Both sides of brim covered with braid—
Allow the first rows to project slightly beyond the edge of the brim
both on the top and the bottom. These edges may be brought together
with a small slanting stitch, or if preferred the edge may be first
bound with a bias piece of satin, or with a row of braid or gay-colored
material. If the edge of the brim is bound, the edges of the first rows
of braid at the top and bottom would not meet. The bound edge thus
showing gives the effect of a cord.
To cover a crown with braid—
Begin at the bottom of the crown, slanting the second row off from the
first row the same as on the brim. Pull the braid up with the thread
(which will be found on the edge of nearly every braid) and sew until
the center of the crown tip is reached, when a hole in the top of the
crown may be made and the end pushed through and fastened on the
underside. Keep the braid full enough so that it will lie flat all the
way. Sometimes it is easier to begin sewing the braid on at the very
center of the top of the crown, or a few rows may be sewed to a small
circle of crinoline before attaching to the top of the crown.
If a braid is used which is composed of four or five smaller braids
sewed together, the method is the same until the crown tip is reached
or a place where it is impossible to make the braid lie flat. The braid
must then be separated into the smaller strands and one cut off at a
time, and each end lapped under the preceding strand; proceed with the
remaining strands, cutting one off at a time until only one remains to
finish the center with. When the crown tip is completed, push the
remaining end through a hole in the center of the crown tip and sew to
the inside of the crown. When using this kind of braid the operation may
be reversed, beginning at the center of the top and covering a small
circle of buckram with braid; press it with a warm iron to flatten it,
then sew in place on the crown and complete the covering. This seems the
easier method, because the top of the crown will look much better if
pressed and this will be found hard to do unless begun on a small
separate piece of buckram.