Veils

[Baldrick]

Hi all,
I`ve recently managed to get one of "Kats Hats" torques for my daughter (second hand), it looks fantastic.
It`s for use in C14th.

Would anyone be able to suggest what material the veil should be made of please.
Someone has mentioned chiffon but I am unsure as to its authenticity.

Cheers in advance,
Craig.

[lidimy]

What about silk organza? it's stiffer than chiffon though.

Though that said, I would interested to know whether silk organza would be suitable veiling material for this period anyway too anyway

[frances]

I have been offered some nun's veils - very fine linen I believe. I asked how large they are and am waiting to hear back at the moment. What size veil are you looking for?

Veils should be semi-transparent (because they are in the pictures of high-class women) and washable (becasue they go over the hair and being white will look dirty after a weekend away).

[Jackie Phillips]

I have some fantastic silk paj from www.fabricland.co.uk, that I intend to use as veiling. It is very fine and almost transparent, but soft. Hemming it will be interesting, but we like a challenge.

[Baldrick]

Thanks for your replies so far

I hope Kat doesn`t mind me using a photo from her site but I suppose the overall look would be something like this;

http://www.kats-hats.co.uk/images/torque/torque9.jpg

Cheers,

[Drachelis]

I have some fantastic silk paj from http://www.fabricland.co.uk, that I intend to use as veiling. It is very fine and almost transparent, but soft. Hemming it will be interesting, but we like a challenge.

It will have to be a rolled hem with fabric that fine- oh the joys of roll hemming chiffon - have fun Jackie

Cherry
Shadowlight Designs

[Baldrick]

Thanks for your input guys.
Jackie I may yet get in touch if I don`t have any luck finding something suitable.

[frances]

Rolled hems?

I once went on a guide tour of the silk works somewhere near Dartford on the south bank of the Thames, no longer there now. They had a lady demonstrating how she did the rolled hems on their scarves in the shop. I can remember her using a cushion and putting a pin in the fabric about 6 inches away from her sewing, to help. But then also I can remember her saying that she sometimes left spit marks on the fabric, and claiming that it was not her when the shop queried them!

[Miss Costello]

I'm afraid I always use my finger and thumb and a bit of lickety spit....seems to work.

[Shadow7cat]

Rolled hems?
. They had a lady demonstrating how she did the rolled hems on their scarves in the shop. I can remember her using a cushion and putting a pin in the fabric about 6 inches away from her sewing, to help.

I use a sewing bird for fine hems. The tension helps. The fabric is gripped in the beak. http://www.patented-antiques.com/Backpa ... -birds.htm

S.

[frances]

I've now got a couple of examples of the nun's veils - very fine fabric, (probably linen, so crumples easily) semi-transparent with some sewn pleats at the forehead edge. The fabric is not floaty in the way that silk chiffon moves but it is soft. The threads are a little uneven, but not anywhere near as much as we would call 'slubby' - maybe because they used a cheaper fabric.

Interestingly they have used running-stitch to turn up the hems. I wonder why, and not a normal hemming stitch. Does anyone know?

[Shadow7cat]

Running stitch was often used for hems. You see it on 18th century dresses all the time. I don't know when hem stitch became popular, but I use running stitch for fine linen goods - much quicker and easier than hemming, especially with a sewing bird - see above.

[frances]

Thanks Shadowcat,

I have never noticed, because I have never looked at the stitch used for hems. There is always something more to learn, thank goodness.