CHAPTER IX
HAND AND MACHINE SEWING

The earliest methods were, of course, all by hand. Perhaps the first was that described in Chapter II, where the heads of the plait were tucked in one under the other and rendered secure by the passing of some fibre inside the loops of the heads, so as to make an almost invisible joint, as in the case of a “Leghorn” hat. It may be said in passing that this method was carried out by the Italian plaitters in the case of chip plaits made of 9 ends, but without the securing fibre. The result was that there was enough “hold” given by the tucked in heads to ensure the edges holding together sufficiently to form a perfectly flat plate. It was in this form that chip plaits were first used for the “Granny” bonnets in vogue a century ago; for when stiffened with gelatine or glue the joins were sufficiently strong to enable the brim shape to be produced. The “Flats,” as they were called, were made all of one diameter, and it therefore followed that one made out of the finest plait would contain more rows than one made of a coarser grade. The exact diameter was determined by the finest size plait, and of that there would be 100 rows, hence the term “No. 100” represented to the trade the narrowest plait. The qualities down to the coarse ones were graded in 5’s, thus the next coarse size was “No. 95,” and so on, down even to “No. 65,” of which being very coarse only 65 rows were necessary to make the “flat.” To use for working, where dyeing was required, the flat was “stripped” by taking the outside end and gently pulling the flat, the centre of which was pivoted round and round until the whole was undone. This in no way deteriorated the plait, but it was soon found that to wind the plait into neat pieces saved considerable trouble for marketing and subsequent use. This, however, is only a digression recording a method of joining plait in spiral rows, of which head wear was made, which after all is the plan on which all sewing is based. The British sewers, with only a very few exceptions, have always joined plaits together by means of an overlap, that is, the head of one row covering the foot of another, thus, the needle passing through the plait just under the head, to make the stitch as little visible as possible, and through the foot close to the edge, so as to lay the plait as thinly as firm sewing would permit. The effect when sewn was of a tiny, practically invisible stitch on the surface of the plait and a continuous stitch on the under side, the stitches being about half an inch apart. (See opposite page.)

This backstitching formed a perfect “lock,” and, although for the purpose of explanation the five right hand stitches are shown in a graduated loose state, in actual working each one was tightened at its completion before commencing the next. This method was common to the sewing of all plaits, the coarser, harsher varieties necessitating the use of the coarsest thread. For some plaits such as fine “split,” to be used for “compo” finish, and horsehair crinoline a “running” stitch was sometimes used in the early times, but it has been discontinued except for broad silk or fancy plaits.

As some of the plaits were only about ¹⁄₈th of an inch in width, it will readily be seen how deft and skilled an operative must have been, to ensure the perfect spirals and equidistant rows that were the mark of the best handsewn bonnets and hats. The nature of the stitch made by any of the machines used for hat making with straw plait is necessarily entirely different to that of the hand, although the one made by the “Légat” machine followed the handstitch very closely. It consisted of two strands of cotton forming a tiny, almost invisible stitch on the surface of the plait and one strand only underneath, the length of each completed stitch being about half an inch. It was made by a descending shaft carrying a hooked needle, and the peculiar result was achieved by very intricate and delicate machinery in a circular box facing the operator. The delicacy of the parts was so great and the machine being less rapid than the “Willcox Visible Stitch,” or the first “Wiseman Hand Stitch,” it was soon eclipsed by its competitors.

The “Willcox Visible Stitch” was produced first on what was afterwards known in the trade as the “10-Guinea” machine. This was simply the domestic chain stitch machine, from which the table or platform around the needle had been taken away, in order to allow free working of any part of the hat. In a short time this machine underwent a great change for the straw hat purpose. Luton mechanics set themselves to work, and appliances were affixed one of which rendered the ingress of the plait more easy; another allowed for a minute and standardized gauging of the necessary widths for the proper row-laying of the plait, still further another made it possible to alter the actual length of the stitch, and at last the model known throughout the trade as the “17-Guinea” was universally adopted as the best type of visible stitch machine for plait sewing. The “stitch” consists of one strand of cotton on the surface of the plait and two strands underneath, and from its chain-like nature can be easily undone if required. This has been closely copied by other machine makers, the one produced in Germany known as the “Dresdensia” being almost an exact copy of the “17-Guinea.” Both these machines vie with each other in the favour of manufacturers, best work being possible from either. The other model having survived the tests of time and the necessities of the industry is the “Wiseman Box” Hand Stitch Machine. This derives its name from the inventor, and from the box-like case, with even a lifting lid, that is its great characteristic. Mr. Wiseman in this machine, as in his first model, which was not box enclosed, makes use both of the threaded needle similar to the “Willcox,” and of the unthreaded hook-like needle peculiar to the “Legat.” But contrary to the downward action of the others, the “Wiseman” needles make an upward thrust. They stand at about ¹⁄₁₆ of an inch apart, the one with the eye (which, as in all machines, is at the pointed end) carrying the cotton, and being placed in the same needle bar move simultaneously. The upward thrust when working sends the pair of them through the two overlapping strands of plait which are kept at the proper place by special “guides.” When they emerge on the surface of the plait, a little finger, called the “looper,” takes one strand of the loop of cotton from the needle, brings it across the intervening space where it is caught in the hooked needle and released from the looper. Then both descend, and the result of this trio of movements is a stitch of the width that exists between the needles, consisting of two strands of cotton. The feeds then move the plait forward about half an inch, and the operation is completed. The under stitch consists of three strands, but as the cotton used in this and all other straw machines is of the finest grades, say from “80” to “100” for the best work, the stitch is hardly seen, and the weight is not sufficient to be detrimental.

The centre of the top of the crown, called in trade parlance the “Button,” is produced by taking an extreme end between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, the left holding the length part of the plait. The right hand makes a sharp turn of the portion held and with a slight cupping motion, such as would be used by a grocer making a conical paper bag, permits the plait in the left hand to come under the cupped portion, through the lapping of which the first stitches are made. The spirals of the “button” are extremely small, and the beauty of this part is enhanced by the gradual and regular increase of the size of them. This operation produces a spiral going from right to left, as in Fig. 13, and is always the method adopted by hand sewers; it was in this way that all the bonnets and hats were commenced prior to the adoption of machinery for sewing plait.

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.)

In order that a machinist of straw plait should be capable of producing the highest grade work, a thorough tuition of hand sewing is most helpful, and this was well demonstrated when machines were first used. The early appliances or attachments to the machines were of quite a primitive nature, in fact, they were only those in use for domestic sewing, and the subsequent machines made especially for straw work, did not develop the niceties which now are part of the construction of the up-to-date machine, and yet, in spite of these drawbacks, the machine work done by the erstwhile hand-sewers has never been surpassed, although by aid of the possibilities of adjustment and the advent of mechanical power the present speed capacity has been at least doubled.

A process common to both hand and machine sewing is the “milling” of plait before using. This obtains mainly, if not wholly, on plaits made of straw. In hand sewing times it was an absolute necessity, as it imparted a requisite pliability to the somewhat harsh fibres, and permitted their easier adjustment in sewing to the requirements of the shape. It also, on those plaits which had “heads,” accentuated the difference between the head and the foot, giving a greater boldness of effect. The mills used for this purpose were made with beech wood frames and with boxwood rollers. Generally these rollers were designed and cut to take all widths of plait, and the “trolls,” as the individual grooves were designated, were made with a double recess, the smaller one of which permitted the head of the plait to escape the pressure exerted on the foot. (See Fig. 15.)

When the extra demand for machine made hats arose it was found that the harsher plaits of China were too wearing on the wooden rollers, and mills made of iron were produced, but on the same active principles as shown above. To-day the majority of plaits used in the trade are not milled, only the coarser and harder straw varieties being occasionally done. All Tagal and soft pedal plaits can be machined without milling, owing to the pressure mechanism which is now part of all the plait sewing machines.