"A Variety of new fashion Caps, Chip Hats, ..."

I have much sewing to do tonight--I have 2 days to make a petticoat (and yes I have had all week to do it!)--but I wanted to share how I shaped my blank straw hat, as I also need to trim it up with some ribbon before Sunday. I'm wearing it to a garden-party-attired event, as I'm a broke graduate student who can't afford to buy an awesome hat! But that's okay, it's going to look better than anyone else's hat. ;)

Pardon the crappy cell phone pictures, please!

First, fill your bathtub or sink with water and let the hat thoroughly soak.

Pardon the avocado tub.

After it has soaked through and is soft and pliable, take it out of the tub. I let the excess water drip out of it, then wrapped it in a towel.

Using the weight of the towel to my advantage, I fold one-half of the towel over the top of the hat, bringing the back of the hat over the crown.

Folding ...

folded.

Then, stick it in a drawer. Or, between heavy books. Whatever you've got!

I checked the hat to make sure I liked how it was laying. I had to adjust it as the raised front part of the drawer and the corners were making the front of the hat sort of buckle and bulge upwards, instead of curving smoothly downwards.

Peek-a-boo!

Closed back into the drawer.

Then, I let the hat dry in the towel overnight. In the morning, I opened it up to take a glance, and let the back fall down a little with the help of gravity.

Awesome!

It was really easy to do, and dried stiff as a board. And should it get wet, all I have to do is resoak it and reshape it. Now it just needs ribbon, and I need to make my petticoat!

These are my photographs. Please do not take or use them without permission.