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Flower making Day 1 and a surprise encounter

Monday, July 16

Today I started the first of my two millinery sessions at Kensington and Chelsea college. Monday and Tuesday will be spent flower making while Wednesday and Thursday will be used to explore the use of sinamay and straw in millinery. 

Our teacher is Bridget Bailey, a really talented and down to earth milliner. I really loved the way she taught us today. I went in thinking she would be very uppity, especially as she is well known, but I was pleasantly surprised by her teaching style. I've decided I like her....very much actually. You can see some of her work here. These are my favourite of her pieces





The day started with us examining some of the flowers she had made using the techniques she would be teaching us.

 Next she showed us how to carve lino to make moulds for the flowers. My attempt looked like a dodgy half onion.
Time to dye some silk.
Dyed strips of silk laid to dry.

 Then she showed us what we would be doing with our carved lino blocks and dyed silk fabric tomorrow.
My biggest surprise of the day was meeting Susan ( wearing a red cardigan in picture below). We got chatting, and I mentioned I would be taking pictures for my blog. One thing led to another, and she said she reads sewing blogs as well. I asked her if she read Did You Make That?, she said yes. Then she asked me for my blog name. I wrote it out for her, and her eyes lit up.

" Oh I know your blog"She exclaimed.

Boy did that make me happy. I felt like a little star. I offered to give her an autograph, to which she smiled politely. One day folks, one day someone will faint with excitement upon seeing me. What? You think I jest? I think you will find my friends, that I am dead serious.

The brown leather hat box was begging me to steal it. It belonged to Martine ( pictured closing it). The lucky girl. Its a 1960's pure leather hat box she got off ebay for £20. What a steal. Considering the fact that cardboard hat boxes are currently going for more than twice that amount, you would understand the temptation I was fighting right? By the end of this week, if I am still blogging, then you should know that I succeeded in resisting the temptation to steal it, thereby avoiding jail.

Tomorrow we get to use our dyed fabric to make the flowers, and I am so excited.
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12 comments:

  1. ElleC17 July 2012 at 00:26

    What a boost for your ego! I wonder who was more surprised, you or Susan?

    I had more to say but I lost my mind, it`s too hot right now. I know I shouldn't complain to a Brit about weather, but I think it's day 10 or 12 of over 30's, and it has been humid. So there. 8-)

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    Replies
    1. Dibs18 July 2012 at 07:38

      Oh my! You sure do know how to make a girl jealous don't you? I would give up ice cream for a whole week to have that weather.

      Delete
    2. ElleC19 July 2012 at 03:57

      But you get to live in London. I am so jealous of that you can't imagine.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous17 July 2012 at 03:21

    How fun! I would probably faint with excitement if I met you! :)

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    Replies
    1. Dibs18 July 2012 at 07:36

      would that be after you have managed to revive me after fainting because I met you?

      Delete
  3. mumasu17 July 2012 at 08:26

    That looks like so much fun :)

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  4. Anonymous17 July 2012 at 09:00

    Ooh, your courses look like so much fun and really interesting! I second Ginger, I'd get all stars truck and quiet if I met you, then probably wouldn't shut up!

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    Replies
    1. Dibs18 July 2012 at 07:35

      hahahahahhaha. We should make that happen then.

      Delete
  5. Unknown17 July 2012 at 09:09

    This course looks fabulous! So cool :)
    Px

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  6. Janey17 July 2012 at 12:26

    I'd probably get giddy if I was to randomly meet you. I always say to my husband, 'I wonder if I'll see Dibs in one of the shops' whenever I go to Goldhawk Road. He's like 'who?' and I say 'you know, the girl whose blog I read who has the ability to make a million awesome dresses in like a space of an hour'. :)

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  7. Dibs18 July 2012 at 07:34

    Oh dear. lol. I think my days of cranking out dresses quickly is way over. We should organise a shopping trip to goldhawk road sometime.

    ReplyDelete

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