What to do with the tam?

[Mikilt]

I have a new tam. I made it myself and it's quite sharp. I would like to wear an X-Marks cap badge and a dandelion on my hat at the Highland Games this summer.

My question is: Do I need to sew a piece of interfacing on the inside of the hat to support the badge? What about a cockade? When are they appropriate? Does anyone know of a cockade tutorial?


Many thanks,


Mikilt

[CMcG]

I don't know much about cockades but here is a basic tutorial:



And a more complex one:
http://americanduchess.blogspot.com/...-cockades.html

[room2ndfloor]

Some interfacing to support the badge is an excellent idea. The badge will sit nicer and will not stress the fabric. You could even use a thin piece of cotton flannel and bond it with stitch witchery.

[BonnetMaker]

Alternatively to the suggestions already made, a small scrap of felt or stiff fabric inside the tam, pinning your badge or ornaments through both bonnet and felt, will help reduce stress on the outer fabric. the ideal is something lightly sewn in, but anything extra to pin through really does help with the wear and tear factor.

[tulloch]

Is the tam knitted? From cloth? Is there any layering or other substance to the hat band? Got a photo?

[Mikilt]

Is the tam knitted? From cloth? Is there any layering or other substance to the hat band? Got a photo?

Tulloch, I had posted the photo in another thread. Mea Culpa. The tam is made from felted wool and machine sewn together.

[Downunder Kilt]

So strange that you mention having a backing for the XMarks badge. Not @0 minutes ago I put my badge on a different balmoral and found it to be drooping. I cut the top if an icecream container into a 2" square, punched 2 holes in it, then put my pin thru the balmoral and plastic and it works a treat.

[thescot]

That's a pretty good looking tam, by the way.

You can also consider adding a square of tartan on the side just as the regiments have done for many years and pin the bade through both it and the tam. It will stiffen the tam a bit.

You can look here for a really great tutorial on making a fine cockade. http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...rosette-56272/


I make mine simply as a piece of white grosgrain with a series of stitches through the middle, pulling the center into a pinched bit. (See the avatar above.)

[T-Bone]

I just made the same one.(Mine)
All I did was use a 2.25"X6" strip of the same wool. Fold the length so that the ends meet in the middle. Sew along the top and bottom edges, then sew it onto the bonnet. As you can see in the last pic in the link above, it does not droop at all.

Yours looks really good, btw. I may have to re-sew the top of mine so that it is not so floppy.

T