A new hood
I have been working on a small 14th century hood with a buttoned opening. It's made from my handwoven red and brown twill, and based on the Herjolfsnes finds. The seams were sewn from the right side with linen thread in small, invisible stitches. The seam allowances, not more than 7 mm, were overcast with the brown wool that was used for the warp. These stitches were made not more that 3 mm from each other and produced a smooth and strong seam finish. The buttonholes were made with the red wool from the weft.
The top edge of the hood rises in a peak at the face opening, just like many of the Herjolfsnes hoods. This enables the edge to be turned back without ugly ripples forming in the hood sides and, probably more importantly, keeps the hood opening from being stretched and stressed. The pattern was cut so that the face opening is a selvage edge. This has also been found in some of the Herjolfsnes hoods. No further seam finishing or hemming was required.
The hood required almost every small scrap from my fisinshed twill piece (1.5 m x 0.45 m). There are 14 buttons on the front opening and two spares that I have tucked away in my sewing kit, just in case. I finished the bottom edge of the hood with singling stitches. These are small running stitches that are only visible from the back side of the fabric and run in a serpenting pattern from the bottom edge, up about 1.5 - 2 cm, over a few weft threads, and back down again, all the way around the edge. You can just make out the top turning of the singling in this photo:
The singling stitches reinforce this edge and will help to keep it strong, and from stretching out. My original plan was to add a woven edging at this singling edge, and I used tablets, threaded in all four holes for the edge tablets and two holes for four middle tablets, but did not like the result: too bulky. So, snip, snip. I removed the whole edge. In these picture you can see the bulky edging, from the right side of the hood, and the back side. In the brown back side photo, you can see how the edging grabs on tho the singling stitches. But, in the end it was too stiff, and not pleasant.
This is one of the best parts of making things by hand. Learning what works, and what does not. Trying new things, and not being afraid to rip out 10 hours of work. The experience of producing this hood is every bit as important as the final object.
I am more please with a turned hem, stab stitches and overcast edge. It is neat and lies smoothly on my shoulders and across the top of my back:
Because the hood used almost all of my fabric, the liripipe required some piecing. I love this part of the hood! Use all the scraps, make it work, no waste! Can you see the piecing?
Here are some details showing the gore insertion, buttons and button holes. I love my new hood!
The top edge of the hood rises in a peak at the face opening, just like many of the Herjolfsnes hoods. This enables the edge to be turned back without ugly ripples forming in the hood sides and, probably more importantly, keeps the hood opening from being stretched and stressed. The pattern was cut so that the face opening is a selvage edge. This has also been found in some of the Herjolfsnes hoods. No further seam finishing or hemming was required.
The hood required almost every small scrap from my fisinshed twill piece (1.5 m x 0.45 m). There are 14 buttons on the front opening and two spares that I have tucked away in my sewing kit, just in case. I finished the bottom edge of the hood with singling stitches. These are small running stitches that are only visible from the back side of the fabric and run in a serpenting pattern from the bottom edge, up about 1.5 - 2 cm, over a few weft threads, and back down again, all the way around the edge. You can just make out the top turning of the singling in this photo:
The singling stitches reinforce this edge and will help to keep it strong, and from stretching out. My original plan was to add a woven edging at this singling edge, and I used tablets, threaded in all four holes for the edge tablets and two holes for four middle tablets, but did not like the result: too bulky. So, snip, snip. I removed the whole edge. In these picture you can see the bulky edging, from the right side of the hood, and the back side. In the brown back side photo, you can see how the edging grabs on tho the singling stitches. But, in the end it was too stiff, and not pleasant.
This is one of the best parts of making things by hand. Learning what works, and what does not. Trying new things, and not being afraid to rip out 10 hours of work. The experience of producing this hood is every bit as important as the final object.
I am more please with a turned hem, stab stitches and overcast edge. It is neat and lies smoothly on my shoulders and across the top of my back:
Because the hood used almost all of my fabric, the liripipe required some piecing. I love this part of the hood! Use all the scraps, make it work, no waste! Can you see the piecing?
Here are some details showing the gore insertion, buttons and button holes. I love my new hood!