Name: Victoria Browning

Craft: Millinery

Location: Seattle, WA, USA

Website: Tissage.Etsy.com

What is your craft, and why is it awesome?

I’m typically the most dressed up person wherever I am. Wearing a formal hat is a sure way to stand out from a crowd of bare heads and baseball caps.

A few years ago I was leafing through a catalogue of classes from the extension of a local university and I saw a hat making class.

I had wanted to learn to make hats since I was a teenager so I signed up immediately and I was hooked from day one.

love the artisanal aspect of working in what is arguably a dying art. It’s also very tactile and that really appeals to me.

Friends laugh at me for making so many cloches, but I tend to stick to that 1920s style because it’s so wearable. Hats with large brims are often gorgeous but are hard to wear in small spaces like cars.

I am trying to branch out though; I recently made my first toque. It’s a little hat that sits on the top of the head, more of a 1940s or 50s style. So hopefully you’ll see a few of those in my collection in the future.

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Are you a crafter or artist? Do you do something a little out-of-the-ordinary? If you’d like to be part of A Year of Craft, please e-mail Jess – 52weeksofcraft AT epherielldesigns.com.