Cinderella’s Plumassier

A little while ago I chanced upon a hoard of bejewelled fabric and spangled trim remnants that looked as though they had been snatched from Cinderella’s dressmaker (after she married the Prince). I wasn’t quite sure what to do with them, but at $5 for an enormous bag, they really were a steal.

The find coincided with racing season in Melbourne, and what with the abundance of feathered fascinators bobbing about town, I was struck by an inspiration.

Kate Moss by Corinne Day, 1990.Its source was years old: a feathered headdress I once glimpsed in the window of a now-vanished boutique. At the time it reminded me of an old photo by Corinne Day of Kate Moss, but priced over $200, such a frivolous accessory was out of the question.

But perhaps I could make one for myself? Now was the perfect time to purchase feathers – Cleg’s in the city stocked all sorts of hat decorating supplies for those who scorned the professional services of milliners. There was sure to be a super-abundance of feathers and other furbelows.

I sought the advice of a salesperson, who suggested I sew the feathers onto some sinamay – an exotic-sounding term for heavy mesh ribbon made from the abaca plant. The pink satin ribbon will be sewn on top to hide the shafts of the feathers (obscuring my dodgy sewing skills), and then the silver sequin trim over that. When finished, the headdress will be fastened with a bow at the nape, leaving the longer pink ribbons to trail down my hair.

If I finish in time (with my not-ugly sister Blossom’s assistance as she stands in for a plumassier) I may get into the festive spirit and wear it on Christmas Day, or failing that, on New Year’s Eve.

Now, I just need to get hold of some glass slippers…