French Hood Help

[Lady Ann of Draycott]

First...Beautiful French Hood!

Second...I like the gold trim much better than the pearls.

[mellingera]

Thanks everyone!!! You guys are the best!
I really have no problem mailing a copy of the pattern to anyone who wants one. I'll work on an electronic version to share, but until then...

Next question!!!
How long is the veil supposed to be? I feel like mine is too long, but I'm not going to mess with it on this one, but for the next one I was wondering...

[Baroness Doune]

Drea suggests 22 inches long.
http://www.elizabethancostume.net/headwear/fhoodmake.html#veil
I took a quick measurement and that length would reach to about 2 inches above the natural waist which is about where the waistline of a Tudor gown would be on me.

In The Tudor Tailor, the directions for the French hood suggest starting with a rectangle of fabric that is 24 inches long.  The actual pattern for the veil looks more like a sleeve, though.   

I also took a quick measurement of veil on my Flemish hood and the length of that one is 20 inches.  It reaches to about level with the lowest point of the armcye of the bodice.

Effigies are a good source for judging veil length, since they show the backside of the person.  Unfortunately, since we can't see the actual effigies, we are limited to what is available online.  Here is one resource:
http://plainattyre.blogspot.com/
Another:
http://www.tudoreffigies.co.uk/

[mellingera]

Thanks Baroness! Just as I thought, the current veil is a little on the long side based on that information... Now I know for the next one. I think I spent so much time obsessing on how it laid against the head, I totally ignored some of the other important pieces... Oops!

BTW- The hood was a huge success today at VARF,    thanks to everyone for their trimming assistance and kind words!

[gem]

Pictures?  Of *you* in it?  Hmmmm?

[mellingera]

Pictures?  Of *you* in it?  Hmmmm?

Just as soon as they are sent to me. We only carried around 1 camera, and the taker of the photos has yet to distribute them... And believe me, I check my email every 10 minutes looking for them!

**Got a few just now... Here is a full size shot so you can see the ensemble in its entirety, and a closer up head shot. I don't have any from the side, from the front it doesn't appear to lay as flat as it really does, if I can get a side shot done I'll post it too...

[Valencia]

I love love love that french hood, it is amazing.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

The French Hood is beautiful. What a wonderful finish to a lovely ensemble.

[LadyStitch]

There was some site that had HA  patterns for French hoods, but I lost the link in the great hard drive crash. I made one from there but used plastic canvas instead of buckram. I began to understand why Milliners were so well paid back then.  It's ALOT of hand work in one of these things.

[Valencia]

I made one out of buckram and milliners wire; it was a pain to make. It looks ok, except it tends to lose it's shape a bit throughout the day. I'd like to try one out of maybe two layers of buckram, or heavier wire, or something else to make it sturdier, heavier, and less likely to contort. 

[broadwaygal24601]

I'm getting ready to make one of these, any tips on cheap material to use for it that you can find at like Joann's or Hobby Lobby or Michaels?  I see suggestions of buckram, but I don't know if those stores carry the heavy enough weight for a hood...tips??

[Miranda]

I've not seen buckram available at Joann's or Hobby Lobby.  They do have plastic canvas, which does work in a pinch.  If you can get proper buckram, it CAN be steamed, then stitched together into a double layered piece if it is too flimsy.

[LaurenLee]

I have good luck with plastic canvas.  I sew 18 gauge wire to both long sides - it bends and keeps its' shape very well after it's covered.  Since the fabric I cover my hoods with is usually pretty thick, no one knows the difference.

Oh,, and can I say that if you haunt the flea markets and garage sales, you can find the loveliest necklaces of pearls and gold beads, etc. that can be couched onto the hood, saving the trouble of sewing every single bead on individually.  And you can also find really great Christmas trims sometimes, and since you won't be running the thing through the washing machine, they hold up well if you tack them down firmly.

Lauren

[broadwaygal24601]

I'll try the plastic canvas.  The other question I had was: do you sew the 2 pieces of fabric together, then turn it inside out and pull it over the plastic canvas kinda like putting a pillow case on a pillow...or do you take each piece, lay it on the plastic canvas and sew it together?

[Kate XXXXXX]

I haven't tried plastic canvas, but I did my Timtex one like this: http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk/KatePages/Costuming/FrenchHood/making_a_french_hood.htm