1812 Cap
So I posted a while ago extolling the virtues of tiny sewing needles and the project I was working on was a cap for my 1812 outfit. I took this cap straight out of Fitting and Proper (page 35) with basically no changes. I was going to put it together the way I felt it should be but upon closer inspection the construction is very interesting...
The first thing I noticed was that all seams were first hemmed and then whipstitched together edge to edge.
Seams that had gathering were constructed this way as well with the gathers eased into place as the seam is sewn
The result is a very sturdy form of construction. The other interesting thing is that there are two drawstrings; one at the nape of the neck and one along the crown-brim seam. I chose to wear this without using the ties on the front corners and the two drawstrings helped to shape the cap in such a way that it stayed on my head securely and comfortably.
I must say that caps like this do not appeal to me aesthetically. The ruffles seem overdone and I hate the bow from the drawstring on the top of the crown. But it's accurate at least. Pretty much exactly the same as the original except that the linen is of a slightly heavier weight. The main thing I would change would be to curve the corners of the brim significantly. While I was wearing this at Fort Erie I found that these corvers got in the way and framed my face a bit to much.
I'm going to try the cap on page 37 of Fitting and Proper next. It seems like the shape would be more flattering. I wish I could get a finer linen though. These designs rely heavily on having an extremely lightweight fabric. This example was made with the handkerchief linen from fabrics-store.com, and they have a lighter weight but it's loosely woven like a muslin. ANyone have any suggestions?
The first thing I noticed was that all seams were first hemmed and then whipstitched together edge to edge.
Seams that had gathering were constructed this way as well with the gathers eased into place as the seam is sewn
The result is a very sturdy form of construction. The other interesting thing is that there are two drawstrings; one at the nape of the neck and one along the crown-brim seam. I chose to wear this without using the ties on the front corners and the two drawstrings helped to shape the cap in such a way that it stayed on my head securely and comfortably.
I must say that caps like this do not appeal to me aesthetically. The ruffles seem overdone and I hate the bow from the drawstring on the top of the crown. But it's accurate at least. Pretty much exactly the same as the original except that the linen is of a slightly heavier weight. The main thing I would change would be to curve the corners of the brim significantly. While I was wearing this at Fort Erie I found that these corvers got in the way and framed my face a bit to much.
I'm going to try the cap on page 37 of Fitting and Proper next. It seems like the shape would be more flattering. I wish I could get a finer linen though. These designs rely heavily on having an extremely lightweight fabric. This example was made with the handkerchief linen from fabrics-store.com, and they have a lighter weight but it's loosely woven like a muslin. ANyone have any suggestions?