How to Make Riding Hats

Making a traditional riding hat requires specialized equipment and materials.

Making a felt riding hat will complete a period look for fox hunting or for a costume. This kind of riding hat is not made for safety, and will not help a rider if he falls off and hits his head. Making a felt riding hat does take specialized equipment and skill.

Things You'll Need

• Felt hat blank
• Hat block of the appropriate shape
• Hot water
• Stock pot
• Elastic band
• No-rust pins
• Steam iron
• Millinery wire
• Sewing machine
• Sizing
• Accessories

Instructions

1. Choose a felt hat blank. This may be made of fur, a traditional and more expensive material, or wool. Blanks come dyed in a variety of colors.

2. Heat the fibers. This can be done in a steamer or in a pan of extremely hot water. Submerge the hat blank until the bubbles stop rising from the bottom of the pan.

3. Pull the hat blank over a hat crown block. These blocks are difficult to find and rather expensive. They are made in the form of the hat crown and are cut from smooth woods such as balsa, poplar or butternut.

4. Place an elastic band around the blank and the block to hold the blank in place. Secure the elastic with rust-free pins.

5. Iron the hat brim. Use a steam iron, industrial, if possible, to press the brim. It will take effort to make the brim entirely flat. Pin it down and allow it to dry. Trim to size, then allow it to dry overnight.

6. After the brim is dry, stitch millinery wire to the edge of the brim.

7. When the hat is completely dry, brush it with sizing. Wipe with a cotton cloth, form the brim in the shape desired and allow the hat to dry.

8. Remove the hat from the hat block after it dries. Machine stitch milliner's grosgrain ribbon around the brim wire. Attach any accessories to the hat, such as cockades, buttons or feathers.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to completely saturate the hat with sizing. If there are soft spots in the hat after drying overnight, brush on more sizing and allow it to dry again.

• Removing the hat from the hat block is a trick process. Take the time necessary to complete the task carefully.

References

• Truly Hats: Felt Hatmaking Techniques
• V and A: Riding Hat
• Darna's East Angel Harbor Hat Shoppe: Victorian Riding Hats