An experience of millinery, heritage, and gentle imagination unfolds within the rooms of Ellis House.
The Ellis House Millinery Atelier invites eight participants into a private two-day exploration of sinamay — a traditional millinery material woven from the fibres of the abaca plant and long associated with refined hat fabrication.
Guided by an experienced milliner, participants will engage in a focused study of material, structure, and finishing techniques. Through shaping, steaming, blocking, and trimming, each guest will fabricate a classic sinamay button headpiece of their own.
Millinery has long been an art of proportion and structure — a study in how material, form, and movement come together to frame the human presence.
Over two carefully hosted days within the historic setting of Ellis House, participants experience the rhythm of a traditional atelier while learning the fabrication process behind a refined headpiece.
Participation is intentionally limited to preserve the focused atmosphere of the atelier.
Your Immersive Experience
Step into the art of millinery through a guided, hands-on experience rooted in both tradition and creativity.
You will be introduced to sinamay, a beautifully lightweight woven fabric crafted from the abaca plant in the Philippines. Known for its structure and elegance, sinamay is a foundational material in modern millinery.
Throughout the workshop, you will explore traditional techniques used by milliners, learning how to shape and form material with intention and care. You will begin by blocking sinamay into a small button base, carefully refining its shape before learning how to insert millinery wire for structure.
From there, your piece will be thoughtfully finished with petersham ribbon, elastic, and comb fixings, ensuring it is both secure and comfortable to wear.
As your confidence grows, you will be introduced to the expressive side of millinery. You will discover how sinamay can be transformed into delicate trims, bias swirls, and sculptural elements, combining materials to create a refined and elegant adornment.
Your final steps will include attaching your trim to the headpiece, followed by a gentle fitting that brings your work to life as a wearable piece.
Before You Arrive
To fully enjoy the experience, participants should feel comfortable with a few basic skills:
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Threading a fine needle and completing simple hand stitching
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Using a steam iron or handheld steamer
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A genuine interest in creating a wearable piece within a historic, supportive setting
What To Bring
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An apron
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Sharp scissors (a larger pair and a smaller pair, but not your finest fabric scissors)
What Will Be Provided
Ellis House will provide all essential tools for the workshop, including:
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Handheld steamers
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Steam irons and ironing boards
Meet Margaret R. Hall
Margaret has always been aware of the importance of hats whilst not appreciating the required school pork pie hat and the obligatory church hat of her childhood. In adulthood her appreciation of the skill and beauty of a well crafted headpiece to complement a special outfit has grown. When she inherited her Mothers hat block, her journey into hat fabrication began.
An opportunity to delve deeper into the craft of millinery came in 2020 when she enrolled in the ‘Justine Bradley-Hill Millinery School’ and studied with Justine for 2 years. The course opened her eyes to the depth and breadth of traditional millinery techniques. She is now further developing her skills and designs and offers unique individually handcrafted pieces for your enjoyment. She especially likes to make headpieces that have sculptural components and exploring the differing potential of the millinery materials available. She works with felt, sinamay, parasisal straw, buckram, leather, her own hand woven fabrics and hand made trims.
Whilst Margaret enjoys contemporary Millinery styles she has found examining extant pieces to learn from their construction very useful in contemporary practice, and has spent time with the Red Deer Museum’s collection.
Margaret is excited to show her Headpieces in such a beautiful setting as the Ellis House which contains so much fine craft work.
