Fig. 13
The button finished, recourse is then made to the “block” or shape of the crown to be produced, for the subsequent sewing depends on its contour. If this is circular the continual working around the button until the desired diameter is reached, will achieve the required result; but if the shape is oblong (as they frequently are, the trade name for which is “oval”), it is necessary for the sewing to follow a slightly crowded course at the narrow width, and a slightly extended course at the length, for it is a desideratum that the edge of the top should synchronize exactly with the “turn down row” as it is called, so that with the first row sewn down the side of the crown, a clean cut and square edge will be produced. This done, sewing continues, always to the “block” contours, until sufficient depth is reached, and this finishes the crown where the base is at equal distance all round from the edge of the top. In some cases, however, it is necessary in order to produce the actual outline of the model, to add in one place or another at the bottom of the crown short extra rows of “gores” or “slopes” (the local terms) which will increase the depth of the crown at the place required; in some bonnets many extra rows are necessary to give just the fit to any arch there may be in the head line of the brim. In early times the bottom of the crown was always the same size in circumference as the head entry of the brim, and in that case the brim was commenced by sewing the first row of it to the last row of the crown. In some styles that still obtains, and the hats thus made are designated “one piece.” Modern models, however, often have the base of the crown much larger than the necessary head entry. In those cases the crown and the brim are made separate, and are called “two piece” hats when finished, the head fit being provided by the brim alone. In such cases the brim is commenced by sewing to a band of some cheap material sufficiently stiff, made to the necessary head size.
Many shapes have brims which are of equal width all round. It is then only necessary to sew directly off the last row of the crown, and, conforming to the style, continue the sewing in the spiral manner. Where a brim is flat it is most important that it should be started at a proper angle to the side of the crown, for that may or may not be exactly upright. There are crowns, such as boaters for men, of which the sides are exactly at an angle of 90° to the brim, there are others of which the top is smaller than the head fit, of which the sides taper, making an obtuse angle to the brim line; and still further there are others, where the top is larger than the head, where the angle is sharpened. So that in order to make the brim perfectly flat due regard must be made to the side crown incidence, and in process of making great care has to be taken so as not to impart either fullness, which would cause undulations, or tightness, which would make the brim either to turn up like a saucer, or to turn down like a mushroom. Of course, there are hats with brims of equal width all round that are designed to do one or the other of these things, and in that case the operative gives the necessary fullness or tightness either all round or in part as the shape may require. But the majority of fashionable models have brims of unequal widths; thus the front may be wider or narrower than the sides or back; or the back may be of the narrowest width; or the sides may be wider than either front or back, or each cardinal point of the brim compass may be of different dimensions. In either of these cases the proper result can only be obtained by one of three ways: 1st, by the insertions of the proper width and length of gores at the part nearest to the crown and opposite, but in relation to, the edge of the widest part or parts of the brim; 2nd, by starting the brim at the crown line as if for an equal width, and putting the gores at the edge of the brim at the place where the extra width is required; 3rd, by sewing the brim as an all round one and then cutting the edge to the required shape.
The first method is that always followed where a circular or extra oval edge of the brim is necessary, the gores counteracting the inequality of width will leave the circumference with a clean, true sweep. The second method is only adopted where the brim outline forms some abnormality, which it would be impossible to achieve by sewing the gores to the crown, and where this is done each end of the plait used is carefully crowded towards the part where it is joined to the brim and laid down in such a manner as to preserve as far as possible the original curves of the rows of plait nearest to the crown. The third method is employed where the abnormal outline of the edge of the brim is of a too acute nature to allow even of gores being worked, and every season brings up one or more models that require this kind of treatment. The brim is sewn, taking no notice of the inequalities, to the width of the widest part (providing always that the head line gores must be inserted where practicable); either before or after stiffening or blocking, as the case may demand, the edge is cut with scissors to a template of the shape, and is then bound with a row of the plait sewn all over those parts which have been cut across the rows, so that any possibility of fraying is averted. In the above cases, which are all of more or less curved lines, a row of plait is always sewn on the last row, making a double thickness. This is for two purposes, to create an extra strength, and to permit the attachment thereto of any wire or fabric desired, without stitching through the brim proper. But there have been brims of which the outside edge had a portion or portions that were quite sharply defined angles. These are now done by the third method outlined above, but in the old hand sewing days, where the operatives’ fingers, instead of a machine, had to do the work, the angle was achieved by a process known as “nipping.” This consisted of starting the angular portion with a piece of plait turned abruptly, even to the extent of making the foot of the turned portion lap over the foot of the foundation. This was sometimes done in working a very oblong top of a crown, but then the two ends of the accentuated oval were turned in as circular a form as possible, similar to part of the formation of a “button,” but in the “nipping” case the turning point was quite sharp, needing a small tuck of the plait to be sewn underneath to get the required acuteness; the following rows were treated in the same manner until the desired width was obtained. By this means any angular projection of the brim can be obtained, but it is only possible in hand sewing. Before the advent of machinery any such process as No. 3, cutting the brim and binding, was never utilized in the manufacture of best class goods, except for those bonnets which, largely in vogue at one time, had very deep ears with round ends, and even in these cases wherever possible the method No. 2 was adopted.
But when machinery became the prime factor in the sewing of plaits other methods were necessarily taken up, for the capability of the machine was not always equalled by the capability of the operator, and vice versa; therefore, the best means common to the skill of the greatest number became the general rule. It is possible that, with the delicate adjustments which can be obtained on either of the two styles of machines in use in the trade, the last of the four methods could be sufficiently well done, but only a very small percentage of operatives would be deft enough to achieve a good result, and even in the cases of the first and second methods where gores are worked on the inside or outside edges of the brim, the final crowding and laying down is invariably done by hand sewing. The button also is another part that the hat sewer by machine still makes by hand. In the machine finished hats this part is turned in the same manner, but in the opposite direction, thus the hand sewn hat spirals run from right to left, whereas the machine made article rims from left to right, taking the same orbit as that of the sun. (See [Fig. 14].)
Fig. 14