Advice on repair of my straw hat

[trick420]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here, and this is my first post. I have an issue with my hat and have come up empty handed. I'm hoping I can get some sage advice from you all on what to do.

In 2013 I purchased a Bailey Nichols - Lite straw. I absolutely love it, but I wear it sparingly. Anyway, last week I wore it for the first time this season, and I noticed that the stitching on the hem of the brim is coming loose. It is a "clear" thread, like a monofilament. Anyway, I contacted Bailey, and they informed me that a) the hat isn't under warranty, and b) they don't offer a repair service. Well, it was an expensive hat (for me anyway) and I'm little surprised to find out that they don't service their own products, but I digress...

Anyway, I'm wondering how I should go about a repair? Right now there's just some thread loops showing where the stitching has broken, so I suspect that if I get on it soon a repair of the stitching is an easy thing. I don't have a hatter in my city (Chattanooga, TN), so I'm wondering if a cobbler or seamstress could perform said repair? I'm extremely handy myself too - is this something I should just take care of myself?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Jeff

 

[ChicagoWayVito]

I would suggest sending it to a hatter that does repair work. You can find many on this forum.

You could check with Buckaroo Hatters (www.buckaroohatters.com) they are in Covington, TN If Mike Moore can't help you then the other two are out here in the Pacific Northwest:
- Art Fawcett of Vintage Silhouettes (www.vintagesilhouettes.com)
- Bob Jessee of Black Sheep Hat Works (www.blacksheephatworks.com)

I am sure there are others out there as well that you can check with.

 

[Frunobulax]

I'm unclear as to what you mean by the "hem of the brim." Is the hat coming apart, or is the hatband coming off the hat? If the latter, that's an easy repair for a novice.

Can you link to a photo?

 

[EstherWeis]

I think what he means is the stitch that holds his under welt in place.

Well, if the stitch marks are still visible you could just sew it back in by hand with the same type of thread by going back in the stitch marks.
Just go up and down. Easy peasy...

Or you could indeed have a hatter fix it for you.
But if it's just a little piece you can easily do it yourself...

 

[trick420]

I don't yet know all the proper names of each piece, so here's the pictures Frunobulax asked for...

On another related note, Through my obvious mis-handling of the hat, I have a bit of a hump in the brim at the front. Is there an easy way to flatten that back out? Can I manipulate the weave some to relax it or is there a way to shrink the fibers back closer together?

 

[EstherWeis]

Ah yes, just what I thought.
Just lightly pull on one of those little loops with a needle and the thread will loosen.
Then just take a needle and thread and attach it on one side.
Go up down and try to match the with of the stitching of the rest.

As for flattening it out : put it on a flat surface and very lightly iron over it with an iron.
Make sure it's not too hot and use a clean cloth to protect your straw.

Then just leave it too cool.

 

[trick420]

Ah yes, just what I thought.
Just lightly pull on one of those little loops with a needle and the thread will loosen.
Then just take a needle and thread and attach it on one side.
Go up down and try to match the with of the stitching of the rest.

As for flattening it out : put it on a flat surface and very lightly iron over it with an iron.
Make sure it's not too hot and use a clean cloth to protect your straw.

Then just leave it too cool.

Awesome. Thank you so much for the tips... So one last question: How hot on the iron, and steam or dry heat?

 

[EstherWeis]

Awesome. Thank you so much for the tips... So one last question: How hot on the iron, and steam or dry heat?

You're welcome !
Start with the heat on a medium setting.( i put mine on the 2 dots) Try on a little corner first.
You can try dry first. My bet is lthat it will go flat without any trouble.
If it's stubborn try applying a little steam from a distance and then press down with the iron or you could just use your hands to smooth it out.

 

[trick420]

You're welcome !
Start with the heat on a medium setting.( i put mine on the 2 dots) Try on a little corner first.
You can try dry first. My bet is lthat it will go flat without any trouble.
If it's stubborn try applying a little steam from a distance and then press down with the iron or you could just use your hands to smooth it out.

Yep. That did it. Flat as a pancake now.

Now I just need to find some clear thread and get the brim fixed...