"Cap for a Young Member of the Society of Friends” The Workwoman’s Guide, Plate 15, Fig 14 & 16 (Tutorial with Videos)

In November 2023, I taught a daycap workshop at the 1820 Col. Benjamin Stephenson House. I chose three caps to focus on that are not the typical 'reenactor' caps most ladies wear. All three were originally published in "The Workwomans Guide" in1838. This is the third tutorial from the workshop. Here are the other two, "Cap for a Young Lady" and "Another Cap".

This cap is called "Cap for a Young Member of the Society of Friends". It is definitely not limited to young women as this style is often seen in paintings being worn by a wide range of ages. Its shape is very typical of the first half of the 19th century.

The size of this cap easily covers the entire head. Having a bad hair day is not a problem, this cap has you covered...literally. It's adjustable to a certain extent and can easily be dressed up or dressed down, depending on your interpretation.   I highly recommend doing a mockup of this cap before cutting into your good fabric since the original size is rather large and comes down the neck quite far. 

As for fabric, use either a light-weight linen or cotton. The cap in the photo (above right) is made of linen and when starched (it is not starched in the photo), holds its shape very well. Organdy or cotton batiste would be excellent choices too.

Of the three caps I presented, this one is the most time-consuming. It is not hard to put together but it is a little more fussy than the other two. The extra time is worth it though. The original pattern is measured out in 'nails' not inches. The book offers detailed information on how to measure using nails on page 14. To make drafting these patterns easier, I made a ruler with the nails already marked out. For reference, a Nail is 2 1/4".

Below are the original instructions and images provided in the book. 

Original illustration and instructions from "The Workwoman's Guide".

1. Cut out the caul (front) and crown (circle). Mark points B, D, and C, and the halfway point between D and E (blue line on curve) on both sides with a fabric marker for future reference. The halfway mark between D and E indicates two quarter sections on the back of the caul (D and E are the other two). This mark was not on the original pattern but is useful once you get to steps 7 and 8.

Mark the crown at the quarter points with a fabric maker.

Crown pattern piece showing the quarter marks.

2. Sew a narrow flat-felled seam between points E and F. Start by offsetting the cut edges 1/8” – ¼”.

Use a small running or spaced back-stitch to sew the two pieces together.

Press the seams so the wider edge covers the narrower one. In the photo below, both cut edges are pressed to the left. If you look closely, the narrow edge (underneath) is visible through the fabric.

Fold the wider edge under the narrow one to enclose the cut edges. Pin in place and whipstitch down.

3. On the curved edge between D & E, mark a 3/16” seam allowance from the cut edge around the caul's top opening. 

The light purple dots mark 3/16" from the cut edge.

Press the fabric over at the 3/16" mark (pictured above) then press it over again (next photo), enclosing the cut edge inside the seam. Do Not Sew The Seam Down Yet!

The seam turned and pressed but not sewn down yet.

4. Make a small eyelet at point D before whipstitching the caul seam in place. This should be on the outside of the cap. The finished seam will create a drawstring channel.

Point D is marked with a purple dot.

Using a bodkin, create a hole at D on the outside of the cap.

Finished eyelet on the outside of the cap. Now the seam around the caul can be whipstitched into place.

5. Repeat the above process around the front and neck edges of the caul creating a small eyelet on the outside of the caul at point B before whipstitching the seam in place.

Whipstitching the front and neck edges of the caul.

Whipstitching around the front and neck edges of caul

6. Sew a small rolled hem around the crown piece. Here is a short video of how I do a rolled hem.

7. You should have marked the quarter points on the caul in Step 1. If not, then mark them now. There will be one mark at point D, one at E, and one halfway between these two points on each of the curved sides.

Quarter points being marked on the caul.

The quarter mark located halfway between D and E on one side of the cual. 

8. Using a thicker thread, sew a whip-gather over the rolled hem between each quarter mark on the crown. Do not cut the thread short after sewing each quarter; leave the ends long. This is how you will gather the crown to fit the caul. It's easier to gather each quarter section of the crown separately before attaching it to the caul. That way if your thread breaks while you're pulling the gathers, you only have to redo a small section.  

Sewing a whip-gather stitch over the crown's rolled hem.

For additional detailed descriptions of how to do whip-gathers, refer to “The Lady’s Guide to Plain Sewing” by a Lady (Kannik’s Korner). 

Attach the crown to the caul by matching the quarter points then evenly distributing the crown gathers between the marks. Attach the gathers using the same technique for attaching ruffles in my previous cap posts;  “Another Cap” and "Cap for a Young Lady" Below is a quick video of how I attached the ruffle

The crown gathers pinned to the caul and evenly distributed between quarter points.

9. Run a narrow drawstring through the casing created in Step 3 and tie the strings together. (Not pictured) This allows the crown's fit to be adjusted. 

10. Cut a piece of fabric (either the same used for the cap body or something lighter weight) to make a ruffle. I recommend using a lightweight fabric for the ruffle as it makes it easier to gather and attach. The length should be double the front and neck edge measurements and at least 1.5” wide. If you are unable to cut it as one long piece, you may need to sew shorter pieces together. Join the two short ends of the ruffle piece together using a flat-felled seam. Sew a rolled hem along both long edges of the ruffle. This will finish all the cut edges and keep the ruffle from fraying. 

Sew a whip-gather over the rolled hem using a thicker thread along one long edge of the ruffle. As in step 8, it's easier to do this process in quarter sections. Carefully, but firmly, pull the thread to create gathers. Evenly distribute the gathers along the outside edges (front and neck) of the cap.

*I've covered ruffles in my previous cap tutorials so I won't go into a lot of detail here. Read “Another Cap” and "Cap for a Young Lady" for additional details.

11. Attach the ruffle to the front and neck edges using the same technique shown in the video from step 8.

Detail of attaching the ruffle to the front of the cap.

How to open your finished ruffle once it's completely attached.

 

12. Using an embroidery needle, run a narrow drawstring through the eyelet at point B down the cap's front channel to point C. Bring the needle through the wrong side of the fabric at point C. Make a couple small back-stitches at C to secure the cord in place. 

Repeat for the other side. 

This front drawstring can be tied to fit your face and untied for laundering and ironing the cap.

13. Attach chin ties. Cut two ¾” x 14” strips (of the same fabric used for the cap or something lighter weight) to create chin straps. Roll hem both of the long edges and one short edge on each tie. Gather the unfinished short edge and sew it to the inside corner of each front side.

*Also detailed in my previous cap tutorials; “Another Cap” and "Cap for a Young Lady" 

Happy Sewing!!

Cap for a Young Lady “The Workwoman’s Guide”, Plate 15, Fig. 1 & 2 (Tutorial)

 

Cap for a Young Lady

     This daycap is one of my absolute favorites. It has a unique shape and frames the face beautifully. And, it is one of the easiest caps I've ever sewn. The original instructions were published in "The Workwoman's Guide", c. 1838. If you've been following my blog for long, you'll know this is my go-to book for historical sewing patterns. It's full of just about anything you can think of, and then some. This cap was one of three that I taught during a workshop at the 1820 Col. Benjamin Stephenson House in November 2023. 

     To read a tutorial on one of the other caps presented during the workshop, check out my previous post “Another Cap” The Workwoman’s Guide, Plate 9, Fig 27 & 28 (Tutorial). In that post, I cover the period measurement of "nails" used to draft patterns from the book which I will not reiterate here.

The finished cap (minus the chin straps) modeled by my daughter.

"The Workwoman's Guide" refers to this cap as one appropriate for a young lady but I'm not sure why it wouldn't have been worn by older women as well. I will say the original pattern runs very small so if you have a larger head and a lot of hair (like me), you'll need to make a mockup first then enlarge it to fit.  The final cap's shape is slightly different than the one shown in the illustration; the back seam and gathers are actually placed higher up on the finished cap's center back than what is depicted in the original drawing.

The original instructions from the book.

The pattern is cut as one piece of fabric with a fold at the top of the daycap between points A & B (see pattern piece below). I disregarded the last three sentences of the instructions since they were not necessary for fit. The cap runs small anyway so the addition of a "coloured ribbon" between E and F to draw it up seemed redundant.  However, the addition of a "broad runner" and "bow" would be nice details to dress up this simple cap and could be tacked on for easy removal when laundering or wanting a change.

Drafted pattern.

Before beginning, make a mockup out of cheap fabric. This will ensure a proper fit and help work out any issues before cutting your good fabric. I recommend using white or off-white, lighter-weight linen, cotton organdy, or cotton batiste. The ruffle can be made out of the same fabric as the body or from a lighter-weight fabric in the same color. If you don't want to take the time to sew a ruffle by hand (probably the most time-consuming part of this pattern) then a premade lace could also be used.

Step 1. Sew a narrow flat-felled seam from point F to H at the lower center back of the crown. 

Offset the cut edges about 1/8”-1/4”. Use a small running or spaced backstitch to sew the two pieces together. 

Open the seam up and press the longer edge over the short one. 

Fold the long edge under the short one to enclose the cut edges. Pin in place and hemstitch down.

2. Run a gathering stitch from points B & C on the back of the crown. Gather to fit the small section between points H & C and backstitch in place with a ¼” seam allowance. Finish the seam edge by overcasting the cut edges.

The finished seams of the gathered crown and center back.

3. Mark the hem along the front and bottom 3/16” from the cut edge. Press the fabric over at the mark then press it over again, enclosing the cut edge inside the seam. Whipstitch the seam in place.

The dotted line is the 3/16" mark.

Pressing the 3/16" seam over on the first turn. It should be turned again to enclose the cut edge before whipstitching it down.

At this point, the body of the cap should be complete. Now on to the ruffle. If you're using a premade lace ruffle, attach it along the front and lower edges, otherwise proceed to Step 4.

4. Cut a piece of fabric (either the same used for the body of the cap or something lighter weight) to make a ruffle. It should be double the front and neck edges measurement and at least 1.5” wide. 

Join the two short edges with a narrow flat felled seam.

   

5. Sew a narrow rolled hem along both long edges of the ruffle.

Creating a rolled hem along one long side. Repeat on other long side.

Creating a rolled hem along one long side.

6. Using a thicker thread, sew a whip-gather over the rolled hem (created in Step 5) only along one long edge of the ruffle. Carefully, but firmly, pull the thread to create gathers. Evenly distribute the gathers along the outside edges (front and neck) of the cap.

The whip-gather before it has been pulled to create the gathers.

7. Attach the gathered ruffle to the cap.  Put your needle through the loop of the gather (aka 'hill') from back to front (as seen below) then pick up the top threads along the edge of the cap (only catch the very edge).  Your thread should naturally lay in the 'valley' between the 'hills' on the ruffle. Pull the thread snugly but not tight. 

*For a detailed description of how to do a rolled hem and a whip-gather, refer to “The Lady’s Guide to Plain Sewing” by a Lady (Kannik’s Korner). If you don't already own this book, I highly recommend it.

Attaching the ruffle to the cap.

 8. Once the ruffle is sewn to the cap, turn the ruffle out so the hems are butted together.

9. Attach chin ties. Cut two ¾” x 14” strips (of the same fabric used for the cap or something lighter-weight) to create chin straps. Roll hem both long edges and one short edge. Gather the unfinished edge and sew to the corner of each side.

Chin strap attached to one side.

Your cap should now be complete. 

I love seeing others' creations. If you made this cap, please share photos in the comments below. 

A Small Federal (or Regency) Bum Roll: A Quick Tutorial

   
Recently, I completed a lovely white bib-front gown for an event at Stephenson House. The event ended up being canceled due to COVID-19 but I did get to wear it for a video filmed at the site. The dress is a very lightweight cotton fabric that is wonderful to wear. But, it needed a little something to support the pleats at the back as well as help hold the ties of the bib-front in place. A small bum roll would be in order.

The size of ladies' bum rolls drastically reduced by the early 1800s compared to previous decades where false rumps were quite large. Small bum rolls are often seen sewn-in, hooked, or held with ties at the back waist of extant gowns and come in a range of sizes. There wasn't a standard pattern used by everyone to sew a bum roll. They simply made one based on their needs. Bum rolls offered support of the pleats, apron strings, ties, belts, etc in the high-waisted styles popular during the Federal/Regency/Empire period. There are also examples of bum rolls that tie separately around the waist for the same purpose. I chose to sew mine in since I really didn't want one more thing tied around my waist.  

I based my bum roll on the following images. Getting up close and personal with any of the originals was not possible so I simply studied the photos for details then used previous sewing experience to fill in the blanks.  What follows is a simple tutorial for making a small, attached early 19th-century bum roll.

My Inspiration

Silver and blue shot silk dress, c. 1810-1813, National Museum of Australia,  ID# 2005.0005.0141

I was unable to find which museum owns this gown or its history. It is shown as an example in a blog entitled John Marshall House Dress.

Three examples of early 19th-century bum rolls sold by Christie's in 2009.

My Bum Roll

First I needed to figure out how wide my bum roll should be. I didn't want it to be a huge roll that went around most of my fashionable waist (directly under my bust since gowns were high-waisted during this period)  but something that sat at my bodice's lower back. After looking at the two gowns and their bum rolls (pictured above) it became obvious that the rolls were roughly the width of the bodice's lower back where it connects to the skirt pleats. It's hard to see in the photo below but I am measuring the space between the two back seams at the waist. The measurement was roughly 6" plus it would need a 1/2" seam allowance on each end; totaling 7".

Where the measuring tape begins and ends marks the seams of the bodice's lower back. 

Bum rolls tend to be shaped like a crescent moon or half circle.  Now that I had my width of 7" for the top of the bum roll, I needed to decide on the measurement at the deepest point (center of half-moon). Keeping the half-moon shape in mind, I decided to make the middle of my pattern 2" plus 1" (for a 1/2" seam allowances at the top and a 1/2" seam allowance at the bottom/side) equaling 3". There is no particular reason I chose 3" other than I wanted to keep the bum roll small like the example in photo #2 above. I have a barrel chest/ribcage and wanted to keep extra bulk to a minimum. 

I took a piece of scrap white cotton from my stash and folded it in half.  The overall top width needed to be 7" but since I had folded my fabric in half, I'd only need to draw half of the top measurement for my pattern (red line) to create the top of my half-moon.  On the fold, I measured down 3" from the top line to find the deepest (and center point) for my length (yellow line). After establishing the width and length, I simply drew a curved line between point A and point B then cut out the shape. 

The hardest part was over.

Pattern piece after it's been cut out.

After cutting out the first piece, I laid it on top of the dress interior to check if my proportions were correct. The blue lines in the photo below show the lower back side seams. Once the bum roll is sewn with 1/2" seams it will be a perfect fit.

Finished pattern draft being checked for fit.

Once the first pattern piece was cut out, I used it to cut a second piece from more scrap cotton fabric.

The two pieces were stacked on top of each other and pinned all around the outside. Using two yellow-headed pins, I marked off a 2" space at the top that would be left open. This opening allows for turning and stuffing the roll.

A 1/2" seam was sewn around both pieces leaving the spaces between the yellow pins open for now.

The seam was trimmed to 1/4", the curved edge clipped, and the corners trimmed to eliminate bulk at the corners. 

The pieces were then turned right-side-out and pressed.

The only thing I had on hand to use as the stuffing was quilt batting. It worked fine however I did not lay it flat but wadded it up as I stuffed it in. The bum roll needed to have fullness to it. Cotton or wool wadding/stuffing would have been better but I didn't want to buy a big bag of wadding for such a tiny project.

Quilt batting was all I had on had to stuff the bum roll.

I stuffed the bum roll pretty tight so that it was nice and fat. The corners needed to be filled too so I worked the batting into them with a knitting needle.

Once it was stuffed full the opening was pinned then whip-stitched closed.

Opening pinned and ready to be stitched closed.

Again, referring to photo #2, there appear to be some tufting-like stitches sewn into the bum roll so I did the same. I assume these tuffs help to hold the batting in place over time.

Two stitches were sewn at equal distances in the center to create tufting and help hold the batting in place.

The bum roll fits nicely between the lower back seams. I tacked it on top of the waist seam so I could easily remove it before laundering (if necessary) and also in an attempt to hold that seam down.  

The finished bum roll.

It works perfectly and doesn't create a large bulk at the back of my dress. I'm not sure how I ever got along without a bum roll before now. This one has convinced me that I may need to make one that ties around my waist to wear with my other dresses....even though I said I wouldn't wear one more thing around my waist. This was a super simple project completed in less than an hour (I love instant gratification). It really made a huge difference in how my dress lays, hangs, and fits.

The bum roll is attached on the inside and completely unnoticeable from the outside. 

The dress from the front. This is probably one of my favorite gowns.