REPORT
times, take care that all angles are covered satisfactorily. This isn’t a fast process.” When the clay has set, three layers of bias- cut buckram strips, soaked in stiffener, are applied. Each layer is overlapped in different directions to minimise any future distortion. The sculpture is then covered with a single sheet of wet buckram, held firmly in place with ropes, cords, elastic, brim reed – even washing line – while it dries overnight or in a low oven. This final sheet helps to smooth the surface. Once dry, the block is ‘polished’ using
steam and an iron to refine the finish. The buckram is then removed from its clay base and stabilised with heavy wire and strong threads. Grooves and defined areas are reinforced, while a head-fitting cord – often an old iron flex or bungee cord – is added for pinning during blocking. Final refinements may include re-ironing, adding a muslin layer, or applying a solvent-based stiffener. This technique grew out of Lina’s love of
sculpture and art, and from her exposure to Jane Smith’s work at Hatwalk workshops in Edinburgh, where she first observed foam blocks being made. The results of Jane’s class were inspiring, and she encouraged Lina to try block making with sparterie. When sparterie proved difficult to obtain in 2012, Lina turned
to the more familiar sculpting medium of clay and developed this alternative method to realise her designs.
While durable, the blocks should not be exposed to constant steam and may need occasional maintenance. Reflecting on the process, Lina notes: “It is a labour- intensive process where the thimble becomes your best friend ever and the new unique shapes created will accompany you for eternity!” If a design proves especially successful or is required for
commercial use, she recommends having the form reproduced in wood by a skilled block maker.
More information
www.linasteinmillinery.com
With sparterie’s decline at the end of the 20th century, Wies began exploring alternatives. Starched hessian, historically referred to as ‘theatrical sparterie’, is coarser and heavier than the original material. “When moist, hessian is less limp than buckram,” she notes. “To conserve my vintage sparterie stock, I now use bias- cut hessian strips to cover the surface of a model when converting it into a type.” This natural material is tightly woven,
heavily starched, and supplied by the metre at 150 cm wide through specialist suppliers. Hessian also lends itself well to block modification. A brim block, for example, can be enlarged asymmetrically or reshaped with a sharper upturn by blocking the hessian against other sections. The process involves blocking bias-cut hessian, allowing it to dry, then reworking the form with steam to integrate it into an existing shape. Additions, seams and millinery wire
More information
www.laplusbelle-hoeden.nl
can all be used to refine curves. Once the shape is set, Wies recommends finishing the block with two layers of muslin to create a smooth surface. While Wies does not consider hessian a perfect substitute, she values its stability, low cost and ability to be shaped into durable, workable forms for supporting block making and adapting shapes. It offers a practical solution where sparterie is no longer available.
november 2025 | 49
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