The Law of Attraction

As we all know the last two months of any year are booked solid with many activities. It is during this time of year that my business Gwendolyne Hats is also very busy. It is for that reason it has taken me eight weeks to do a posting on this blog.

The last week of any year can be very reflective. I think back and look at how my intentions of the year unfolded. As you can see by this recent photo, the smile on our faces are symbolic of how 2006 was for us. My Chinese animal sign is the dog sign, and for this "dog", it was a terrific year. I am very grateful.

In November we participated in Toronto’s One of a Kind Show. It was so exciting to share our new designs with our customers and to find the perfect fit and colouring for them to look their best.
My partner William and I wanted a fun and successful show. We got just that. The energy of the show and the people we met was very inspiring. To see more of our adventures click here.

During this show many people are shopping for Christmas presents. As a personal gift, finding the right hat for someone is a lot of fun. I took so many photos. In this photo below my friends and I celebrate the spirit of the season.



After the show we still had to keep our socks up, for we were also participating in our building's Holiday Marketplace. The weather was terrific for getting out and we had some lovely visitors dropping by the shop and spending some quality time with us.

Then it was time to begin my own Christmas preparations. This year I decided to make some bright yellow linen Santa sacks. It was both a nice presentation and a method for transporting the goodies to each family household. My golden sacks of love were filled with small items I had selected for people throughout the year. I enjoyed the presentation as much as finding the gifts. For one full week, the wrapping was both a focus and highlight in my life.

I wanted a happy connective Christmas holiday. I got five wonderful days visiting family relatives. Abundance and love surrounded me. I understand now, that our thoughts and intentions create the possibilities in our life. In short make sure you know what you want and keep that focus. Believe in it so it will happen.

I want the 2007 New Year ahead, to be powerful and healthy for me personally. Many beautiful hats will be made, and many wonderful people will come looking to own them. New hat designs will be explored, and new hat designs will be made. Creativity and a happy healthy life will balance my year. I will think no barriers, or carry any fears to inhibit these thoughts from manifesting. I will make every day count, and make it the best day ever.

These are my thoughts to end 2006. They will open my New Year ahead!

Happy Homobonus Day!

Yes that says Happy Homobonus Day. I do not belong to any organized religion. In fact I am a strong believer that a person should listen to their inner spirit. It is my guide and it helps me to bring good things into the world.

"Do unto others as you would do unto yourself". I know that I must be accountable for my actions towards others, every day I strive to improve myself in all directions in life. I recognize I can always do more for others and improve myself to be a kinder and more tolerant individual. If we all worked on that, more JOY would be around the world!

Every year my artist friend Anthony gives me a card to celebrate the patron saint of the cloth worker / small business owner. This man was canonized in in 1198, a year following his unexplained death . It was a first in Catholic history; that an ordinary man living a extraordinary life, of goodness and sharing with those around him, was sainted.

He is one of my patron saints. I am a Hat designer / maker, and a small business. You can see my Gwendolyne Hats winter designs and creations of 2006 here

If you are devoted to textile creations best wishes for you on this November 13th lets all say to each other Happy Homobonus day. It will be fun to see the facial looks you get when you greet someone. I also think it is great to celebrate people whenever we can. In this case, learning about a person who lived a little over 800 years ago. A person in his life-time made the world a better place. Today we have new inspirations all around us. We just have to begin one of them ourselves as more just follow. I believe sharing positive energy is like ripples in a pond, they spread out.

Some Heart Hugging for all!

Several years ago I made a stuffed heart for a decoration. Recently I used it as a sleeping arm support close to my tummy. Loving it, I was inspired to begin this new project "The Huggable Heart". There are two sizes; the Large is $45 Cdn, and the Small is $35 Cdn. So if you are looking to for a unique gift contact us at Gwendolyne Hats. A portion of the pillow sales are going to Regent Park School of Music, helping inner city youth to follow their dreams.



Many of my customers who shop just before the holiday season, want to leave our store with something special for someone else. Hat sizing can make Hat gift giving very tricky. I think that people get the best hat from us when we are able to connect with them personally, whether it is over the internet, or here in our shop/atelier that is located in Toronto's fashion district. Our fifteen years of knowledge comes in handy. We take pride to make our customers happy.
Thursday Nov 23rd till Sunday Dec 3rd we will be displaying our creations in Canada's largest artisan show called the One of a Kind Show in Toronto. We will be in Booth I - 45.
I will try to take some great photos to share with you later!

Recently I was inspired by a video on Youtube. This site is powerful it can bring people together, sharing ideas and beginning movements. If you have not seen this “free hugs” video here it is. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Juan Mann from Australia, the creator, is now taking his project further and now building a campaign of where people can find and help each other. Like a stone dropped in the water, the ripples spread out.

Museum of Textiles

Every year our Textile Museum here in Toronto invites artists to submit a piece of original art for their annual fundraising Shadowbox event. In the last several years making a fiber art work for the show has been refreshing break from my hat making on going creative pursuit. This year the piece P'tah was expressing my belief that the world needs to connect with love for all living matter on this planet. It is made from melton wool, glass beads, wool felt and cotton thread.

At this time in the earths’ history is it more evident that our actions during our lifetimes leave an positive imprint. Our priorities need to be encompassing the whole world and not just ourselves. It is what we support that governs what will flourish and what will disappear. Our lives only have the meaning that we give it. I see another beautiful day outside today.

Winter hat sunshine!

What a glorious day it has been. Traveling through the city is always fun. I always enjoy the view, especially when I use the public transit. As an observer, it is a fun habit. Lifting people’s spirits energizes me. A smile or telling them they look terrific can brighten someone else’s day while making me feel I am spreading the positive vibe. Too bad the “positive vibe” is not a virus; anything would be better than getting a cold. Almost like getting a regular dose of vitamin C.


Getting back to the shop and atelier, I felt refreshed, and seeing the hat I finished yesterday, I thought, this is a good time to capture its beauty. I have named this design the “Clarissa. Let me know what you think?

The Ashley Beret

This cozy little hat is the perfect pocket stuffer. Of course it looks much better on your head. Lined with cotton knit those of us with a wool sensitivity won't feel the itch. Here are a few in the medium size. You can see each one has it's own unique color palette. The felted flowers were custom made for each hat. They are definitely fun!

In my artists workshop I am busy enjoying the Caprice edition. People are loving the look. It truly is a classic with a casual edge. The shop was a buzz of activity. This chill in the air is prompting all of us on, new winter attire to enjoy.

Recently we had a special guest visit the shop. Brooke Miller a wonderful folk musican, who just signed on with Sony records. William found a wonderful Baatar cap in perfect colours that was made just for her. Here is a picture of Brooke, her husband, musican Don Ross and William, as they celebrate.

Change is constant.

These last several weeks have been very dynamic. I see and accept that change is a constant. Everything and everyone is evolving. I am grateful to be able to observe, hear and feel all that surrounds me.

Thanksgiving weekend was beautiful here in Ontario. I was in awe of color, texture and smell of the forest. Closing up a garden in the Fall is a great exercise for the body mind and spirit. It offers this hat maker a great closure for the last season.

Refreshed from the country, back in the city I spotted a Passionflower close to work. Historically this unique, odd beauty had a loaded meaning as religious symbol. For me the flowers delicate architecture reminds me of hand stitching. This image of the flower with my antique sewing tools in the background seems fitting.

Not many things stand still. Photographs can, hope you enjoy.

A New Hat for this Fall season

In the last several weeks the hustle and bustle of the our lives and that of the city's has been the product of this powerful time of change. Like the natures' last blooms that are prolific, we too are urged on. We are preparing ourselves for the cold ahead. Our gardens are being closed, our winter clothing comes out; our favourite soups can be prepared, and if we have time a little baking is fun. These are some of the tasks that make the Fall season so special.

It is also a time for the gathering of friends; the rekindling of old and the beginning of new ones. I like to get myself something beautiful to wear in this season. Not only do I feel good wearing them, I know it inspires others to appreciate the design and function I decide to wear.

This unfolding nature of change springs forth a vitality within ourselves. The studio creations have brought new discoveries and ideas and I am excited to see my customers trying them on. This morning I snapped a few shots of the shop. Here's one of the new hat designs. I call it Caprice. I do hope you are enjoying this Fall as much as I do.

A wonderful winter ahead!

Winter is my favourite time of year. Maybe because I was a winter baby, maybe it's because I get to sell a lot of hats. But I think it's really because I love the snow. When I was younger downhill skiing was a regular winter activity. These days living and working in this city of Toronto, it is more difficult to find the time. Last spring I had a fabulous time on the hills. Like riding a bike, once you've got the hang of it you never forget. This year I plan to get a few more days skiing. Wish me luck!

Just beginning . . .

This is all exciting and new for me to join this blog site. I am an artist, hat designer, hat maker, milliner and a small business owner, here in Toronto Ontario Canada, adding this blog journal to my life will definitely add some extra spice for me and hopefully for others. I have much to do to get acquainted to all of this. I am just dipping my fingers in to get wet. There is much to share in life!