Andrea Blohm Millinery

Sometime in the 1960s, American women decided that (outside of winterwear) a hat was no longer necessary to complete an outfit. To me, this has always been a shame. As someone with light-sensitive eyes and a face prone to polymorphous light eruption (a kind of rash) caused by even the briefest exposure to sunlight, a hat has become an essential part of my 21st century wardrobe.

Andrea Blohm, a local milliner, that is a person who makes or sells hats (in our modern age, particularly women’s hats), grew up in Pentwater, a small west Michigan resort town along the shores of Lake Michigan. She attended my alma mater Western Michigan University (go Broncos), majoring in Textile and Apparel Design. And, as she shared with me, “[I] did a study abroad program in London, England where I had my first millinery course.” Blohm moved to Ypsilanti in 2012 for a job in the automotive engineering field.

Loving hats as I do, I had to ask what tools and materials are used in millinery. “I use traditional millinery supplies to make my hats; fur felt, wool felt, different kinds of straws, and leather,” Blohm said. “The most important tool in hat making are the hat blocks. Wooden hat blocks have been used for hundreds of years to shape hats. They are typically made of various hardwoods, balsa wood, or even foam and plastic.” Blohm has “a large collection of both antique and new wood blocks.” These are used to mold the hat bodies into what will be their finished shapes. “The hat bodies are steamed and shaped over the hat block, stiffened with millinery sizing, sewn with an inner band and wired brim edge if necessary.”

Blohm’s skill is evident in the beautiful finished products. I wondered about the unique challenges of hat-making. “Knowing when to stop,” Blohm answered. “In my opinion, there's a fine line between 'just right' and 'too much' when it comes to millinery. I tend to leave my hat designs simple and classic, while smaller headpieces can be more elaborate.”

As for what inspires her designs, she said, “I've always loved old movies and history, especially the 1930s/40s for fashion. A lot of my hat blocks are from that time period. One of my favorite block sets (crown and brim) is a similar style as Ingrid Bergman's iconic hat worn in Casablanca.”

Despite the gorgeous, and occasionally dramatic, hats, Blohm said that her personal style is simple. “I wear all black most days, because it's easy.” Sounds like the perfect backdrop for a hat to me.

In addition to making hats, Blohm also teaches how to make them through the Michigan Folk School. If you are curious about this age-old craft like I am, check out Andrea Blohm Millinery and the Michigan Folk School.

For more information, visit andreablohmmillinery.com or facebook.com/andreablohmmillinery. If you are interested in taking classes, visit www.mifolkschool.com.

Sculptures and Illustrations by Ed Warzyniec

A sculptor and illustrator, Ed Warzyniec grew up in Ypsilanti, Michigan. “Aside from a year overseas and a short four-year stint in Florida, I’ve lived here pretty much my whole life,” he told me. “Having lived in Ypsi through the 80s, 90s and 00s, it’s been great to see my hometown slowly grow and evolve through the years into a kind of hip, craft beer/foodie/artsy hot-spot. I’m really enjoying what the city has become and am looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.”

Like many of us, Warzyniec enjoyed playing with polymer clay as a child. "I loved the idea of being able to create my own little figurines and creatures," he said. "I’ve always been artistically inclined, so I dove in head-first and taught myself how to sculpt through trial and error."

In middle school, Warzyniec shifted his focus from sculpture to illustration and 2-dimensional art. Around 2007, while in a craft store, he came across polymer clay and decided to give it another try. "It was really cool going back to a medium that I hadn’t used since I was young and discovering what I could come up with using my adult skill-set."

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When I asked about the unique challenges of sculpture over 2D illustrations, he answered, “The challenging thing about sculpting is that I'm not just designing something from a single point of view as if I were drawing. You’ve got something with multiple sides and multiple viewpoints, so you have to make sure to include details on every angle. There are also no erasers in sculpting, so if I make a mistake, it is a lot more time and labor intensive to fix or re-do it. But those challenges are also part of the fun to me.”

Many of Warzyniec’s creations are of a fantastical and whimsical nature, such as the adorable Tree Folk and creature sculpts. He is an avid outdoorsman, and he finds inspiration in nature. “You’re definitely going to find that a good amount of my pieces have twisted wood, gnarly vines, and assorted mushrooms, lizards, and bugs making an appearance as well.” But also, he said, “I am and have always been a huge monster/sci-fi/comic book/horror geek… [B]eing a child of the late 80’s/early 90’s, I had buckets full of Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters, Star Wars, X-Men, and pretty much every action figure from that time period that you can think of.” I also grew up during that time period, which is likely why his art speaks so much to me.

Regarding the creation process, Warzyniec said, “While I do enjoy the process of actually sculpting, drawing, and adding details, I really like the creative process of making preliminary sketches, brainstorming, looking for inspiration, and then comparing what I started with to the end result. This is why you’ll see so many different looking creatures in my portfolio. I’m always getting inspired to try out different ideas, and different techniques, and create something that I’ve never done before.”

Warzyniec is an artist to keep your eye on!

Email ed@ej3art.com or visit www.ej3art.com for more information and to peruse its multiple galleries.

Game of Mos Artistry by Morgan Hoeffel

When I was younger, I enjoyed making simple jewelry—bracelets, earrings, and pendants. Morgan Hoeffel makes intricate, beautiful jewelry that I could never hope to emulate. It’s a good thing she sells her wares under the name Game of Mos Artistry!

Hoeffel grew up in Goodrich, Michigan, “a village of 1800 people...just south of Flint.” She then attended Eastern Michigan University where she earned her degree in Theatre Arts. After graduation, she decided to stay in the area. As she told me, “I've met such incredible, authentic folks and have found jobs that help support my artsy endeavors!”

When I first saw Hoeffel’s wire-wrapped jewelry, I was impressed. How did she make such delicate work? “I originally learned wire wrapped jewelry in order to take custom orders at work and found it super meditative and relaxing and it took off! Luckily, wire wrapping doesn't require a whole lot of tools. Many of the tools you can get at your local hardware store. I use chain-nose pliers, round nose pliers, and wire cutters to manipulate and set the wire, and I use 18-gauge wire for the base and 28-gauge wire to do the detail weaving.”

This sounded like a challenge to me. Hoeffel explained, “The biggest challenge of wire wrapping is setting the stone and making sure it is sturdy. As a jewelry maker, you never want a stone to fall out due to the structure of the piece. I make sure that all my pieces are sturdy enough to wear on a daily basis without any faltering, so your jewelry looks good for years to come.”

I asked what she looked for in a stone. She said, “I usually look for flash and pizazz when I choose my stones, but sometimes I also look for earthy patterns and really whatever I'm drawn to!” And then, “I let the wire do what it wants to do. I'm a large believer that the stone and the wire will do what they are meant to do, and the end result will be a beautiful and sturdy piece. The stone itself is usually the inspiration. I choose the wire color based on what compliments the colors in the stone best and what would make it ‘pop.’”

In what other ways does Hoeffel express her creativity? “I'm a very creative person, so I have many outlets, but my all-time favorite is acting. I love being on stage and miss it so much [during the shutdown].” I’ve seen Hoeffel on stage and definitely look forward to seeing her perform again. She is a terrific actor. But in the meantime, I can go shopping.

Find Game of Mos Artistry online at gameofmos.etsy.com, facebook.com/gameofmosartistry, andinstagram.com/em_oh_not_moe/.