PATTERN FOR SLANTING SIDE CROWN--

Cut a piece of manila paper one-fourth inch wider than crown height and one-half inch longer than headsize wire measure. Slash across this paper in four equally distant places, within one-fourth inch of edge of bottom, then lap slashes at top a little more than one-fourth inch, or about enough to take out about one and one-half inches. Pin slashes. Lap ends of paper one-fourth inch and pin together. Place this pattern on brim with joining at back and pin to upturned slashes on brim. Try on to see if any alterations are necessary. It can be decided at this point and changes made should the crown be too sloping or too straight. An amateur should try on a frame often in order to be a.s.sured of lines and curves that are becoming. Remove pattern from brim and cut off from top and bottom any irregularities on the edge.

TO CUT SIDE CROWN FROM BUCKRAM--

Remove the pins from the seam, allowing pins in slashes to remain. Lay pattern flat on smooth side of buckram, lengthwise of the material to take advantage of the natural roll. Cut close to pattern; lap the ends one-fourth inch. Sew, using a fine back st.i.tch close to each edge; this makes two rows of st.i.tching. Sew a piece of frame wire to top and bottom of side crown, keeping all joining at back. Use same method as in sewing edge wire on brim. Cover both wires with crinoline.

CROWN TIPS--

The top of the crown may be kept soft-looking or it may be made of buckram, producing a stiff effect. Both methods will be given.

SOFT CROWN TIP--First shape side crown to fit headsize wire on brim, which will be an ellipse. Cut piece of crinoline, the exact shape of the crown, plus one inch all around. Pin this over top, puffing it a very little, and sew with stab st.i.tch close under wire. Cut surplus material off to one-fourth inch.

STIFF CROWN TIP, MADE OF BUCKRAM--Lay top of side crown on smooth side of buckram and mark the shape with a pencil. Cut buckram one-half inch outside of this mark. Next, in order to fold down this stiff crown tip, it will be necessary to cut, from this half-inch of buckram outside the pencil line, small wedge-like pieces, about one inch apart. Cut them close to the line drawn. Pin this piece on top of crown, press flaps down and sew on with stab st.i.tch.

CROWNS--

If a round crown is to be used it is advisable to buy a ten-cent separate crown or a frame with a round crown. If an entire frame is purchased, remove the crown and wire its bottom edge. After some skill has been acquired by the student of millinery, a round crown of fabric may be blocked by hand over a wire crown.

TO COVER ROUND CROWN--

Pin material on top of crown with bias at front. Pull with the straight of the material and pin just below edge of curve. Sew one-half inch below this with stab st.i.tch, trim material off close under this st.i.tching. Remove pins. Fit a bias piece of material, using same method and measurements as for side crown of velvet sailor in chapter II. Sew the crown to brim before adjusting the side crown covering. Pull this bias piece over crown and pin smoothly in place. Finish top and bottom of this band by turning the edges over a wire. Use same st.i.tch as in finishing edge of facing on brim.[13-1] This makes a neat finish for a hat which will demand little tr.i.m.m.i.n.g. If the amateur finds it too difficult to finish the bottom of a side crown in this way, the edge may be covered with a fold of material or a narrow ribbon; the top may also be finished by a narrow ribbon, but finishing neatly with a wire should be mastered if possible, as this style of finish is used in many places.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 7-1: To cut wire see chapter IV.]

[Footnote 7-2: To tie wire see chapter IV.]

[Footnote 13-1: See chapter II.]

CHAPTER II

COVERING FRAME WITH VELVET

Material required one and one-half yards milliner's velvet or any velvet eighteen to twenty-four inches wide. If velvet used is thirty-six inches wide, one yard will be sufficient.

TO COVER BRIM--

Place corner of velvet at front of brim on top side (smooth side).

Edgewire and headsize wire should always be on top of brim. Turn velvet over edge of brim and pin. Stick pins through at right angles to brim to avoid marring the velvet. Pin closely all around edge of brim, pulling material with the thread to remove any fullness. Do not pull tight enough to bend the brim. Trim velvet off one-fourth inch to turn under brim. Baste close to headsize wire on top with stab st.i.tch. Cut velvet out inside of headsize wire, leaving a half inch to slash and turn up with the buckram.

TO SEW VELVET EDGE TO BRIM--

This should be done with a close overcasting st.i.tch on the under side, being careful not to p.r.i.c.k through to the right side of the velvet. It is sometimes advisable in preparing the frame to st.i.tch the buckram in from the edge about one-fourth inch with the sewing machine, using a long st.i.tch. This st.i.tching may then be used to put the needle through when sewing the velvet down. If the velvet seems thick and heavy-looking on under side after sewing, it may be pressed down with a hot iron. If done quickly and lightly, it will not show on the right side.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SHOWING METHOD OF FITTING FABRIC TO SHAPED BRIM]

TO FACE UNDER SIDE OF BRIM--

Pin velvet on under side, using same method in pinning as that on top of brim. This must be pinned very carefully. Cut off velvet all around edge, leaving a little _less_ than one-fourth inch to turn under.

Facings are usually finished at the edge with a wire. Cut a piece of frame wire the exact circ.u.mference of the brim, plus one inch for lap.

Bend to shape of brim and pin under edge of velvet, beginning at the center back. Roll velvet over wire and bring out to edge. Pin in place all the way around before beginning to sew. Place pins in at right angles to brim. A piece of velvet held in the left hand will prevent finger marks from showing on the velvet. Begin to sew at left of wire joining, while holding underside of brim towards you. Bring needle through from back close under wire. With the head of the needle press velvet along under wire to make a crease or sort of bed for the thread of the next st.i.tch. Take nearly a half-inch st.i.tch by placing needle close under the wire and coming through between the wire and the upper facing. Come back under the wire with a very small back st.i.tch, being careful to adjust the wire as you sew, and to catch a little of the upper covering with each back st.i.tch. When wire joining is reached, treat the lapped ends as one wire. Fasten ends securely by taking several small back st.i.tches. Lace wire, being smaller than frame wire, is sometimes used to finish the edge of facing. It does not look as heavy, but is somewhat more difficult for a beginner to handle.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SHOWING UNDER FACING OF BRIM PINNED OVER WIRE READY TO SEW IN PLACE]

TO COVER CROWN TOP--

To cover the top, cut a piece of velvet with the bias at the front, same shape as top of crown plus one inch all around. Gather one-fourth inch from edge, place over top, equalize the gathers, pin in place, and sew with stab st.i.tch over line of gathering. Make the edge lie as flat as possible and do not draw velvet too tight across the top.

TO COVER SIDE CROWN--

Cut a piece of velvet on a true bias two and one-half inches wider than height of crown. Pin this strip wrong side out around side crown to find length and to locate seam. Draw it snugly and pin seam on straight of material with warp thread. (Warp thread is parallel with selvage.) Remove velvet and st.i.tch seam. Open it and press by drawing it over the edge of a hot iron.

TO SEW CROWN ON BRIM--

The simplest way to proceed is to sew the crown on the brim before adjusting the side crown covering. Pin back, front, and each side of crown to brim, placing seams at back. Sew through upturned flaps of brim and crown one-fourth inch from bottom wire. Stretch the velvet strip for side crown on the crown, placing seam at back, unless tr.i.m.m.i.n.g has been planned which will cover the seam better if it is placed at some other point. Turn top and bottom edges under to fit the side crown, and press bottom fold down close to brim. If this band has been fitted tight enough, it will not be found necessary to sew it.

EDGE OF BRIM FACING, WHEN FINISHED WITHOUT WIRE--

A brim covered with velvet or any fabric may also be finished underneath without a wire, the edges being slipst.i.tched together. In this case, the underfacing would be turned under one-fourth inch and pinned in place all the way around before beginning to sew. Bring the needle through from underside of facing to the very edge of fold. Place point of needle directly opposite this st.i.tch and take a small st.i.tch in upper facing, then take a small st.i.tch in underfacing. Each st.i.tch always begins just opposite the ending of preceding st.i.tch, so that the thread between the two facings crosses the seam at right angles to edge of brim. This method makes the work look smooth, and also it will not pull out of place; however, this style of finishing an edge is not popular and requires much practice.

TO COVER NARROW BRIM SAILOR WITHOUT AN EDGE SEAM--

This method can be used satisfactorily only when the brim is narrow, and the fabric pliable. For convenience we will give measurements as for a two and one-half inch brim, flat sailor, outside edge measuring forty inches. Cut a bias piece of velvet forty inches long and seven inches wide. Fold this velvet through center lengthwise and stick pins every three inches through edge of fold at right angles to edge and close to edge. This is to mark the line that must be placed on the edge of the brim. If the velvet is not placed evenly, there will be found a greater amount of fullness on one side than on the other. Place velvet over the brim and pin on edge at points marked by pins. Stretch as tight as possible. On a brim of this width all of the fullness should be worked out. If this is found to be very difficult, lay the brim aside, with the velvet pinned on, for an hour or for overnight, and the velvet will be found to give a little more. Remove as much of the length as possible.

Locate seam, remove from frame, sew seam, and replace as before. Sew on top close to headsize wire, working out all the fullness possible; pull under part up into headsize. Sew one-fourth inch above headsize wire onto the flaps, being careful not to pull the thread too tight or the headsize wire will be reduced in size.

FACINGS--

A pleasing variety is sometimes obtained by using a colored underfacing on a black hat. The entire facing may be of a contrasting color or extend only from headsize wire to within an inch of the edge of the brim. In this case there could be a strip of material the same as upper facing an inch and a half wide finished at the edge of the brim with a wire. Then the colored facing would be finished over the edge of this with another wire.