REPORT


Card block Marianne Jongkind


Dutch milliner Marianne Jongkind often constructs cardboard blocks to shape brims for her wide-ranging hat designs. This method offers flexibility and experimentation using inexpensive materials and tools such as selected card, a craft knife, marker, ruler and tape. While practical, cardboard blocks have limited strength – they are suitable for blocking


materials such as sinamay, buckram, straw braid or Fosshape, but not for felt, which requires a more robust form. Recently, Marianne


employed this technique to create a bespoke piece for musician Niels Nieuborg of the soul and funk band Arp Frique. The design featured a large square crown, requiring a custom block built from thick cardboard secured with painter’s tape. Accuracy was essential, as with all card blocks: centre points needed to be clearly marked, and the collar for head fit precisely positioned and defined. Once the structure was


assembled, Marianne covered the block in plastic to protect it from heat and moisture during the blocking process. For this project, she used Fosshape for the base, shaping it with a handheld steamer and iron. Reflecting on the challenge,


of flat card, the results are impressively durable, particularly when the block is made ‘rock hard’ from the outset. Slightly damaged cardboard shapes can often be reinforced with extra layers; in some cases, however, if the edges are too far gone – as with a coolie brim – trimming them down may be necessary to save the block, resulting in a slightly smaller version.


More information www.edwinaibbotson.co.uk


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Marianne shared: “It was a very difficult process. I kept asking myself – what next? What kind of material? What kind of glue? How do I get the corners exactly right?” This initial Fosshape form became the foundation for further construction, which included layering insulation material typically used for heating pipes, before covering the piece in leather. For more on cardboard block making and experimental techniques, see the Hat Couture books that Marianne has authored.


More information www.mariannejongkind.nl


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