Customer Reviews

Classic Millinery Techniques: A Complete Guide to Making & Designing Hats

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Author based this book on the first of five millinery courses in the curriculum she designed for the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC - and it looks every bit that comprehensive. Lots of full color photos show many possibilities for several contamporary hat types, and all the photos are based on the techniques outlined in the book. Covers straw and fabric boaters, basic band berets, 2-piece and stylized berets, basic turbans, pillboxes, cloches, visors, round blocked crowns, stylized shaped brims, cocktail/Juliet caps, and garlands. Author touches on design, spends a generous amount of pages on construction steps, 4 pages of glossary, 3 pages of sources, 2 pages on starting a small millinery busines, and adequately covers measurements. Trimming info includes feathers in detail, silk flowers, fasteners, horsehair, and fabric roses/bows. She includes many helpful hints, descriptions of basic millinery stitches, fabric do's and don'ts, and a very comprehensive list of supplies. Author says this book is sufficient to aid you in making professional quality hats, and I believe her. But prepare to acquire some new tools unless you already have a well-stocked workroom. Even a non-hat-wearer like myself gets excited by the possibilities of building great original headwear. For anyone who loves wearing original hats, or for a cocktail party regular, this would be a perfect gift. Can't think of anything that I would add to this book, except more, more, more photos!

I'm a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where the author of this book has taught. Currently I am taking a millinery class there, where it was recommended that I buy this book. It's a perfect supplement to any millinery class, and to use after the classes when you're doing things on your own as a guide. One thing though: There was a mix-up with the photos on page 51. It's a confusing subject anyway so I think I should point out... Millinery belting ribbon, as Ann describes, has a scalloped edge; and grosgrain ribbon, which isn't used in hats (at least for the inside band) has a straight edge. The little diagram photos must have gotten mixed up, and they show the opposite. Otherwise, a wonderful book with very professional techniques (techniques you can only get from someone with serious professional and industrial experience).

Lovely compelation of photos that go hand in hand w/ technique.
Gets you to jump right in making hats starting w/ basic techniques. An easy to follow learning method that moves you along starting w/ the basic cut and sew and moving on to more advaced methods.
Follow her suggested guide lines for using the book.
Are you the hands on type? Get this book. Youll be wearing a hat you made in no time.

I have attended evening-classes in millinery, and it was obvius to me that the writer is an experienced teacher. The book focuses mainly on how to make hats of ones own design. You are instructed how to construct your own patterns and how to make the patterns into hats. Most techniques were familliar to me from the evening-classes, some were variations. If You have some experience of sewing or millinery and wish to transform your dreamhat into reality I recomend this book to you.

as a budding milliner, the instructions for making various hats are very helpful, but when i contacted some of the sources for supplies, several of the phone numbers were obsolete, specifically, those supplying balsa head blocks. and, some suppliers have upfront charges for catalogs/lists. i would have liked to have seen the section for starting a small millinery business expanded more.

This text features incredibly well photographed images and clear diagrams. The writing itself is very easy to understand. Naturally it helps if you have a basic understanding of fabric (such as bias and fabric content) and at the bare minimum basic sewing skills (sewing machine, hand sewing and lots of patience.) This is a very thorough text.

This book features highly on the list of millinery resources that I reccomend to people. The others being From the Neck Up and Hats on Heads.

Please note that it doesn't refer to sinamay work, but techniques can be adapted. Nor does it address the blocking of hats such as felts or straw (only covering them if memory serves...). You would require a basic block to shape the lining fabrics for some cocktail pieces.

Classic Millinery Techniques is a beautiful and virtually priceless book that will compliment your millinery work, hobby and studies. It's an astute investment and very inspirational.

Ms. Albrizio based this book on the courses she used to teach at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is now 93 years old and retired from the millinery business, but I have never forgotten her spirit and determination to teach the future milliners of the world and to inspire all her students to wear their creations with flair. I spent a decade in the millinery business because of her instruction and had some great fun. I highly recommend this book and will always remember Ms. Albrizio, the Grand Dame...all decked out for the NY Easter Parade with her students...all wearing their favorite creations. Great fun!!!

I'm a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where the author of this book has taught. Currently I am taking a millinery class there, where it was recommended that I buy this book. It's a perfect supplement to any millinery class, and to use after the classes when you're doing things on your own as a guide. One thing though: There was a mix-up with the photos on page 51. It's a confusing subject anyway so I think I should point out... Millinery belting ribbon, as Ann describes, has a scalloped edge; and grosgrain ribbon, which isn't used in hats (at least for the inside band) has a straight edge. The little diagram photos must have gotten mixed up, and they show the opposite. Otherwise, a wonderful book with very professional techniques (techniques you can only get from someone with serious professional and industrial experience).

This book covers most of the techniques needed for making hats. It is beautifully bound and tasefully illustrated.

This is a standard book used to learn the art of millinery. The instructions are clear, however, a basic millinery class is recommended for the novice who would be unfamiliar with the types of materials needed to make a hat. This book is better suited for someone who has a strong interest in learning classic millinery techniques.

The book is the best in the field but it gets four stars. Mainly because there are quicker and faster techniques to get the hat made. Some of the illustrations are confusing even for an experienced milliner. Artificial fabrics such as polyester are definitely not to be used for hat making and this needs to be stated strongly. The list of vendors for supplies is extremely outdated. Most of those suppliers no longer exist in NYC. Some of the supplies listed are no longer manufactured. Classic Millinery Techniques: A Complete Guide to Making & Designing Today's Hats