Saint Birgitta’s cap

St. Birgitta’s cap

This post is incredibly long in the making – I started working on a St. Birgitta’s cap several years ago, when one of the people in the SCA (Coryn of the Wode) taught a class on how to make the cap.

Unfortunately, the cap wasn’t finished in class… so I took it in parts home, and then promptly forgot all about it. Then, for the February edition of the Historical Sew Monthly, the topic is “linen”, and while there are more elaborate linen items on my to-do list, this seemed like an accomplishable project given how few projects I was able to accomplish in 2018.

Green truncated hennin

Wearing the green block-printed truncated hennin with mundane clothing

After I made the truncated hennin for Kadie in 2016, I really liked the way it fit (on my foam head.. not my head -her head is smaller than mine!) so wanted to make one for myself.

Horned Hennin (version 2)

Horned Hennin hat version 2 in dark red cotton velvet with faux pearl and metal embellishment

A while ago I made my first horned (or heart-shaped) hennin. Recently, a friend commented about wanting to make one of her own, but as we were discussing styles, I realized that she wanted a different style than what I had in mind.

I was tickled with the idea of trying a different method (and being able to help her do the same) so decided to look a little more at this style, to try to make a new horned hennin of my own.

My friend wanted to make a “Christine de Pizan double horned hat”, which led me to images like this:

Christine de Pizan book illumination

and this:

Millinery pattern drafting class

Different parts of the hat are flared to different amounts

At the SCA event Yule in the barony of Borealis (mundanely Edmonton) I’ve offered to teach a class on pattern drafting for millinery (hats).

The event takes place December 9-10, 2017. The Facebook event for more information is here.

German split-brim hat – Historical Sew Monthly February 2017

My German Renaissance Split-Brim hat with grey ostrich feathers worn with my black velveteen Gollar and my Cranach gown costume.

In mid-January the SCA barony I live in celebrated the step-up of a new Baron and Baroness, who have German personas. To recognize their elevation in a symbolic kind of way, several of us planned to add German elements to our existing costumes. As I wasn’t entirely sure if I could pull together a new German gown in time for the coronet, I decided to start with accessories. First the Gollar I already posted about, and next a new hat.