Elizabethan Round fitted cap for women

[Rowan MacD]

  I have admired these from afar for a few years,  now I want to make one!
I've only seen two of them, but no one seems to have a pattern for one.

There's a picture of what I want on the cover of the partlet pattern from Lynn McMasters...

http://www.sewingcentral.com/cgi-bin/Web_store/web_store.cgi?page=lmm22.html

It appears to be much more fitted than a bag cap and my patterns for coifs all either look like arming caps or are gathered in to a headband...Any ideas?
  To me they look like a large skull cap.

[CenturiesSewing]

http://lynnmcmasters.com/escoffioncover.html

[Rowan MacD]

  The description seems to say this is made with woven ribbons?

   The ones I have seen in person are solid fabric, either satin or silk, and beaded.   They  remind me of Yarmulkes.
      I was wondering how to get that nice bowl shape....


edit:  I found the previous thread...Lots of good info there.  I knew someone had asked this question before, but I didn't have the 'escoffion' to search by...
http://www.renaissancefestival.com/forums/index.php/topic,14588.msg304730.html#msg304730

[Rowan MacD]

  After reviewing the McMasters escoffion.....I don't think it's what I want.   What I have seen is much  more substantial than woven ribbon.
   Yarmulkes are very inexpensive, I may just get one or three and experiment with fabric covers.   The site I found only wants $25 a dozen.   Heck, if they are the right size, and the solid fabric method is a mess, it would make placing ribbon ridiculously easy- not to mention beading.

[mollymishap]

I think a traditional Yamulke will be too small for the look you're after, but if you alter the measurements & go by this tutorial, you might come up with something that will serve:

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=300438.0

If you decorate & bead it well, it would hide those seams.

[GryffinSong]

  The description seems to say this is made with woven ribbons?

I think, from looking at the picture and re-reading the description several times, that this thing is made by weaving 2"-wide ribbons that have thin wire in the sides. The ribbon comes in many, many types, but many are quite fabric-like, and are available at craft stores. With the wires on the edges of the wide ribbon, it would be a simple matter to shape the cap exactly as one wishes. I think I have some of this "ribbon" laying around somewhere in a soft red. I might just try it.

[Rowan MacD]

  I bought a roll of gold satin 1.5" wired ribbon from Walmart.  It cost me for 2.49 for the roll, and I used about 1/2 of it.
 
   I used a piece of cardboard to pin the ribbons on to make the weaving process easier, then took matching thread and sewed the 'intersections' together tightly (no daylight).  The result was a woven square appox. 14x14".  A nice, solid piece of fabric with wires throughout, a rich sheen and lovely pattern.

   I placed this piece in a 12" embroidery hoop and locked it down, then sewed 3MM pearls at each intersection over where I had sewn them together.
   I  trimmed the project to the edges of the hoop, and removed it.
   I used a circle of gold Duponi silk from my scrap bag to line it; sewing the edges by machine, then turning the piece right side out. 
    Viola!  All it needs is a border of pearls and a couple of combs to hold it on (I need to figure out the placement for those), and it shapes nicely anyway I want it.   ^_^. 

   I didn't measure it, but the finished project  looks to be about 10" across. 

   The whole project took about 2.5 hours from start to finish, not including the pearls I still need to sew on the edges, which will also serve to camouflage the hand sewn section where I turned the piece right side out.   
    This was supposed to be a practice bit, but this is pretty enough to wear as it is.

  I think this turned out quite well! 
Edit: to add picture


   

[GryffinSong]

Perfect!!! 

[Rowan MacD]

The finished product ...Photographed on the soon-to-be Clan Cochrane parade banner.  It took a little tweaking to get the dome right, then I trimmed with gimp from the stash.  Now I want to make another!

[GryffinSong]

It truly does look fabulous!

[DonaCatalina]

looks gorgeous

[Rowan MacD]

 Thank you both!
  I'm going to try this in a smaller size. This one is  about 8" across from brim to brim, and I don't have that much hair to cover so I figure 6" should be OK for the next one. 
  I'm not sure how big these are supposed to be.  I plan to have a comb in the top edge, then perhaps one on each side to secure it.   I expect it should be worn like an over sized snood or bun cover and be just big enough to cover the back of the head without hanging down on the neck.

[bookwench]

I love it!  It turned out just beautifully. 

[Rowan MacD]

 Thanks!  I just made another in 8".  Fits perfectly.  It's about 3" smaller than the one in the picture...I used amber crystals and pearls on it.
    Edit: I should have said-The flat piece is 8", the finished dome is approximately 6" or a little less from brim to brim.  Fits the back of my head nicely without overhang onto my neck. 
   I lined it with Duponi again, now to place combs.

I still have about 1/4-1/3 of the ($2.49) roll of ribbon left...
  So far both projects have cost me about $3.00.  Duponi and gimp came out of the rag bag.   
  Jewels out of stash donated by my daughter who lost interest in jewelry making and donated years worth of semi precious stones and beads to me.

[Pinn]

I'll take one....