=Millinery=: Steam hats of fancy braid soft, unpick, steam again, sew while soft, shape, and wire. To change color, paint over with dye, let dry thoroughly, then wipe over with a cloth wet in alcohol to remove surplus color. Or wash quickly with white soapsuds, drying in sunlight; or wipe over with alum water. None of these are necessary if the color does not rub off. Or veil with net, chiffon, lace, or grenadine. Cord the brim edge with silk or velvet, and shir the thin stuff inside. Shape by bending while still damp. Trim according to taste and fashion. Hats of beaver can be steamed a very little, then pressed over an improvised block—a fruit jar inverted, a crock, a tin pan, or bucket. Cover with a damp cloth while pressing. Begin on something of little value, learning by experience. Hats of velvet or silk or lace must be unpicked, freshened, and made up anew, using new shapes. Lingerie hats require simply washing and reshaping over clean frames with fresh or freshened ribbons.
Restore ribbon and velvet as already directed. To improve crushed and faded flowers touch the backs of the petals thickly with gum arabic (see section Renovators), let dry, then dip in gasolene, lave quickly, and pass on into more gasolene which has had a tube of oil color dissolved in it. Work quickly, moving the flower sprays about so they shall not be blotched nor streaked. Lay on soft paper to dry in airy shade. Big flowers—roses, orchids, poppies—had better be separated before dyeing, then remounted. Touching up the hearts with oil color rubbed smooth in a little poppy oil, using a camel’s-hair brush, is a further improvement.
Stiff fancy feathers can be dyed, not by dipping, but painting with hot dye, and taking off the surplus by brushing hard when dry with corn starch and prepared chalk in fine powder. Touch mounting very lightly—they are founded on glue. If ill-colored, conceal them with _choux_ of ribbon or velvet or a made ornament.
Fine feathers should go to professionals—at least, until their owners learn to color cheap ones. Draggled soft feathers may be colored with gasolene and tube paint, shaking hard while they dry so there shall be no clotting. Strip off when dry, and tie the flues into pompons about lengths of stiff wire with loops in the end. Wind the wire with silk thread or cover with a spiral of tissue paper. Two or three shades of the same color tied thus make a handsome ornament for any school hat.