tmta!5

20 cm

16. Butterfly head-dress, later 15th century

a.    Cap for ‘butterfly’ head-dress, an English fashion. The name reflects the wired veil arrangement usually worn with it (Gowns, Fig 22). The hair must be drawn tightly back and pinned at the back of the head, to keep the cap as horizontal as possible.

b.    This pattern is madę up into a cone section:

the lower edge fits round the back of the head and the upper edge is topped with a round crown. The length of the upper edge is equivalent to the circumference of the crown (Blocks, p. 39).

Scalę up the pattern and try it out in stiff paper before cutting it in buckram. Cover it with silk and make up the cap (Methods, Fig 13). Bind the open edge with velvet ribbon for a better grip (Methods, Fig 9). Secure it with hair grips.

c.    Wire frame. The wire extends forward about 10 cm at the forehead, as well as 15-20 cm behind the cap. To make a frame use 2 mm electrical copper wire, florisfs wire or jeweller's brass. Bend it to shape and stitch it to the cap at several points with couching stitches. Put a smali kink in the wire at the front stitching point to prevent the frame slipping.

d.    Wired veil. The veil is 60 cm by 100 cm. Pin or stitch the middle of one long edge of the veil to the front tip of the wire and draw it back sharply, with most of the width hanging between the wires at the back. This head-dress is worn almost horizontally.

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