A couple hat construction questions

[gem]

I'm stocking up on the supplies for Lynn McMasters's tall hat pattern.

First question: It calls for "thick white glue." What kind of glue do you guys like?  I have Tacky Glue that I use for needlework (things like mounting stitching to cardboard for needlebooks). I'm guessing that will work, but if there's something better I can find easily...?

2.) One of the steps calls for taping parts of the buckram form together, but she doesn't specify which type of tape. I've read through the instructions, but you know how some things only make sense when you *do* them? I can't tell if it's just something simple like masking tape to hold two things together while you work, and then you remove it... or if I need some Super Special Official Millinery Tape.  Any thoughts on Hat Tape?

3.) What to line it with? I have made hats, but honestly have never given much thought to lining them (I mean, I've lined them, just with whatever occurred to me at the time--linen, satin, whatever). I'm using microsuede for the fashion fabric.

Gramercy!

[isabelladangelo]

When I need glue, I typically cheat and use whatever glue is close by.  Most of the time, it works fine since I either have gorilla glue or wood glue.

I'd use masking tape or duck tape.  Again, whatever happens to be close by. 

For lining, I love using those left over scraps of silk that are always left over from a project. 

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

I use Duct tape to hold the back seam together, as well as to hold the top of the crown fabric down. Of all the many hats I have made, I have yet to have any actually fall apart.

Flannel is what ths McMasters patterns call for for a light underlining. I skip that  part if my fashion fabric is thick.

[Rani Zemirah]

I really like several of the different types of white glue that Mod Podge makes... but my hats are anything BUT traditional, so I'm probably not much good for advice on this subject. 

[Rowan MacD]

 
   The hats I have been making lately are all McMasters:

http://s4.photobucket.com/user/therowen9/media/101_0860_zpsf54e5ce4.jpg.html



Thick white glue is just Elmers school glue.
Have plenty of clothespins on hand to hold your pieces together while they dry.

  A bottle of drinking water comes in handy when it's time to trim the felting on the crown sides, butt them together and glue them down:  Place the crown on it's side with the freshly glued felt seam on the bottom, and make sure you have a flat (non stick) surface under there-the glue will sometimes ooze out.
  Lay the bottle inside the crown along the inside of the seam, you will get a nice flat finish.
 

'Taping the buckram'-Is that the step where you use bias tape on the crown edges to 'soften' seams?  If I remember-you need to sew the crown pieces together first, then glue bias tape on the edges of the seams.

  Note: I made exactly one tall hat crown from Buckram, never again.  It has it's uses, just not as a strong stiffener for hat crowns (at least for me).
  I use plastic embroidery mesh for the crowns, covered them in glued down felt,  and dispensed with the taping entirely.   I still use buckram for the brims.
   Both the hats in the picture were made using plastic mesh for the crowns; one has a mesh brim and the other has a buckram/felt brim.  The buckram brim allows for better forming using the wire in the edge, but the mesh is form-able too.
  The materials used in the photos were stretch velvet and a lightweight poly home dec fabric. I like that the mesh provides a tight, smooth base to glue the felt to.

I use cotton for lining, in a color close to the fashion fabric.
   You may add a sweat band if you wish, to keep the lining from becoming soiled if you wear your hat touching your skin anywhere.


Have fun!

 

[gem]

Excellent! Duct tape I have in abundance. (Once bought two huge rolls to do a duct tape bodice pattern, which never happened.) Tacky glue is similar to Elmer's, but it's thicker and more fabric-friendly (doesn't ooze or soak through and dries more flexible). Sounds like the winner.

Rowan, where are you finding your plastic canvas/embroidery mesh, and what size pieces are you using?  I've made hats from plastic canvas before, and found it eminently cooperative.  But looking at the largest size sold at JA yesterday (11" x 22", IIRC), it didn't seem big enough--and it's a lot floppier than I remember from my youth. My pillbox is plastic canvas + linen, and it's lightweight and sturdy, but it's also quite small and uncomplicated.

[Orphena]

Love your hats, Rowan! Fantabulous! Is that the tall hat pattern?

[Rowan MacD]

Excellent! Duct tape I have in abundance. (Once bought two huge rolls to do a duct tape bodice pattern, which never happened.) Tacky glue is similar to Elmer's, but it's thicker and more fabric-friendly (doesn't ooze or soak through and dries more flexible). Sounds like the winner.

Rowan, where are you finding your plastic canvas/embroidery mesh, and what size pieces are you using?  I've made hats from plastic canvas before, and found it eminently cooperative.  But looking at the largest size sold at JA yesterday (11" x 22", IIRC), it didn't seem big enough--and it's a lot floppier than I remember from my youth. My pillbox is plastic canvas + linen, and it's lightweight and sturdy, but it's also quite small and uncomplicated.

  I think  11x22 is the biggest they make.
Using the LM Men's large hat pattern-You will be able to get a crown side and the crown tip from one 11"x22" sheet-I buy mine from Micheal's @.99 per sheet  Mangelson's (local craft place) also sells them.

I use the Mens tall hat pattern since I wear mine over a caul, and I like to wear my hat firmly seated on my head.  The small is more like Rani's hats-meant to be perched and pinned down. 
  The women's pattern runs (very) small.

[Rowan MacD]

Love your hats, Rowan! Fantabulous! Is that the tall hat pattern?

Thank you!
  Yes, those are the McMasters Men's large Elizabethan tall hat pattern.
  I have made 3 smooth crown hats-the two in green and another (yet to be lined) in black velveteen.  I will make a draped crown hat one of these days.
   Using the plastic mesh for the crown and brim (still undecided on buckram vs mesh for the brim) really speeds up production on this. 
  Including the 2 days drying time to glue the felting, (once for the crown sides and tip; then again after trimming the felt and butting the edges) and  it takes me about 5 days to finish a hat to match whatever I'm wearing.  The two green hats were made at the same time.   
  I'm going to order the curved brim riding hat and the attifet patterns next.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

I particularly love the Elizabethan Arched Tall hat pattern. I smoothed out the front curved edge to dip less and thus have a cleaner brim.

I use heavy duty Buckram for the hat form and 19 gauge Millinery wire, and single fold wide bias tape over the wire.

[Rowan MacD]

I particularly love the Elizabethan Arched Tall hat pattern. I smoothed out the front curved edge to dip less and thus have a cleaner brim.

I just received the LM patterns for this hat as well as the Attifet and Escoffion.

How did you 'smooth out' the curve in front-is it that extreme?  How did you adjust the brim?
  I don't want to waste materials and time just to hate the way the crown lies...

[Rowan MacD]

  has anybody made the LM Attifet yet?

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

Rowan.....

I trimmed off about 3/8" of an inch of the center point of the front piece when I folded it and made sure the sides were evened out as well. There was no adjustments to the brim or crown.

[Rowan MacD]

  Thanks Lady K,
  So you kept a little bit of the curve, just not the deep dip.   That's what I'm looking for.
I want to make one of these for Milord, and an atifet for myself.

On a related note: Research on the Atifet is sparse; but I get the impression that there is a specific hairstyle that goes with it?   
   Looks like I will need to pad out my hair in a heart shape.

Her is an odd combination of what appears to be an atifet and a hat:

https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=elizabethan+portraits&ei=UTF-8&fr=moz35

 

   
   

[gem]

Is this the portrait you meant?



Further proof that, among the upper classes, MORE is better. 

...Also quite a lot of bosom on display there!