The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-22
Advice For
The Amateur
Milliner

THERE are few things that pay You
better than a capacity fer trimming
your own hats. If you have the knack
of style the materials cost little
enough, and with a twist and turn
charming CONNECTION is quickly pro-
duced. To such a person it comes easi-
ly, but there are many little hints that
will help the novice who has tried her
prentice hand without much success.
First of all try to teach yourself to
Judge an untrimmed shape. 1t is some
times difficult to choose one in its bare
state. There is little resemblance to
the finished article.
When trying on various shapes put
the crown OF each hat out of your cal
culations for the moment. It general
| ly is the cause of the ugly appearances
an untrimmed hat is wont to have
when being tried on. The trimming
will remedy all that; 1t is the brin you
| want to study. Turned up. turned
| down, slightly or much raised-which
suits you best?
When you have selected brim which
exactly meets your requirements half
the battle is won. Milliners win tell
you the lining should not be put in till
the last thing, but amateurs would md
| it safer to line it first and leave the
drawstrfng open till the last. You do
| not risk tossing and crushing the trim
| ming by laboring at the lining. Do not
put many stitches into millinery. Pins
are faithful friends, and when the lin
| ing is drawn up no one is any the
wiser. It is easy to pin a spray of
flowers into position and leave well
alone. A bow, rosette or swathe Is
easier to manipulate with pin than
| with a needle. There is an excellent
tip. however, in which the needle tri-
umphs when a shower of small flowers
is required to be sprinkled. as 1t were,
| over the crown. Use q really large
needle and thread it with green flax
thread or something Of that kind. Put
| the needle down through the crown
from the outside and bring it up again.
Cut your thread, leaving two lengths;
lay the little spray between these and
tie them securely, shipping afterward
close to the knot to neaten IL of. In
this manner a very light effect is pro-
duced, as the single blooms can be fit
ted in just where they are required and
secured exactly. whereas IL they were
sewed over and over it would be much
more difficult to do, and tying with
thread is firm, even on the fiimsiest
shape. Pins would show in this case,
| 4hOy CeH OnIy Oo uSeu WhST0 Tonnage
or material can be tucked over to hide
them Then they are moro than handy.
Too many artificial flowers are
hty-extraordinarily so-and flow
er laden hats resembling roof gardens
mean headaches to the wearer.
good bow can be made by folding
the whole breadth of silk over into a
loop. Gather it up in your hand, catch
it with needle, using strong thread
which is wound round firmly. Gather
up another loop and secure 1t in the
same way. You will soon have q regu-
lar bunch of smart loops to pin on to
your hat
An inexperienced amateur should be-
ware of overlooking or overtrimminE.
; Do not fall into the error of trimming
hat in what may be called a ''bitty"
fashion, examining in all sorts Of odds
and ends. It takes real artist to play
tricks like that. Plain and simple is
the chief rule for the novice to follow.