Brim And Crown Made From Small Pieces Of Silk And Braid


A very soft-looking braid hat may be made by sewing braid over a wire

foundation which has been made for the purpose. The braid may be pinned

on the brim of wire and sewed, being careful not to attach the braid to

the frame; slip the needle over the wire and finish sewing the braid

while it is still pinned to the brim, then remove, press slightly, and

sew a facing of braid to the under side of the brim if desired. Some

kinds of braid may be dampened before pressing, but it is safer to

experiment first with a small piece, for some braid is ruined by

pressing.



A soft crown of braid should be fitted over a wire crown and sewed in

the same way. After removing it from the wire frame, it can be slightly

pressed by holding it over a thick cloth held in the hand and pressing a

warm iron to the outside. A soft hat of braid can more easily be made by

first making a frame of crinoline and sewing the braid to it. Horsehair

braid crowns are beautiful when shaped over a wire foundation. They may

be pressed slightly (after being removed from the wire crown over which

they have been shaped) when they will be found to keep their shape. The

brim would need a wire foundation to hold it out in shape and the braid

should be caught down to the wire as it is being sewed. A small lace

wire should be used for this foundation, four spokes together with the

headsize wire and edge wire being sufficient. The wire should be wound

with maline or have a facing of maline. Horsehair braid is transparent.

There are many fanciful ways of using braid on a hat, but these can be

readily copied if the foregoing methods have been mastered. Be very

careful about pressing braids or adding moisture as it ruins some

braids, while others must be moistened before they can be handled in

sewing to a hat frame.



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