Sleeping Beauty headpieces: Blue bird

In my last post I talked a little about a new technique I had learned called tambour embroidery and how I applied it while making a series of nine headpiece for a production of Sleeping Beauty.
I will be posting more about those headpieces and their creation soon but am waiting for permission from the customer to share photographs and details of these headpieces.

About the same time, I was contacted by another customer who needed a headpiece for Princess Florine (the female role in the Blue Bird Pas de Deux). The dancer sent me a photo of her tutu so that I could get a feel for the style and colors she was looking for.
I love making all types of millinery so I decided that a little feathered hat would be just the thing.
I found a beautiful lace at Lace-Mart; the lace is a silver leaf shape but it could also pass for a "feather" shape, especially with a little embellishment.

silver lace from Lace-mart

The colors on the tutu were silver, royal blue and black. I chose a mixture of royal blue and a more turquoise blue of feathers for the headpiece, some blue chinese "bamboo" brocade and royal and pale blue maribo daubs.  If I had had more time, I would have order either a sample or a color card but as happens too often I only had a very short time. When the feathers arrived I did have a brief "oh-no" moment because the second blue was much greener than the image had led me to believe but it all worked out well in the end with lighting and other feathers.

blue and turquise feathers

Shiny fabrics like satin brocades often do not look good on stage; they reflect too much light or reflect it in an unflattering way and in some case have a "plastic" look to them under the stage lights. I turned the brocade using the reverse side, as this had less sheen but did have the lovely blue and silver threads that I wanted for the headpiece. For the base I use 100% wool felt, because it can be shaped and blocked with steam and also can be stiffened with special millinery resin (Hydrolac-B purchased from Hatsupply.com). Some of the feathers were wired onto millinery wire and part of the shape was wired as well so that it could be adjusted and tilt up a little, giving the hat more height and interest. It also meant that it didn't look as if a bird had sat down and died on the dancer's head!
Using the silver lace, crystals (both sew on and hot fix Precosia and Swarovski and one large cut glass center jewel) and wire a lovely focal jewel and plume were made.
After steaming and blocking the little "hat" looked very chique on my poupee Ruby.

Front view of Blue-bird headpiece

side view of Blue bird headpiece

 The little hat was quickly packaged up and off it went to Atlanta. the dancer and her mother were delighted with it.  She looked very elegant in her costume and the little hat was perfect. I hat also sent extra feathers and tips on how to add them to the tutu so that the dancer and her mother could complete the tutu's decorations.

"Princess Florine and her Bluebird on stage"

Princess Florine and her Bluebird on stage