Memories of…spreading my grandma’s hats out on the spare room bed
with a mirror close by…a little brown felt hat just my size…a cuddle cap with small pink woollen roses…the petal covered hat with matching purse…the crimson beaver felt that matched my coat exactly…my mother’s glorious velvet & chiffon hats or the little blue feather headpiece that she wore to a wedding…delving through all the boxes of flowers at Dressmaker’s Supply in Toronto…the fabulous $5 clearance sales at Georgina Spearn’s…the wonderful finds at Head First.
Janice & "Mrs. Gaw" (my childhood fashionista alter ego)
Then came the tracking down of all the talented Canadian milliners…searching through all the catalogues of the New York wholesalers and travelling to Manhattan to shop for treasures to bring home. There were hours spent finding fabrics & ribbons, feather & flowers and then more hours (too many to count) trimming hundreds of hats so they would all be unique. Seeing the joy on the ladies’ faces when they saw every nook and cranny filled with hats just waiting to be tried on made it all worthwhile.
When one eats, sleeps and dreams hats, it doesn’t take long for the curiosity factor to kick in. I accumulated hat making books, wooden blocks, a steamer and all the paraphernalia that’s involved in hat making.
I’ve taken courses and studied many millinery books, but the best way to learn is to just do it.
So on this site you will see all the hats I’ve lovingly handcrafted for you!
PS Many thanks to my talented dad, Dr. Maurice Adams for all the wooden hat blocks he’s made for me.