REPORT
Expanding foam Elena Shvab
London-based milliner Elena Shvab has developed an inventive approach to block making using expanding foam filler – a material more commonly found in building insulation than in millinery studios. “Creating a hat block from expanding foam filler is certainly not the most traditional method,” Elena says, “but it’s one of the most resourceful, creative and innovative approaches I’ve taken in my millinery practice.” The idea emerged during a class when
a student wanted to make a cloche hat, but Elena did not have the appropriate block to hand. “Purchasing a hat block just for a single class experience felt like an expensive and, frankly, unjustifiable investment,” she explains. Instead, she repurposed an old felt cloche hat as a mould and experimented with expanding
foam to create a functional block. The foam expands
rapidly, hardens into a dense structure and is surprisingly durable once cured. However, it presents challenges: it is difficult to control, prone to forming air bubbles and does not capture fine details. Elena applies the foam slowly to avoid overflow and uneven expansion, allowing 24–48 hours for full curing. Once hardened, she fills gaps, sands the surface and applies a water-based stiffener or PVA glue to protect the block. Though porous and soft, the finished block works well for shaping lightweight materials such as felt and straw. Longer pins, such as tailor’s pins, are ideal for securing the hat during blocking. Elena
now uses the block for her own projects and custom orders, having discovered its practicality beyond the
classroom. She has
documented the
process in a video tutorial, encouraging others to experiment with alternative materials and techniques. “This project reminded me of the importance of experimentation in the creative process,” she reflects. “As milliners, we often rely on tradition, but there’s so much innovation to be found in thinking outside the box.”
More information
www.elenashvab.com
3D modelling
London-based theatrical milliner Claire Strickland is reshaping hat block fabrication by fusing digital modelling with flat pattern cutting techniques. Trained in 3D Effects for Performance at the London College of Fashion, she brings a sculptor’s eye and a designer’s precision to her millinery practice, crafting durable, lightweight blocks from plastazote – a closed-cell, cross-linked polyethylene foam more commonly found in packaging and swimming floats. Claire’s process begins in Rhino 3D, modelling software widely used in architecture and jewellery design. “You need concrete measurements like the brim circumference, or it’s easy to lose track of scale,” she explains. Drawing on resources such as PJ Chen’s
YouTube tutorials and Jack 54 | the hat magazine #107
Claire Strickland Meyer’s book Advanced Jewellery CAD Modelling in Rhino, Claire constructs 3D forms using commands such as ‘sweep’, ‘loft’ and ‘revolve’, then flattens them into cuttable pattern pieces via ‘unroll surface’. The software has its limitations – it struggles with surfaces that curve in two directions – so Claire has begun experimenting with Pepakura, a tool designed to unfold complex 3D meshes. The resulting pattern pieces are
cut from LD45 plastazote at 10 mm thickness and bonded using solvent- based contact adhesive. To counteract the foam’s flexibility, Claire reinforces the reverse with rigid layers – historically papier-mâché, but more recently plaster bandage for speed. Before applying these supports, she primes the surface with Flexbond or Covent Garden Primer, as untreated plastazote resists adhesion and PVA alone will flake off. Once stabilised, her plastazote
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