Video Tutorial: Starching An Elizabethan Ruff

[CenturiesSewing]

I recently finished my first proper ruff and recorded the process of setting it, from starch to fluffy confection, using the ruff tutorial from the Elizabethan Costume group on facebook.

http://youtu.be/JdCsH4QUJBY

[mollymishap]

Hey, that's a great tutorial!  Thanks for sharing.  Just out of curiosity, how long did it take you in-all?  The one ruff that I have (open Medici-style) took me HOURS to get just-so.

[CenturiesSewing]

Thanks Molly, Mmm I didn't time myself but it took me a few hours, they was very fiddly detailed creatures. The next one I starch shouldn't take me as long since I won't be filming it and have learned a bunch from this one.

[Wickedvox]

Centuries you are a *treasure!* <3 I'm terrified of making ruffs--especially starching--and this gives me confidence, thank you! I would have tried to use the clamp on the curling iron and I bet that would leave an impression. Don't they make a tapered curling iron now without a clamp?? That would be closer to the ruff irons used...I'll have to keep my eye out. Beautiful job!
Also you have such pretty, demure hands

[CenturiesSewing]

Thanks wicked =D Lets see what I did was remove the clamp from the curling iron, as well as the plastic top. The top on mine just had a screw to take out and the with the clamp I just removed the stand/rest it pops off and took out the clamp screws.

There are tapered clamp free curling irons, I haven't used them but they run about 25-30 bucks.

http://www.amazon.com/Conair-Infiniti-CURL-Curling-CD117X/dp/B003F2T0M4/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1363045756&sr=8-6&keywords=tapered+curling+iron

[Wickedvox]

Cool, I think I remember seeing them in Target too. I think I'll experiment with the "poor nursing student 15 year old" curling iron I've got before committing lol. So much I want to do and try and studying is really harshing my good times  I just got the Tudor Tailor too and am *dying* to make everything in it!!! I saw the fitted english gown on my first flip through, and in my head I yelled, "Hey! Centuries made that!" Lol. You and so many others are such an inspiration.

[RowenD]

http://www.sallybeauty.com/tapered-curling-iron/SBS-510006,default,pd.html?cgid=Hair09

Helen of Troy tapered curling iron (gold plated)-39.95.
  I haven't seen anything like it in Target or WallyWorld.


http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=tapered+curling+iron

They have one for 15.99 but I'm leery of buying electronics off ebay. .

[gem]

Huzzah!! The only way that ruff could be more yummy is if it were made of sugar. Well done!

One question (and I might have missed it in the early part of the video)--what becomes of the basting thread? It looked like it was necessary to keep the figure-8 shape to the pleats even after starching/setting, but obviously you're intending to remove it, so how do the pleats stay nice and tight?

[CenturiesSewing]

The basting thread stays in until wearing, then I would pin the setts together or tack them, in PoF 4 there is a ruff that is set with little dabs of wax.