Any milliner specializing in historical reproductions ranging from the 14th to the 19th centuries will have faced the challenges of attaching ostrich plumes to a hat. It is not a simple task, especially if the plumes measure 12” to 20” long with stems that are ½” to ⅜” in diameter. Feathers of these proportions need to be stabilized on a hat. Additionally, the bare 2” to 3” stems need to be covered. I stumbled across a clever solution to this challenge when replacing damaged plumes on the blocked felt Regency Minerva hat shown below. A soutache patch is the perfect shape and size to support and cover up one, two or three large ostrich stems.

Soutache is a narrow, flat braid that is used as a decorative trim for clothing, drapery and other items. It is sometimes known as Russian braid. To see some examples of the types of cord that can be used to create soutache designs, check out my article in HATalk Issue 227. My soutache design is based on a classical architectural motif called an Acroterion. You can do other designs as long as the basic shape/size covers the base of your plumes.

Felt patches decorated with a soutache look period-correct and do a good job of holding large feathers. One of the real benefits is that you can sew the patch to the hat leaving the top section open. If you prepare your feathers properly,  you can slip them into the opening and anchor the plumes with just a few stitches. This makes it easy to remove the feathers to use on another hat or to store them separately.

Category: Hints and Tips, Trimmings

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