About the Author

Hilary with her husband Edward. (Angela made my beautiful dress.)

Hilary Peach was born in Berkshire in 1942. She left school at 15 and, coming from a family of seamstresses and needlewomen, desired a career in the crea-tive world. Her first work was in a highly reputable fashion department where expensive gowns were sent to the alteration work room, to be adjusted to customer requirements. This gave her the insight to see how the sewing work-shops operated and encouraged her to obtain qualifications in both subjects. Subsequently, she began formal training, City & Guilds, at a fashion college, which included a further education teacher’s certificate. On completion Hilary taught crafts, dressmaking and millinery for 30 years in a part-time capacity, alongside taking on private commissions for fashion and millinery. Her work has been seen at Buckingham Palace, New York Sailing Club, Claridge’s and many society weddings.

Hilary Peach

TiTivATeThe Art of Hat-Making

Copyright © Hilary Peach (2015)

The right of Hilary Peach to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, elec-tronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publica-tion may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781849637824 (Paperback)ISBN 9781849638302 (Hardback)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published (2015)Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd.25 Canada Square Canary WharfLondonE14 5LQ

Printed and bound in Great Britain

DedicationTO EDWArD, JuLIAN AND ANGELA; without you I would not have had the experience, pleasure and fulfilment of teaching dress-making and millinery.

Together we have met some very talented and friendly people who have inspired us to work hard and make our interest viable and commercial. For your help and tolerance, from fitting lighting at exhi-bitions to making blocks and stands, you have been another pair of hands in my hour of need. I thank you all with all my heart for a life-time of making beautiful creations together.

ContentsForeword ............................................................................................. ixPart One: My Life in Hats ..................................................................................... 1

Early influences ....................................................................................... 21958: Getting the hat bug ...................................................................... 5Making a hobby a vocation ................................................................... 8Student successes & achievements .....................................................16

Part Two: Making a Soft Sculptured Hat ........................................................... 21

Soft sculptured hat................................................................................22A useful guide in head sizes for hats ..................................................23Equipment for millinery ......................................................................24Comfort and safety ...............................................................................26Parts of a hat ..........................................................................................27Millinery wire .......................................................................................31How to make a head wire ....................................................................32Making a soft sculptured hat pattern .................................................35Making your master copy ....................................................................42Knowing your fabric ............................................................................44Flat pattern hats: some ideas when using textured fabrics .............48Helpful hints for buying your fabric ..................................................50Basic millinery materials – interlinings .............................................52Pattern information ..............................................................................53Assembling your pattern pieces for flat pattern/casual hat .............56Millinery stitches ..................................................................................58Stitching your hat pieces together ......................................................61Tip & sideband stitching .....................................................................65Head bands ............................................................................................66Machining a brim .................................................................................68Optional decorative stitching on your brim .....................................69Joining the crown to the brim .............................................................71The headribbon .....................................................................................73Trimming your hat ...............................................................................75Hat trimming ........................................................................................76

Feathers to adorn your hats.................................................................78Tassels ....................................................................................................80rouleau loops ........................................................................................82Hat pins ..................................................................................................86Bias fabric roses ....................................................................................87Briar rose ...............................................................................................90Face shapes and styles ..........................................................................92Sectional hat pattern ............................................................................95Gentleman’s casual hat with peak .....................................................100

Part Three: Making a Blocked Hat ..................................................................... 103

Equipment for millinery ....................................................................104Blocked hat ..........................................................................................109An introduction to hat blocks ...........................................................111Fabric blocked hats .............................................................................117Fabric layout for blocked hat ............................................................127Method for blocked hat .....................................................................128Millinery methods ..............................................................................136Blocking your fabric covered brim ...................................................139Top stitching, wiring and binding the edge of the brim ................144Binding the edge .................................................................................146Brim blocks .........................................................................................148Trimming your blocked hat ..............................................................149Making bows in fabric or ribbon ......................................................157

Appendix .......................................................................................... 161Quiz time .............................................................................................162Famous milliners ................................................................................165Hat manufacturers & wholesalers for millinery .............................166Quiz answers .......................................................................................168Photographic acknowledgment ........................................................170

viii

1920s sketches by Hilary

ix

ForewordWHEN I WAS A CHILD my beloved father used to say, ‘Have you got your titfer on?’, when we were wrapping up warmly on a cold winter day to go outside. (‘Titfer’ is Cockney rhyming slang: ‘tit for tat’ = ‘HAT’.)

‘Titivate’ means: to enhance the appearance of by means of decora-tive additions, smarten up. What better word for the title of my book and dedication to my parents than Titivate? They both taught me how to be steadfast and loyal to others, which I maintained in my teaching.

So what is a HAT? A hat is not just a head covering against weather, more an enrichment to the outfit you are wearing. A hat should flatter your face and feel comfortable to wear. A hat should be admired. A hat, more than any other garment, can be renewed. It can be made from small quantities of fabric, left over from a dress or suit. It can give a new look to last year’s fashion.

The origin of millinery – hat-making – is lost in history, but surviv-ing records do show that people started wearing head coverings over 5,000 years ago. The main reasons for this were to protect your head against the climate, both warm and cold, and also for violent or cere-monial purposes, and as a badge of rank or office. The heritage of the hat is linked closely with the mask or veil. The word ‘milliner’ itself comes from the Duchy of Milan, Italy. Many of the most beautiful straw hats are woven in Italy. The word ‘hat’ is Anglo Saxon.

1

Part One: My Life in Hats

2

Early influences

IN THE BEGINNING, THIS BOOK will tell my story about my love for hats. Secondly, it will provide all the photographs and text you will need to help you learn the the skill of constructing them.

This may be for yourself and members of your family. Or, you could even take commissions when you have the experience after learning the techniques.

I grew up in Berkshire in the 1940s with lots of family members; mother, father, sister, brother, grandmother, aunts and cousins, who were all keen on creative hobbies. In particular, many of the ladies were dressmakers or seamstresses.

Picture of two samplers, by my Grandmother and her twin sister Nellie.

3

1940 style hats worn by my Grandmother and Aunts.

My mother and aunts wearing Cloche hats in 1929

My parents’ wedding, April 15th 1933

4

“Sewing” Aunts, Cousins and Grandparents, 1938

At my secondary school needlecraft was a core subject. I loved Miss Jones, who taught me how to sew correctly. One of her favour-ite expressions when she walked around the classroom was “T. T. T.”, which meant “Tummy Touching Table!”

We were not allowed to slouch when we were hand-sewing. The work was placed on the table in the classroom and your back had to be upright, with both hands working the tiny stitches. At eleven years of age I made an apron, a smocked baby’s dress and a powder blue taffeta dress for me to wear to a youth barn dance. I felt very pretty amongst my friends. Miss Jones had taught me well and I loved the subject. The machining was worked on an old singer sewing machine by turning the handle with a shuttle-type bobbin case.