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How to Make a Civil War Nurse Hat

It is estimated that more than 2000 women served as nurses during the Civil War. They tended to injured and dying soldiers of the North and the South with little training and no official uniforms. Civil War nurses dressed in long brown or black dresses, and white bonnets covered their heads. Their bonnets, which would evolve into modern-day nurses' caps, were a symbol of the compassionate care they gave. You can make your own Civil War nurse hat from a handkerchief.

Things You'll Need

18-inch square handkerchief
White thread
19 inches of 1/4-inch-wide white ribbon
3 inches of 1/2-inch-wide elastic
Fusible web tape
Iron
Sewing needle
Sewing machine

Instructions

- 1
  Wash and dry a handkerchief. This will soften the material and remove manufacturer's processing residue. Iron to remove wrinkles.
- 2
  Lay out the handkerchief, wrong side up. Fold one edge up 6 inches, toward the middle. Iron the fold to form a crease. This will be the front of your bonnet.
- 3
  Fold the opposite side of the handkerchief up to meet the edge of the first fold. Iron the fold. This larger fold will be the back of your bonnet.
- 4
  Apply fusible web tape to the backside of your ribbon. Place the ribbon, right side up, across the center of the handkerchief so it covers both folded edges. Allow 1/2 inch of ribbon to extend beyond the material on each side. Bond the fusible web tape to the bonnet by ironing along the ribbon. Use manufacturer's instructions for the brand of fusible web you are using. Fold the extra ribbon under each side of your bonnet, and hand-stitch it to secure it in place.
- 5
  Sew a straight line across the back edge of the bonnet. It should be 5/8 of an inch above the fold. It will serve as a panel for your elastic.
- 6
  Feed the elastic through your stitched panel. Attaching large safety pins to each end of the elastic makes feeding easier. Gather the material over the elastic, and stitch the ends of the elastic securely together. Cover the exposed elastic by stitching the fabric edges together.

Sewing