Swiss Straw Work – Making a Spreuer Flower – Sign Up

In this workshop you will learn how to make a basic Swiss Straw Spreuer (Chaff in English) motif.

Spreuers are one of the simplest motifs to make and are very versatile – grouped together in 3’s or 5’s they make a lovely flower; one flower on its own is a pretty hat decoration but combining flowers together can create a striking floral headdress.

A very brief history of Swiss Straw Work. In the 18th century, in the Canton of Aargau, Switzerland, straw work was developed to help raise the living standards of farmers and their families during the hard winter months. The cottage industry had moved to factories by the early 19th century, which supplied straw plait and straw work across Europe and beyond. Borrowing techniques from lace making, crochet, passementerie and macramé, the work created was applied not only to millinery but to clothing and even shoes! Sadly, by the early 20th century, cheaper imported braid from China along with the slow decline in hat wearing and a changing taste, the large scale industry had died.

Rumplestiltskin himself could not have imagined how this humble material could be transformed into such exquisite and delicate art.

The workshop will integrate pre-recorded demonstrations with live commentary and Jo will use natural straw – not dyed.

About the Instructor

Jo was first introduced to millinery while studying Theatre Costume at London College of Fashion. From 1995 to 2002 she was the milliner at internationally renowned costumiers Cosprop where she worked in collaboration with many designers on productions including ‘Titanic’, ‘Sense and Sensibility’, ‘A Portrait of a Lady’ and for television, Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’, working with Jenny Beavan.

For the past 20 years she has been freelance, working from home in Bath, South West England on productions including The Harry Potter Films, ‘Tulip Fever’, ‘The Electrical Life of Louis Wain’ and most recently, making bonnets for Frances O’Connor’s ‘Emily’.

Until last summer, Jo divided her time between millinery and working as a 1:1 special needs teaching assistant in a local junior school.

She enjoys working in many styles and materials but straw is a favourite. When time permits she tries to learn how to plait and weave straw herself. The beauty of straw was partly what inspired her piece, Hedgerow Headdress which was runner-up in the 2022 HATalk e-magazine Competition.

• Website
• Instagram