How to Join & Shape Buckram for Millinery | Hat Making Tutorial

How do you join separate pieces of buckram to create a smooth, sculptural foundation for a hat? In this millinery tutorial, I’m taking the buckram pieces we blocked in the previous video and beginning the next stage: bringing them together to create the foundation of our hat. I’ll show you how I press and prepare blocked buckram, develop the shape of the hat, position separate pieces accurately and use heat, a small amount of water and hand stitching to create a strong, almost seamless join. We’ll also look at something that I think is particularly important in millinery: allowing the shape to evolve as you work. Rather than cutting immediately to a predetermined pattern, I gradually refine the paisley-shaped foundation, leaving myself room to adjust the proportions, curves and silhouette until the form feels right. In this tutorial: • Preparing and pressing blocked buckram • Removing buckram safely from a hat block • Trimming and refining your hat foundation • Positioning multiple pieces of buckram • Using registration marks to keep pieces aligned • Joining buckram with heat and moisture • Reinforcing the join with cross stitch • Pressing stitches for a smooth, almost seamless finish • Developing and refining a sculptural hat shape I’m Sarah Conners, a milliner, accessory designer, maker and educator with more than 30 years of experience in fashion and millinery. Through BALADE, I share traditional millinery techniques alongside the thinking, experimentation and problem-solving that goes into making a hat. If you’re interested in learning millinery, traditional hat-making techniques and the craft behind beautifully made hats, subscribe to follow the series. In the next video, we’ll continue developing this buckram foundation by wiring the edge and preparing it to be covered in fabric. Want to learn how to block Buckram shapes? Watch this tutorial    • How to Block a Buckram Hat | Millinery Tut...   Other ways to connect with BALADE 🪡 See what is going on behind the scenes on Instagram instagram.com/balade_millinery/?hl=en 🤩 Check out what’s inspiring me on Pinterest au.pinterest.com/sarahconners 📝 Find out what’s on my mind, join The Scroop on Substack substack.com/@baladesarahconners #Millinery #HatMaking #Buckram #MillineryTutorial #HatMakingTutorial #TraditionalCraft