a. The barbette was a bandage-like strip or shaped piece of linen, narrow under the chin and wider at the crown where it was pinned together. The filiet was the ‘coronet’ of linen worn over it: this might be damped and finger-pinched to give the characteristic crimped look. They were often worn over a hair net, or over plaits rolled or looped, and pinned.
Make the barbette about 60-70 cm long and at least 4 cm wide after hemming. For a shaped barbette make the middle part narrower where it passes under the chin.
b. Filiet. Make this from two pieces. For the binding (the lower edge), cut a narrow band of linen 4-5 cm wide and long enough to fit snugly round the head, plus seam allowances. Sew the ends together to form a loop.
For the main (upper) part, cut a second band, this time on the bias, 10-12 cm wide and up to 5 cm longer than the first. Sew the ends together to form a loop, then fold it double. Run a gathering thread through the two raw edges and draw them up slightly, to fit the binding strip.
Turn in the raw edges on the binding strip and fold it round the gathered edge of the filiet. Hem down on both sides, or stitch through all layers, to secure. Turn the narrow binding to the inside, and use it to pin the filiet to the barbette.
Often called the ‘nebula’ head-dress, this used a weaving technique now no longer practised. A length of linen about 50 cm wide was woven with the selvedges longer than the main fabric to form frills. The veil so formed was folded into several layers, so a stack of frilled edges framed the face. It would be secured to a filiet.
a. Frills. When worn with a low-necked garment like the cotehardie they could reach to the shoulders.
b. Pattern for modern version. Gather a narrow strip of cotton tape, or a folded strip of fine lawn, into frills and stitch it to the edge of a plain piece of linen. The linen should be about 50 cm wide and 2 to 3 m long; the frilled materiał should be at least half as long again.
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4a
Filiet
b
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