Hats Off

It started with this quickly-put-together inspiration board.
I had been thinking about having a good photographic record taken of the hats I make for a very long time so I took Stephanie up on the offer immediately.
I also always knew I wanted Rachelle to model them - even though, as it turned out, said lovely person inside and out, had never modelled before. In my heart of hearts I knew she had the perfect hat-face for the kind I make so I must thank my lucky stars that they aligned in such a way in the right place and at the precise moment in time for this shoot to happen the way it did.

It ran like well-oiled clockwork, the sun shone and the location gods smiled down on us.

What did I say about the location gods?

Waking up early to a day like this was an added bonus. It got me thinking that perhaps I must have done something extraordinarily good in a past life to deserve all this.

I got my first lessons in setting up lights and was reunited for the second time with the beloved reflectors. I had missed my shiny shiny circles since we last met on set.

Credits and thanks and a handful of kisses go to ...

photographer: Stephanie Galea

model: Rachelle Spiteri

make-up artist: Dyna Spiteri

location: a bit of heaven thanks to Mr. R. Bianchi


all hats, brooches as well as some of the clothes are one-off pieces by yours truly a.k.a. Babettopolis

These are the final shots!

alternatively you can view the lot in a better format on Stephanie's own website!
actually, I suggest it.

x

 

 

 

 

Spring is in the air ..

... and with the much appreciated help of my parents-in-law, I had the pleasure of seeing grandma's chandeliers up and alight! Following a nail-biting and nerve-testing re-wiring, I drove to the ironmonger's and got me a bag full of light bulbs. Now, I see and love-what-I-see better than ever before. 

ceiling roses and some hardcore (and inevitable :s) dusting and polishing later.. I was one happy bunny!

fixing up a couple of rooms needn't cost a lot .. I live by that mantra and in inestimable gratitude for the constant support and help of family members who are handy with pliers and glue!

to top it all off, a neighbour gave me two pretty (one beaded, one shimmery lame) evening bags, just like that, out of the blue - may I just say: surprise gifts RULE!

and in the midst of it all, piles of clothes needed a thorough ironing in preparation for the Babettopolis photoshoot which was to/did take place on Saturday - a healthy mix of handmade and vintage pieces to complement some of the many hats I made over the past two years.

Now that the photos are out (more on that later!) and it's Monday again .. I can't help recalling the excitement that the Friday prior to the shoot brought with it - at last I was to have some professional help with documenting my work - and for that I'm super grateful!

so, yes, spring is in the air ... cat is shedding fur .. and I'm stuck indoors, dedicating whatever time is leftover after the sewing is done to spring cleaning and piling and sorting and dusting in anticipation of the next swap party! 

some hats and a thank-you!

These are the latest three hats I've had the pleasure of working on.
I'm going through a bit of a hat phase - my only concern being the little time I have left over from other commitments to dedicate to it. I have sketched so many already that I had to just give up on sketching alltogether because documenting the many options only made it worse - too many sketches, so little time to make any of them. Choosing from the sketches also became a frustrating chore .. uff!
Now I just get on with it and make hats in the few hours/minutes in between other things.

All three hats are constructed entirely by hand out of donated felt and vintage straw and plastic passementerie trim

I am now looking forward to a pro photo-shoot and cramming in as many more hats as possible before that.

'La Petite Tonkinoise'  hat

Urchin-'diadema antillarum'-hat

Plume pillbox hat

On the other hand, I must send out my sincere thanks to all of those who donated some special pieces from their wardrobe. I am grateful as ever and can only promise I'll wear the lot with pride x

It gives me joy to know that good pieces wth so much more mileage left in them are not going to waste

also,
(note to self: another swap party is due.. I can feel it in the air)

Running a business as a seamstress - An Interview

It's always such a pleasure to meet people who really like (even love) what you do and believe in it enough to recommend you and want to ask you about it..

A week ago I received the team behind The Zone - TimesofMalta.com for an interview about what I do .. 

I hereby thank them for the time they are investing in this series of inspirational interviews and for editing my ramblings into a coherent segment .. 

here it is:

Running a business as a seamstress - timesofmalta.com

*on another note entirely: why hasn't anyone ever told me I move my hands and face around too much..
I might have still been in time to change.
Now, I'm stuck with it forever!*

I ought to stop ...

... collecting just about anything! really!

Flea markets, bazaars, charity shops should put up posters of my face to warn vendors and urge me to act responsibly. My only consolation is that should Mad Men decide to film a 7th season in Malta and recruit locally (please please pretty please) I'm sorted for wardrobe ...

Here are some spoils from yesterday's Birgu carboot sale ...

these washing-lines fill me (and only very few others) with joy

pointy boobs and charming packaging

quality wool and eloquently phrased washing instructions from a time when caring for your wardrobe was something else entirely. This label is all I ever wanted for reference - (most) companies took such pride in their product that they actually cared enough to educate the client

Sometimes I can hardly believe I'm living in an age this fast-paced and out of synch with the basic ethical obligations of production

On another note, Joan is 'staying over' and she hangs her slips to dry on Fujiko the dolly

 My new make-up case/picnic basket/scarf compartment - it matches everything and brings me so much joy! (*thank you Alex for letting me have it!)

I bid you adieu with some quick shots of Ghar Lapsi re-visited: decidedly windier and all the more beautiful for it!

*off to make another pompom hat*

a week and a half

I celebrated a cocktail-fuelled birthday over the past weekend, spent the first half of the week before that wringing sea-water out of costumes and getting sunburnt in the best possible way - but now I'm back indoors, away from the shoreline, cutting silks, and getting back on track e-mail/bills/order-wise ...

I've also received several unexpected gifts and stumbled upon some precious vintage finds on two charity-shop/flea market marathons ...

perhaps life is not so bad away from the slippery slippery shore!

thank you friends and nanna!

hello terracotta leather coat, please make me look like Faye Dunaway

I bid adieu to Ghar Lapsi and scorching cliffs

will be back with more intricate stories about an upcoming photoshoot, new hats, chiffon bridesmaid dresses, a vintage-inspired wardrobe overhaul for a beautiful lady, a sneak-peek at the costumes for Bews il-Bahar, an interview and *crossfingers* more tales about friends+alcohol+food+sea x