(Almost) As Good As New!

I should be cleaning B&B guest rooms, but repairing my $25 double-faux-birdie 1940s tilt hat sounded like SO much more fun! ;) 

This poor hat was in desperate need of some TLC when I found it: the original veil was torn, the birds (what was left!) were practically disintegrated, and the hat was dirty and needed to spend a week in an airtight container with a handful of moth balls. After its period in quarantine, I removed the torn veil and got to work on the birds. A good portion of the tail feathers were delicate but still intact. I re-glued what tail feathers I could, and the other feathers (which had fallen out and were so delicate that a mere touch made them fall apart) I salvaged and used to cover the bald foam heads of the birdies (therefore eliminating the need to spend hours trying to search out new matching feathers). 

 I always save my veils from old hats, so I went through my collection and found another vintage brown veil to use on this hat. Originally, the old veil had actually been attached to the tilt band that went around the back of the head, but I didn't like the way that looked, so I attached the new veil around the (inside) sides of the crown. 

The poor hat definitely needs a veil! - Due to how beat up it still is (some moth chews, etc.), it needs the distraction that a veil provides for the eyes. Also, I thought a veil might help protect the remaining delicate tail feathers from being blown around too much and further damaged.   Voila!

 

For comparison, here is a picture of the hat when I first purchased it.