Pleating and Dyeing: Bridget Bailey
Maria Etkind
Last month I attend a 2-day Masterclass hosted by Pierre & Pierre and taught by Bridget Bailey Tomlin in The Hague, Holland. We learned how to two millinery techniques. The first one was the dyeing of silk abaca and sinamay and the second was pleating this material in different directions.
I was amazed on how easy it was to dye the un-stiffined sinamay. It really took the color well and it transformed how the materials looks. Dyeing can add so much depth to your hat embellishments and create a bespoke final product.
Bridget was such a great teacher as we managed to finish everything she had set out for us to do. She took the time and worked individually with all of us. She explained clearly the technical accepts of dyeing (keep a clean work area) and showed us hot to create pleating molds. This class has opened a whole new world of color possibilities for my new hat creation that will never be limited to the colors and materials I purchase.
“Don’t let your thinking get ahead of your doing always think a little about your process and design and do a little.”
One piece of advice she gave me was, “Don’t let your thinking get ahead of your doing always think a little about your process/design and do a little.” Bridget is not afraid of failure and testing her techniques. Failure is a sign that your doing it right.
