How to Fix a Veil on a Hat

Repair a hat with a torn veil as the netting is easy to replace.

Women have kept their heads covered for hundreds of years, employing veils, kerchiefs, hoods and caps. At the end of the 16th century, women began wearing structured hats, according to hatsUK.com, and by the end of the 19th century, many styles of hats were being worn. Hats have come to be fashion statements and status symbols. Some styles of hats are brims and bonnets, which are decorated with veils. The veil on a hat represents sophistication and distinction. The delicate veils can tear, requiring netting to be replaced.

Things You'll Need

• 1/2 yard of netting
• Stick pins
• Scissors
• Needle
• Thread that matches the netting

Instructions

1. Cut off the old netting with scissors.

2. Pin the new netting to the top of the hat where old the netting was. Put on the hat to determine the length of the netting.

3. Cut the netting to the desired length. Some typical lengths are across the bridge of the nose, underneath the nose or to the chin.

4. Thread the needle. Hold the hat in your hand and keep the netting pinned securely so it stays in place while you're sewing.

5. Sew the netting to the hat with a hand stitch, starting on the inside of the hat and bringing the needle through the top. Use a 1/2-inch stitch back through the netting and the hat.

6. Continue hand stitching the netting to the hat until all of the netting is secure. Remove the pins.

Tips & Warnings

• Add about an inch to the netting's length to allow for a seam if you want to sew a hem at the bottom of the netting. Fold the netting and hand stitch it to create a hem.

• Repair small tears by sewing the netting with small stitches using matching thread.

References

• Polly Singer Couture Hats and Veils: Repairing Vintage Hats
• hatsUK.com: A Brief History of Hats