Description : Although the term "buckram" is also used to describe a fabric used in bookbinding, here we are concerned with millinary buckram, used in hat making. Millinary buckram is composed of cotton fibre (sometimes linen) made into a loose plain weave but stiffened with starch. This means that when soaked in water it becomes pliable again, allowing one to mold it to a shape of interest, and then when it dries out it fixes this shape into a quite stiff form.
Fabrication :
Subtypes : Buckram comes in three weights - baby buckram, single ply and double buckram. It also comes in different colors, other predominantly white or black.
Dyes, color treatment and washing characteristics :
Draping properties : Buckram doesn't drape except when wet - it is a stiff fabric when dry. Even when wet, it is relatively stiff.
Cutting properties : Cut buckram with a different pair of scissors than those you use to cut fabric, as this stiff fabric filled with sizing (a form of glue) will wear the scissors more heavily than fabrics usually do.
Sewing challenges : By preference, use a waxed milliner's thread, although in a pinch embroidery thread will do. Buckram is usually sewn by hand.
Example creations : Fascinator,
Uses worldwide :
Origins and history : The origins of the term "buckram" are unclear. During the Middle Ages, a type of cotton cloth was called "bokeram" but this was not stiff.
Wikipedia reference

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