With 3 days to go before my next event, an 1870s Bustle
Picnic, I’m finally finishing up my black and white polka dot bustle gown that
is trying not to be just another polonaise. More on that in another post after
it’s done. But I still need a hat. With no hat forms in sight that would work,
I decided to make my own using a technique I read recently of dropping the
straw hat in boiling water and then reshaping it over *something*. I found a
couple 12” straw hats at a craft store, which are probably larger than I would
have liked. 10” would have been better. But we make do.
I found a couple hats in fashion prints that it would work
for. The one on the lady on the right wearing the blue plaid gown, which btw I
think I have to make; and the lady on the far right in the group of three. So
this showed me what shape I wanted to do, and the 12” hat that I had would work
for this.
Following the directions posted in the other blog, I brought
a large pot of water to just a boil. *A friend just told me she only used hot water in her sink. So I think that's worth trying too.* I put on rubber gloves with a pair of tongs
nearby if I needed those too. I dipped the hat in halfway and it immediately
softened up and started to sizzle; probably just absorbing the water. My hat
was a little larger than the pot but when it softened, I could actually have
pushed it all the way in. But I didn’t need the crown of the very front of it
reshaped. I only left it in about 30 seconds. I pulled it out just using my
rubber gloves.
Then I put out 2 glass mixing bowls on my counter, one
larger than the other, placed the hat over the larger one, bent the back up and
pushed the sides down. Then I put a smaller bowl on top to hold the tilted up
part in the back.
Once it had cooled I took the bowl off to let it completely
dry out. *Another hint from my friend; set it out in the sun to dry. I left mine on the counter overnight and its still not completely dry.*
So now begins the excavation into my stash for whatsits to
put on the hat.
That is really cool! I wonder if you could do a similar thing with felt.
ReplyDeleteIt also raises the possibility of dyeing the straw. If you had dye in the pot instead of just hot water, you could even change the color of the hat.
What a creative idea, and one that sparks the imagination!
yes you can do that with felt hats, they also require a little bit of steam to help set the fibers and then pinning and cooling.
DeleteHmmm. I'm going to have to try that....
ReplyDeleteI have seen people reshape felt hats and I have reshaped a doll-sized straw hat just by wetting it and pinning it into place. Thanks for another way to get a fabulous bonnet!
ReplyDeleteThis is pure genius! Thank you for sharing! I'm going to try this with a hat for me, but first, I'm going to do this will a doll hat for a commission I have. Thank you so much for such a simple and adaptable technique.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the pic. I lirn better from pics. this is very helpfull.:)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Jessie. I'm very much the same way.
DeleteVal
Wonderful tutorial! I've been doing this sort of reshaping with just a spray bottle and cool water. But hot water seems to be the way to go. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIt's not that hard to turn a 12" straw hat into a 10" if that's what you want: First, locate the end of the straw spiral that the hat is made of (along the brim) paying attention to how it was finished off. Start undoing the stitching holding the spiral together and when the hat is down to the size you want, just cut the excess straw off and sew the end down like it was done originally. This is MUCH easier than trying to turn a 10" straw hat into a 12"! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Laurel. That's good to know. I still have two more of the same straws that I would like to have smaller.
DeleteVal
Might be a way to build some interesting armor or military helmets, shape it then use fiberglass and/or brush-able latex rubber to make something unique.
ReplyDelete