Blue Banana Marketing
Research in Orillia

I have been making somekind of hat since I was a little girl. I carve away what I want left the colour of the paper and roll a thin coat of ink on the raised portion and press paper onto the block. The basic principle is like a rubber stamp. If all goes well I may make an extra one and put it up here! , My printmaking is lino block cuts which are like wood cuts but in a different substance. I hope to make a selection of reproduction 1840's bonnets both in straw and fabric for the costumed interperators. I just started this volunteer work and I'm very excited to make costumes, corsets and petticoats. I've also done costume work for summer-stock theatres and now I'm the resident costumer at the Simcoe County Museum. I went to art school and studied painting, printmaking and sculpture as majors. I learn so much from the pile of mistakes under my desk. I play a lot when I have the time. I spend a great deal of time researching old techniques and old patterns. I'm always looking for a new challenge which is where the handsewn ribbon flowers started coming into play. I stuck with it though and now I can sew anything. Admittedly it's lost some of it's stiffness over the years and I mostly wear it at the cottage but it is a testament to the sewing skills my mother and grandmother installed in me. I say installed because it wasn't easy to learn and I spent many times frustrated and in tears because it didn't work. My first few weren't that great but eventually I hit on a winner and I still have it today over 10 years later. I didn't realize how deep my passion for them ran until my parents dropped of old boxes and in it was the remains of a dollhouse hat shop I made when I was 11. , The first hat I made that was similar to the hats I make now was when I was 17. I needed to wear a hat in the summer to keep the sun off. I also needed one that would stay on while riding my bike, could be smashed into my knapsack and washed of bug repellant. Each image in the edition is done l.