It started on Thanksgiving, in 1983. I was living in Arcata, California and made a few top hats out of cardboard for fun. I had no idea that the seeds for a lifetime passion and career had sprouted that day.

I moved on (and on and on) and eventually landed in Portland, Oregon. There was this wonderful place on the east side of the river, everyone called it "the Bins". It was the Goodwill As-Is store, and you could go in there and scrounge through the huge bins and buy anything in the store for just fifty cents a pound! A creative person's shopping mall! And so very affordable, too. I was in heaven.

Portland became my home for awhile and the more settled-in I became, the more I found myself acquiring a lovely stash of fabric and beads, lace and buttons. Cardboard top hats morphed into completely hand-sewn velvet caps and jester hats. My fabric collection was piling up.

My Mom sent me an old Singer Featherweight sewing machine. I made a beret. I did some patchwork. I learned some things. Times got hard and I got a job doing industrial sewing at a golf bag factory. I learned some more things -- especially that I didn't want to live in a city and work in a golf bag factory!

I was lucky enough to live in a little cabin in Eagle Creek, Oregon near Estacada. Life was simple and easy there. It was a perfect place to create and invent. Eventually, I was making velvet berets with intricate beaded appliqué and embroidery. My work was exhibited at a Portland gallery called The Real Mother Goose. People around town started recognizing my hats as “Coronas”. I was on my way.

Over the years, I’ve made caps and cloches, crowns and brims, spiraling patchwork, wedding hats, Mardi Gras hats dripping with beads, and everything else that my hands could think of. Now thousands of people own Corona Hats, have gotten married in them, given birth, died, danced, played, laughed, and lived in their Corona Hats. Strangers have met in the street and become friends because they both happened to be wearing Corona Hats. I love this kind of thing!!!

I've lived in Eugene, Oregon now since 1998 and I love it here!

You can find me every July in Booth 410 at the Oregon Country Fair.
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Just for fun:
Top Hat Revolution...

According to numerous sources: In January of 1797, a hatter named Hetherington appeared in the streets of London wearing a top hat in the shape of a stovepipe. Within a short time, a large crowd had had gathered around him. There was such chaos that the officer of the law grabbed Hetherington by the collar and summoned him before the court. He was accused of disturbing public order. The good officer described the offense as follows:

"Hetherington had such a tall and shiny construction on his head that it must have terrified nervous people. The sight of this construction was so overstated that various women fainted, children began to cry, and dogs started to bark. One child broke his arm among all the jostling."

The hatter defended himself by saying it is the right of every Englishman to place what he wanted on his head. The London Times agreed and wrote the following day:
"Hetherington's hat points to a significant advance in the transformation of dress. Sooner or later, everyone will accept this head-wear. We believe that both the court and the police made a mistake here."

The Times was right. Top hats were soon all the rage in London and around the world.
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A hat is not just something you put on your head. A hat makes a statement to the world. You wear a great hat and people smile at you and you know you look good. Hats are fun! And a good hat is a good friend.

If you don't see the exact hat of your dreams on these pages, please let me know... I‘m usually happy to do custom work. Do you have a special garment that just isn't wearable anymore? I can make a hat out of it for you. I’ve made hats out of old wedding dresses, bridesmaids' dresses, favorite-but-torn silk kimonos, out-grown children's clothes, and all sorts of special, sentimental fabric.