Blue Caul

I managed to finish another caul last week. This one is very simple and is made of a remnant of fabric that I found in a bargain bin.

A caul is usually just an oval or circle of fabric gathered into a band. I tried to put less gathers over the top of the head and keep them around the side and back to make the top sit flatter on the head.

The gathers pinned into place evenly on the headband.

I baste the seams of the headband before whipping the gathers into place. This is to make sure that the headband stays evenly folded as I work.

This caul is a bit looser than the ones that I normally wear so I added wig clips for security as well as the usual comb in the centre top.

The pattern is slightly off-centre because I didn't have enough fabric on the remnant

New hair billament

This hair billiment project has been on the backburner for months and months because other things keep coming up. I got it finished this week. Not a tricky project, just fiddly, Basically, it is just a whole heap of jewels and jewellery findings sewn onto a band, then lined with grosgrain ribbon to help it stop slipping on the hair. A few wig clips also help. Previously I have angled the base band by putting a little pleat or dart in the centre, but I am trying a simpler technique this time.

Getting a few more accessories done means that I can extend my wardrobe a little without having to make big items like gowns.

I love this band, but the jewels are a little too faceted to be accurate. I really should coat the centre faceted jewel with a few coats of enamel to make it look less faceted. I just haven't found the right colour enamel yet. (And I love the sparkliness!)

This link should take you to a previous post about this type of hair ornament and some Renaissance portraits showing similar styles- http://broidermebethan.blogspot.com.au/2014_06_01_archive.html

Gold caul or Scuffia

Back in June, a friend gave me some gifts wrapped in a fabric remnant. The fabric was really pretty, and I managed to cut a circle caul out of it. There was just enough for the band (I have a big head) and the circular bag part that holds the hair.

I edge the circle shaped bag piece with zig zag stitch to control fraying. I prefer to make the headband part in one strip if I can. This strip is then folded in half and the edges tucked under to give a clean finish.

I put a running stitch evenly around the outside edge of the circle part so that it can be gathered up to fit inside the band. This time I did not gather the part that sits across the top of my head. I was hoping that it would sit flatter, as some of my other cauls have had some strange bagging in that area.

Pull the running stitches up gently to gather the circular piece until it fits inside the headband. Try and make sure that the gathers are sitting evenly and neatly. I like to baste the edges of my headband and also run a line of basting stitches along the middle fold of the headband because it can get a bit hard with all the pins holding everything together at this stage.

The caul all pinned and basted for hand sewing. I hand sew because it is easier to ensure that the pleats are in the correct position. I usually do the outside of the band first and then turn the caul inside out and stitch down the inside of the band too, just to make sure.

Once the band was secured, I carefully removed the basting. I sewed a line of large gold seed beads along the flat top edge of the caul.

I added a comb in the centre of the caul headband, and a wig clip on either side to keep it in place on my hair. I usually put a weight of some sort in the finished caul bag and let it sit for a week or two to set the pleats in place before I wear it.

Many thanks to Nicki for the lovely fabric.

White Caul or Cuffia

I made this small white caul (cuffia) as  a gift for a dear friend. It is a simple circle of fabric gathered into a rectangle of fabric which had been sewed into a circular strip and folded over. I starched the 'circle' part of the caul to give it body. I added small white glass seed beads along the band and also added some wig clips and button hole loops for bobby pins.

This hat was inspired by this image:

Portrait of a Lady by Domenico Ghirlandaio

Image Source: http://www.wikiart.org/en/domenico-ghirlandaio/portrait-of-a-lady

There are many Renaissance Italian portraits that show similar styles of headwear-

Portrait of a Young Woman by Domenico Ghirlandaio

Image Source: http://www.wikiart.org/en/domenico-ghirlandaio/portrait-of-a-young-woman?utm_source=returned&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=referral

Some of these cauls have bands and some do not. From personal experience, I find the cauls with bands easier to pin onto my hair.

Portrait of a Young Woman by Lorenzo Costa

Image Source: http://realmofvenus.renaissanceitaly.net/wardrobe/ferrara/LorenzoCostaBostonMOFIneArts.jpg

I am tempted to have a go at making something like this caul- I like the beadwork.

Portrait of a Young Woman by Albrecht Durer

Image Source: http://realmofvenus.renaissanceitaly.net/wardrobe/DurerYoungVenWoman.jpg

Portrait of a Lady by Bernardino Licinio

Image Source: http://realmofvenus.renaissanceitaly.net/wardrobe/LICINIO1510s.JPG

Portrait of a Lady by Sandro Botticelli
Image Source: http://www.vam.ac.uk/__data/assets/image/0019/223714/2006bc8281_botticelli_lady_tempera_custom_290x478_05610925.jpg




Portrait of a Young Woman by Domenico Ghirlandaio
Image Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/103864335127722168/



Portrait of a Young Woman by Domenico Ghirlandaio (aka Domenico Tommaso
Bigordi)
Image Source: http://www.copia-di-arte.com/a/ghirlandaio-domenico/bildnisjungefrau.html




Portrait of a Lady of the Sassetti Family by Domenico Ghirlandaio
Image Source: https://www.scholarsresource.com/images/thumbnails/192/m/met3849.jpg

Purple Velvet Caul

Cauls and similar headwear are seen a lot in sixteenth century portraiture, and appear in images from across Europe.

The black velveteen caul that I regularly wear to events is starting to get a bit worn and daggy and I decided it was time to make a new one. The only problem was that I made my old one so long ago that I couldn't remember what size circle I used for the 'bag', and I hadn't kept a pattern!

I have had this old wonky wire ring for years and use it to trace rough circle shapes, so I figured that I had probably originally used this as a pattern. I traced the circle and then added 1.5 cm seam allowance all around just to be safe.

I had some Christmas-type gilt decorative ribbon for decoration. I thought this pattern would work well. The next step was to pin it all into place and hand sew down. I sewed down each edge for durability.

The caul after sewing down the gilt strips(above). It is a bit wonky as I was on holiday and had no ruler, no sewing machine and very little equipment. I had to 'guesstimate' things and found that the gilt strips slipped around a lot. The joins of the gilt thread have a baroque freshwater pearl sewn on them.

I hand-stitched the lining to the velveteen. Then I added two rows of fairly large gathering stitches around the edges. I had the long edges hanging out at the side centre. At this stage, I still didn't know if I had made the bag the correct size, and whether it would fit.

I measured my head and worked out how wide I wanted the band of the caul to be; I didn't want it to be too tight. I added 1.5 cm seam allowance and machine zigzagged the edges because the velveteen frays a lot. I hand sewed the ends together and then tacked the edges down so that they wouldn't move and slip and distort the shape of the band.

The band all tacked up and ready to sew. There is a faint fold mark in the middle of the band which shows where the front edge of the band will be when it is made up.

This image gives an idea of how much the fabric gathers in when the two sets of side threads are pulled. (The gathering threads are dark purple.)

Once the gathering stitches have been pulled in, I adjusted the gathers so that they were fairly evenly distributed around the hat. The yellow chalk line is the top of the hat.

Putting the tacked band into place over the edge of the 'bag' part of the caul. I tucked the edges of the bag into the fold on the band, trying to make sure that the edge of the 'bag' (the gathered part) was touching the fold in the band. It did move around quite a bit, so there are a few places where it has slipped back.

Pinning the outside of the tacked band on. I sewed the outside down first to minimise moving and slipping.

The next step was to sew down the inside of the band, but I thought the band edge looked a little plain.

I found some gilt thread in my stash and couched one line of it down around the edge of the band. I couched it down with a doubled piece of yellow sewing thread (probably cotton or poly-cotton).

Next, I turned the hat inside out, and pinned the inside of  the band down. Then I hand sewed the inside piece down.

The band is slightly thick. I don't mind it like that, but I may reconsider my technique for the next one. I am thinking that I may omit the lining, reduce the seam allowance, or choose a less bulky fabric for the caul and/or band.

The finished caul on a stand.

I usually sew in a metal comb to help hold the caul in place, but this time I have tried wig clips. We'll see how they go! I need a comb or a clip because I usually wear my cauls behind a jewelled billiment and twisted hairstyle (below). It doesn't sit way back on my head, but I like the security of knowing that the clips or comb will stop it coming off.

I am pleased with how this project has turned out. I feel a little gaudy in such a bright hat, but I think it is pretty, and I am very relieved that it actually fits. This time, I kept notes so that I don't have to guess the next time I go to make a new caul.

Man's Blue Linen Coif

I finished this man's coif last week. It is the first time that I have made a coif of this type. I used the machine to sew up the back seam, then hand sewed the seam flat. Then I bagged the coif out, turned it right side out, and then whip stitched over all the edges. Then I hand sewed an ornamental bias strip around the edges, turning the edge of the top strip into ties.

It looks like it has a weird shape in the pictures, but that is because it is sitting on a vase. I am pleased with how it turned out, and I hope that the recipient likes it.