Millinery: Five hats in one day: Navy

I finished trimming the third hat that I blocked along with four others one day back in April.

Navy parasisol, trimmed with ribbon band, same ribbon used as loops and a "Three Minute" rosette.

I really liked the pop-up top.

Here's how I made this hat.

It began as a navy blue hood.
Hood is the name for an unshaped woven straw body that is used to create hats. It is isn't large enough to create much of a brim, the form used to create one piece hats with brims are called Capelines. It is possible to use a hood for a hat crown and attach a brim later, in a two piece design.

To create the hat shape, I first dunked the hood in an unflavored gelatin/water bath.
Typically hats are shaped, or blocked using a wooden form (or block) that allows pins to be inserted into the hood and block to hold the stretched and shaped hood in place until it dries. Once it dries, the straw hood has become a hat form.

Blocks are expensive. I get creative...in this case I used two bowls, a large casserole bowl and a small dish, which I stacked like this:

I did remember to place plastic cling wrap over the bowls so the hood would not stick to the bowls while it dried. (Good job, Jill!)
To hold the hood in place, I placed another bowl on top, and used a self sticking plastic strap above the lip of the bottom bowl to hold the hood into the curve of the bowl.

Once the hood was dried, I took the edge of the hood and stitched it like if it were a hem, folding it to the inside of the hat.
Next I stitched a cotton based ribbon inside the hat as a band. The ribbon was 22 1/2 inches long, the same as the measurement around my head. The opening of the bowl was much bigger, so I pinned the circle of ribbon in four places inside the hat, and gently eased the straw in to meet with the ribbon, shrinking the hood opening to match my head size.

The brim shape was originally flat, then slightly tilted up. I played with various tilts, and finally decided I wanted this particular brim to go slightly downward. Using steam from a tea kettle, I softened the brim, and shaped it to my satisfaction, checking it on my head as I looked in a mirror. It was important to check front, back and side views; in this case I really had to work the hat to get the rear brim to lay down evenly.

Trimming is always the most fun and challenging part. I tried various nettings, ribbons, berries, and trim before I settled on the idea of a
"Stick-up", an element of the trim design that would rise above the top of the crown. I tried a rosette with ruffles made from the same ribbon, but it looked too fussy to me. The shape of the hat was so cute, it didn't need the competition of more shape jutting out from the side.
A "three minute" rose worked better, the twisted ribbon gave visual texture without adding a lot of shape. A three minute rose is created by twisting a ribbon as it is wrapped around a hat pin. It was popular in earlier times because hat trims could be created in "three" minutes, simply using a hat pin and a length of ribbon that co-ordinated with my lady's attire.

Because I wanted the rosette to be permanent, I sewed the ribbon to a bit of scrim. It took a bit longer, about a half of an hour.
I'm pleased with how durable the trim is going to be. Often I am inclined to create trims that are fussy, and then I am reluctant to travel with the hat, or to wear the hat anywhere except to a place where I will not be doing much.
This hat and trim is far more utilitarian.

I really like how this hat turned out.
I think we are going to be good friends.
I'll try to post a picture of me wearing it later...I should have taken a picture of me yesterday at noon as I headed out to work in it.
But since I literally snipped the thread, popped it on my head and ran for the door, I didn't have time!
Hot off the needle it was...I will post a picture of me in the hat later!