridge.
When Rachel is not designing and creating the most stunning headpieces and hats, she also teaches millinery workshops. So when she invited me to come and have a lesson, I made sure I was there with bells on, dear Reader! Not only was there tea and cake, fabulous chat from the delightful Rachel (she is one of the most twinkly smiley people I have interviewed) but she also indulged my love of all things green and feathery. A blissful morning spent in the company of a true artist.
Together (well I say together, I mostly scoffed cake), we created a headband with some feathers I had acquired. Those of you who have seen my homemade roadkill pheasant fascinator, I promise I didn’t come by these green ones by running over anything exotic…..
From creating a good shape to offset the feathers, sticking them in place…
to finally sewing the feathered piece on to a bespoke hairband and finishing with netting.
The results were staggeringly good and with Rachel’s wonderful patience and teaching skills, I was thoroughly surprised at my efforts. In fact, my new fascinator will be having its first outing for a family wedding in June.
Rachel runs a whole host of millinery workshops which teach feather techniques, millinery upcycling, introductions to hat making with sinamay, parasisal and silk flowers as well as specific focus on particular hat designs. For those looking for their own personal workshop session, Rachel offers bespoke tuition which includes a one-to-one day with Rachel in her studio, tailored worksheet on methods, materials, and design tips, follow-up support and more. I rather liked the sound of her millinery parties – the perfect hen weekend idea alongside a glass of fizz or two.
I am truly delighted with my beautiful bespoke headpiece, dear Reader and entirely indebted to Rachel and her guiding hand. I am already chomping at the bit to pop back for more tea and cake as well as a chance to play with all the various hats in the studio – the stuff of dressing up dreams, dear Reader. Not only is Rachel such a talent but I feel I have made a rather lovely and supremely talented new friend right on my doorstep too! I can’t thank her enough for such a lovely morning, especially as she even let me dress her dear Frank in one of her stunning couture numbers. Hats off all round, dear Reader!