Cleaning Curling And Tinting Feathers
To clean, immerse the feather in gasoline to which has been added a few
spoonfuls of cornmeal. Draw the feather through the hands several times
until it is clean; rinse in clear gasoline and shake in the fresh air
till dry. A very light-colored or white feather may be tinted by
dissolving some oil paint in the gasoline used for rinsing.
To curl, draw the flues, a very few at a time, over a blunt knife. A
plume is rather difficult to sew on a hat and produce the desired
effect. The end of the quill may be sewed very firmly to the hat, while
the tip of the plume should not be sewed close to the hat, otherwise it
will look stiff.
More
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Base Wire
Cut a piece of brace wire one-half inch longer than the wire used for the headsize wire. Lap the ends one inch. Make this the same shape as the headsize wire and test the size by trying it on over the headsize wire on the brim for which the crown is... Base Wire For Crown
Measure and cut a length of brace wire one-half inch longer than for the headsize wire. Lap the ends one inch and join with tie wire. The base wire of any separate crown must be large enough to fit over the headsize wire on the brim. Place this circ... Bias Fabric
If bias strips of silk or satin are used, the material should be cut in strips two and one-half inches wide, on a true bias, and joined in one long strip. Fold lengthwise through the middle and gather the raw edges together a little less than one-qu... Blocking Over Wire Frames
If a buckram frame needs changing radically, it may be done by blocking over a wire frame made for the purpose. The wire frame should have six sticks instead of four, and circles not more than one inch apart, shaped as desired. Old or new buckram, n... Blossoms Of Maline Or Net
These may be made by using the same pattern as for the American Beauty rose, selecting the size required. (See illustration.) Lay a strip of tie wire inside along the bias fold. Gather along the curved edge and draw down tight. This brings the two e... Both Sides Of Brim Covered With Braid
Allow the first rows to project slightly beyond the edge of the brim both on the top and the bottom. These edges may be brought together with a small slanting stitch, or if preferred the edge may be first bound with a bias piece of satin, or with a ... Bows
For the inexperienced in bow-making there is no better plan than to copy many different styles of bows, using either tissue paper or cheap cambric, as ribbons are ruined by being made over too many times. Bow-making is sometimes quite difficult for ... Bows Of Maline
Maline is one of the most beautiful materials used in millinery and it lends itself to many uses. Hat frames are covered with maline; it is used to cover wings to keep feathers in place; to cover faded or worn-out flowers; for shirred brims and crow... Box Pleating
This is made by turning the first pleat to the left and the next to the right. The same amount of material is required as for side pleating. If the pleats are to be one-half inch deep, the box pleat will be one inch across. Baste with silk thread at... Brim
We are now ready to make use of the measurements taken from the pattern. Mark the length of each spoke with a pencil; the distance they are to be apart should be marked on the edge wire. These measurements are taken from the pattern. Finish the edge... 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... Brims Covered With Two Kinds Of Fabric
A flat brim or mushroom shape is often covered by using two fabrics, which may be of the same color or of contrasting colors. Small pieces of old material may often be conserved in this manner and the hat at the same time have much charm. For instan... Buckram
Comes in black and white, about twenty-seven inches wide--a heavy stiff material, smooth on one side and rather rough on the other. It is more commonly used for hat foundations than any other fabric. There is also a summer buckram, lighter in weight... Cable
Largest wire used in millinery. In making wire frames, it is used as edge wire and sometimes for the entire frame. Being larger than frame wire, it makes a pleasing effect when used as part of the wire frame design, if it is to be covered with sheer... Cape Net
A light-weight, open-meshed material used for blocking and for soft frames. Not as pliable as neteen. ... Cherries
These are made from a smaller circle of material than the apple--satin or velvet would make a charming cluster. The method used is the same as for the apple, except that there would be no stitch in the center. They should also be filled until they a... Circles Or Hoops
Add three circles of wire between the base wire and the small circle at the top. The first circle just above the base wire should be of the same size. Keep all wire laps at the back. The other two circles will conform to the shape of the crown and w... Cleaning Curling And Tinting Feathers
To clean, immerse the feather in gasoline to which has been added a few spoonfuls of cornmeal. Draw the feather through the hands several times until it is clean; rinse in clear gasoline and shake in the fresh air till dry. A very light-colored or w... Collar Of Brim
Cut the wire inside of the headsize wire in the center. Twist these wires once and a half around the headsize wire, bringing the ends up at right angles to the headsize wire. Join the second headsize wire to the top of these wires, using the same me... Covering Turbans
Turbans are becoming to many types and are particularly suitable for the matron. Gay coverings are used on them often when they would be out of place on a larger hat. However, any material may be used; braids, alone or in combination with fabric. Ve... Covering Wire Frames With Maline Net Or Georgette
Wire frames which are to be covered with sheer material, such as maline, net, or georgette, must be carefully made, as the wire frame becomes a part of the design, and the wire should be silk covered. If maline is used, it should be pleated or gat... Crinoline
Comes in black and white, twenty-seven inches wide--a stiff, thin, open-meshed material, used to make soft hat frames, to cover wire frames, and in bias strips to cover edge wire after it is sewed on the fabric frame. ... Crown
Measure four sticks as for the crown in the preceding lesson, plus the width of the brim, plus six inches for finishing. This is ample to finish both ends of wire, but on account of the ends easily becoming frayed it is better to have a generous all... Crown For Halo Brim
This may be very sheer, although a halo brim may be used on a braid or satin crown if desired. A wire crown for a halo brim usually consists of a mere collar of frame wire several inches high. This is sewed to the headsize wire. The covering for the... 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... 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... Daisies
Daisies may be made from one-quarter inch ribbon, using as many petals as desired. Cut the ribbon into two and one-half-inch lengths. Tie a knot in the center. Sew the ends to a small, round piece of buckram. If two rows of petals are used, the seco... Double Or Triple Box-pleating
This is made by adding one or more pleats, one on top of the other. Begin by making two or more pleats turning to the left, then the same number turning to the right. Be very accurate, being careful to keep the box pleat the exact width desired. Bas... 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 slipstitched together. In this case, the underfacing would be turned under one-fourth inch and pinned in place all the way around before beginni... Edge Wire
This is cut from frame wire and must be long enough to reach around edge of brim and lap one inch. Edge wire is always sewed on same side of brim as the headsize wire, which is usually the smooth side. Shape this wire to conform to shape of brim. Ne... Edge Wire
Cut a circle of brace wire the exact length of the circumference of the brim plus one inch for lap and tie. Lay this close to the edge of the pattern and mark on it with pencil where each crease touches it, always keeping the tied ends on the back c... Equipment
Thimble Thread Needles Tape-measure Pins Tailor's chalk or pencil Milliner's pliers or wire cutters Scissors, large and small Paper for patterns Thimble--good quality Thread--Geneva lustre, black and white, number 36. Co... Equipment
Brace wire or frame wire Tie wire Sprung wire Pliers ... 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 ...