Continuing on with what can be found on a fascinator, thought this time around I’d include information about what’s underneath that is, different bases. These poly bases1 are ideal and are made by braiding the filament first then winding it around to form the shape (e.g. circle or teardrop in this case), they would once-upon-a-time have been made from straw or rafia. These days the poly bases are much more durable.
Fascinator base 1
Sinamay is a popular, natural material created from the fibre of the banana plant, is light weight and can be shaped using a hat block and steam. (A hat block2 is a shaped solid piece of wood sitting on a stem and base.) This sinamay3 base has been shaped into a simple circle. Here’s another fascinator base in sinamay shaped into a pillbox4 style. Sinamay can be dyed in any colour and comes in different grades. That is, it can range from finely woven to basketweave types.
Hat Block 2
Crinoline5 (or crin – not to be confused with a petticoat – and that’s another story) can also be used for a fascinator base, as it can be ‘formed’ into a base (info on this material is found on Fascinator Fabrics post).
For a more winter look, felt* can also be blocked to create a base6. *Felt is traditionally made from wool and is centuries old. It is created by matting wool fibers together using heat and/or pressure, that is, it is not woven. These days felt can also be created solely from synthetics or a mixture of wool and synthetic for a durable product.
Sinamay Base 3
Sinamay Pillbox 4
Lastly, a comb or hair clip can form the base without any other material accompanying it. You can see more info about the different affixtures for a fascinator at an earlier post here: Affixtures.
Thanks for visiting, you can see my fascinator work at Etsy: KAIJ
Images courtesy: Feathers Online, SquirlGirl, Nehelenia.
Crinoline 'formed' base 5
Felt Fascinator Base 6
More great information for people who are interested in making fascinators!