February 2003

February 2003 Newsletter

TO: OUR CUSTOMERS AND SUPPORTERS
FROM: JUDITH M

UPCOMING CLASSES AND OTHER NEWS
We are working hard to create opportunities for you to learn more about hatmaking through offering classes at our shop. Expanding in to the building next door has given us space for a classroom and there are already classes scheduled up through August.

MARCH / JUNE: I am pleased with the quality of our instructors and the variety of classes. Students can learn how to create handsewn hats from straw braiding with our own staff (MARCH), or shape a hat from any straw and block they choose in an APRIL class being taught by Veronica Chin. Ms. Chin is a highly regarded instructor from the Chicago area. MAY brings the opportunity to carve your own headblock using polystyrene and paper mache, taught by Eia Radosavljevic, also from Chicago. Trim an Ascot style hat in JUNE for our Summer Tea (I'll say more on this workshop in a bit).

JULY / AUGUST: Classes seem to be tumbling out of JULY, beginning with a flat pattern workshop with Laura Whitlock, another Chicago instructor. Laura also ends the month, or starts AUGUST for us, depending on how you want to look at it, with a workshop on fabric manipulation and handmade trims. In between we are joined by Waltraud Reiner of Australia for a week-end of classes in mid-JULY. Ms. Reiner will teach a 2-day class on sculpting hats from sinamay straw cloth, followed by a 1-day class on changing an old or unfavorite hat into something new and wearable.

We will repeat the January felt hat class with Cynthia Lundeen, of Cleveland Ohio, as instructor, in early AUGUST and that is a far as the scheduling has reached. but I promise to fill the last quarter of 2003 with more exciting and fun millinery classes. Tell us what you want to learn and we will try to create a class for you.

BEADING: There are several special events yet to come in FEBRUARY which you may not know about. This month we are offering two classes on beading. Anna and I took a class in nearby Goshen last winter and fell in love with this art form. We each made a beaded necklace at that class and our instructor, Kim Baxley, is offering the same workshop to you on the 15th at our shop. Tell someone special it would be the perfect valentine for you! A week later, return to continue your beading education when Ms. Baxley shows us how to bead straps, fringes and tassels. Think of lovely purse handles, a fabulous lampshade, drawer pull and so on.

SUMMER TEA: Our annual Summer Tea is held each June and this year we have given it a horse race theme, as in the Royal Ascot. Everyone is to come dressed the part, from whatever century and era one chooses. The Ascot was started in 1711 by Queen Anne, so there are a lot of years and styles from which to select your special Ascot look. Our speaker, Eia Radosavljevic has attended the Ascot for several years and will entertain us from her experiences surrounding that event.

To help you create that special overdone hat we have set aside the Thursday (June 19) before our Saturday tea (June 21), to help you trim your hats. Bring your hat to the shop anytime that day and we will assist you in contriving your dream vision.

WEB LINK: You can learn more about all of the classes mentioned by clicking on this link to our CLASS page on the website. http://www.judithm.com/shop/?page=shop/browse&category_id=99f0901794a070e076884c4264f4efac&

The bi-monthly Hat Tea we began last year as a joint affair with the M & N House will continue on this year. The next one being held on Saturday, March 22. A particular style or color of hat is featured at each of these "Hat Teas". For the MARCH Tea a "half hat, bandeaux or cracked egg" is the style to wear. To see our calendar of events click here: http://www.judithm.com/calendar/

And always, wear a hat!
The best to you,

Judith Mishler
judithm@judithm.com
www.judithm.com