The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-08
THE MAKING OF A HAT.
Harper's Bazaar.

Harper's Bazaar.
Of course one can buy many hat
shapes ready made, but to get simple
and very special things one is obliged
to make her own. A good plan is to
buy ready-made shape and examine
the general idea as to the way it is
put together. You will find it of great
assistance. When a shape has a
crown piece Of buckram it is not neces-
sary to have the fiat top of the same
material. as 1T is rather hard to man
age. Simply make the sides of that
and wire the upper edge; then stretch
over the top piece of bonnet net and
sew it down strongly over on to the
huckram.
In examining an old shape you will
see that the head size is an oval
measuring about eighteen to twenty
one inches around. according to the
style of the hat. When you have moth
ing to guide you in starting take a
piece of paper and cut an oval that
will measure so much around; lay this
paper on buckram and draw a line all
around it with a pencil; then leave a
margin Of half an inch inside that
line Ito allow for what joins it to the
crown piece, and cut the center out;
there you have something to start on
The half-inch Of margin allowed for
the join snip into as far as the pencil
line every half-inch all around You
will notice that the same thing is done
in some ready-made shapes. The next
thing is the size Of the brim. This you
arrive at by deciding how many inches
deep you wish it to be at back, front
and sides, and mark the outline with a
pencil on the buckram; then cut this
and wire the edge with a thin, strong
wire firmly sewed on, and Tapped over
at the join at least two inches. Always
make all joins at the same place,
either back or side, as suits the style
of the hat. The hat which is described
here had a straight band of buckram
one and oBe-quarter inches deep sewed
on the brim; this formed the side Of
the crown, and was wired on both
edges. The top Of it was sort Of
modified Tam O'Shanter of bonnet net.
just full enough to make the velvet,
when it was plated on, look soft. To
make the net top take a small square
and plat it on all around just below
the top wire of the band. Remember
that the larger the square the fuller
it becomes. Then take a paper pat
tern of the brlm you have just made.
lay it on the wrong side of the velvet.
and cut one-third Of an inch beyond
on both edges.
Be sure to reverse the pattern for
the underside of the brim. Lay the
upper side on first. Turn over the
edge, and secure at several places with
pins just stuck straight through the
folded edge; they will stay that way
and not mark the velvet. The velvet
is then cat-stitehed down on the under
side of the brim. Be careful not to
take the stitches through. The under
brim, of course, is next; this you pin
on first also. Do not turn the edge in
first, but turn 1t in as you go along,
about four inches ahead of the sewing.
Be careful to put the needle in exactly
opposite where 1t is drawn out.
Stitches can be one-third to one-half
inch long on the loose side but very.
tiny on the upper edge, which is al
ready seWed down. There Is an adj
vantage in making the smaller stitch
slightly upward-that is, drawing the
point Of the needle out nearer the out
side edge than where it is put in. 1t
helps to prevent the thread showing.
The edge of this hat has a trimming
of plated felt braid. Three yards Of
this is required, and it is box-piaited
first, and then sewed on in the way
you find neatest and strongest.
When sewing on the velvet crown
make the Tam OShanter first, and then
take a strip Of bias velvet, turn in both
edges, and put it around the side; this
finishes both the top piece and the edge
Of the velvet on the brim neatly. To
make the brim covering fit around the
crown, snip 1t with the scissors at in
terVals Of half an inch all around the
head size. The ribbon used for trim
ming the hat was very wide, and so
only four loops were necessary to make
the rosettes zone yard of ribbon in alb;
If narrower ribbon is used, of course
more loops are needed.
The stitch must be very firm an!
strong Do not put too many; that Is
a great fault with beginners. Use u
No. "a thread. double; it saves stitches.
and If one thread breaks you have still