The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-06-23
HAND-PAINTED HATS.
They Come High, but a Clever Girl
Can Make One.

Can Make One.
Lucky these days is the woman who has
skill in painting flowers. With a few
tubes OF color an untrimmed hat Of fine
straw. and a little time she can produce
a confection for her head such as the less
clever woman is forced TO pay $50, SIS.
or 800 TO secure, says the New York
Tribune
Hand-painted hats are one OF the fads
Of the season. a recent fad, for the first
Of them were only lately imported. Those
that are we'll done are really exquisite.
and they have the advantage OF requir-
ing little trimming, for the painted flow
ers are enough.
The first step for the woman who
wants to crown her locks with one OF
these hand-painted hats, and doesn't care
TO pay out a handful of dollars. is 10 buy
an unrimmed hat OF some becoming
shape. It should be wide-brimmed. for
toques and turbans do not lend them
selves to this style of decoration. Also
It should be OF some fine straw, leghOrn
or Panama or something Of that sort.
Rough straw Is difficult to paint, and
would not show OF the design so well.
The color OF the straw should be white
or cream. since these can most easily be
transformed 10 other colors.
The next thing is to make a pattern OF
the brim Of the hat and the top OF the
crown in stiff light brown paper. these
being the parts that are painted. The
floral design should be drawn on the pat
tern, and then cut out with a pair OF
sharp scissors. that It may be stenciled
on the hat. The prettiest designs are
vines bearing punches of blossoms. Wis
taTia. for Instance is very effective
Small punches OF flowers, roses or vio-
lets or orchids, dotted at intervals over
the hat are pretty. too. On one hat just
| imported from France were painted
punches composed of two or three pink
roses, few leaves. and some bright blue
forget-nenots. The punches, by the way
should not be over three inches long.
The outlining color used in stenciling
the design on the hat should be one that
viii sink IN with the distinctive hue Of
the hat, and It must be put on with a
steady hand, for a wavering outline
spells the effect The outline finished
the body color should be laid on with
fiat brush as rapidly as possible. The
hat is meant 70 appear monotone back
ground TOT the moral decoration, and the
color of the background must be one
that viii harmonic with the flowers. The
flowers may have several colors. and may
be very elaborate, but they are most eff
fective when simple in design and broad
" done. with as few colors as possible
The paints known as tapestry dyes are
best for this work; they are inexpensive
and they come ready prepared in liquid
form, so that they sink readily into the
straw, changing its color completely 4
great deal Of care must be taken TO ap-
ply the body color evenly. A blotched
effect makes a very unbeautiful hat It
IS well to practice on some old hat or
piece OF straw before undertaking the
new hat
The painting done. the rest is very
simple Much trimming would only de-
tract from the real decoration. A charm
ing model seen at a wedding lately had a
background of robins egg blue, with lit
tie banches Of pink and yellow roses at
intervals on the brin, just as II they
had fallen there. A wide strand of blue
malins was laid loosely about the crown,
| held in place by small fat bows OF vel
vet ribbon, yellow, to match the soft
tone of the painted yellow rose petals.