1909 #4 Fur Hat -- Toque de Fourrure

1909 #4 Fur Hat -- Toque de Fourrure
If you do not have fur, you can make it in plush or velvet. It is necessary to know how
to use what we have and not be hampered by small difficulties, or even large ones.
In the gray background, you have the pattern of the fond [crown], this of the passé
[side], and the picture of the doll wearing the finished hat.
Copy the pattern, and then cut the fun lining, on the same pattern, in sarcenet or
muslin. [Editor: Sarcenet is a soft silk in plain or twill weaves.]
The round crown is whole; and the side is only, here, given half; so it must be double
the length; the height is that of the pattern. You will place it on the strip of fur or velvet
folded in half with the side dotted and marked with the letter M edge to edge with the
straight fold of the fur or fabric. The strip, if it is velvet or plush must be cut on the
straight-thread. If it is fur, that does not matter, provided that it has the necessary length
and height.
Point M of the side is put against point M of the crown, and you sew the first to the
second by a seam all around. The four small black lines that you see, on the crown, are
intended for incisions to make with scissors to facilitate the turning of the seam.
You close the passé at the back with a seam.
This done, you sew the lining by the same process and you put it in the hat wrong side
against wrong side. Turn under the edge with a running stitch.
There remains the trimming of the hat. Take a band of satin, or a soft ribbon, that you
drape by placing it in a half-wreath/crown, that-is-to-say on the front only. On the right,
the backstitch [or breakpoint] on the ribbon is hidden under a ribbon rosette [or ribbon
flower] without tails; on the left a ribbon rosette with tails.
If you want to make this hat in silk or any other light fabric, you will certainly need to
cut the pattern in stiff muslin or millinery buckram; sew together the side and the crown
of this framework, then stretch or drape the selected fabric on top.
The trimming can remain the same. If you want a little variation, you can replace the
rosette with tails with a rosette from which descend strands of lily of the valley or some
daisy buds.
Let us add some practical advice: When sewing linens or garments, especially
clothes, you attempt to make small stitches. In the “mode” [fashion], that-is-to-say in the
making of hats, it is quite the opposite. The fewer stitches, the better. They should
therefore be made longer and no matter what sturdy, and more visible on the wrong side
than on the right side. Used, in this work, are two types of stitches: the “fashion stitch”
and the “running stitch.” The first is a sort of very long backstitch. It is used to baste
frameworks. The running stitch is made at the edge of the covered hats; it is a hemming
stitch sliding underneath and which keeps between the two fabrics placed the one on the
other.
The inconspicuous stitch on the right side constitutes the great difficulty of the art of
the milliner. But we can not do without it. The bows, flowers and draperies for hats are
prettier if they look as though the have not been touched, although they are securely
sewn.
If you only have, to make this hat, very crumpled velvet, you will make it as good as
new by the process as follows:
Soak the wrong side of the velvet with a little water mixed with alcohol or eau de
cologne and iron on the wrong side, but while keeping the velvet outstretched in the air
by another person. We can not iron the velvet flat on the ironing board without ruining it
completely. If there is little crumpling, you will liven it quite well and will give it the
appearance of new by leaving it exposed, during the night, before an open window. The
humidity soaked up by the hairs of the velvet will straighten them and make the wrinkles
disappear.
The same procedure for fur. One cleans this last more thoroughly by rubbing lightly,
first the hair the wrong way, then in its direction, with a flannel pad soaked with
petroleum. It is then placed in the air. But we must touch the oil with caution and
permission from mother. Also do not do this operation in the vicinity of the fire or the
light.
Translation copyright 2013 Deirdre Gawne. Not for sale. www.dressingbleuette.com