This gown and this hat called for a very different type of curls. Usually I make single or triple curls on one toupée clip or curls added to a mesh base that pins or clips to create curly bangs. So. together Laurie Tavan and I figured out how to make and wear a series of 8 sausage curls on a single line with toupée clips on both ends.
We wanted the hairstyle in the style shown in this Ackermann’s Repository, 1809 Jan-Jun fashion plate. They called the hat a Spanish hat in the magazine. We both studied it a great deal.
On the day I delivered the finished hat, Laurie and I did a test so I could see just how long and wide the curls needed to be. We experimented with some curls about the right length each on a single toupée clip. This is the hairstyle without curls. It was a center part low braid with the braid folded up and the tail of the braid brought to the top of the head.
It was important for Laure to have the bulk of her hair so that it would go under the head opening of the hat. As the hat sits off center she twisted her braids so they would all be on the right side and as close to her head as possible.
This was the first time the hat was on her head.
I printed an enlargement of the fashion plate but flipped the picture horizontally so when Laurie was looking in the mirror she could match her image with the picture and not have to mentally flip things.
The first thing that is apparent in the photos was that the curled were too bulky. The final ones need to be set on smaller curlers.
We also decided she needed to wear the hat more forward and a little twisted to her right. She then measured the length of each of the curls so I could reproduce those measurements.
A picture taken later when we were looking at the hat with the dress not yet finished.
Making the final curls
a) On a wig block I pinned two (1-1.25″) toupée clips about 10″ apart. Then tied off a length of sewing monofilament (fine clear thread) in the first hold of the left hand clip, stretched it across to the first hole of the right hand clip, thru the middle hole of that same clip, across to the first clip, down to the third hole, and then across the the second clip to be tied off in the bottom hole.
b) From a pack of braiding hair I cut a bundle about 12″ long and loosely tied that with a piece of ribbon. From that I could pull out a between 3-6 strands at a time, fold them in half, placed that behind the filaments forming a loop above the filaments.
c) Pull the top loop down and pull out the cut ends through that loop.
d) Pull on the free ends until the knot tightened. Adding pin in the center of your loop just before you tighten the knot really helps.
e) I moved the knot over to the side then repeated b-e again. You can do this by hand but using a small crochet hook makes if easier. Keep sliding the knots over until they touch, you don’t have to pack them really tight just make sure there is no space between. Each curl took about 1″ of hair along the monofilament.
To set the curls I used 1/4″ Polyethylene Tubing which has a 3/8″ O.D (outside diameter), for the curlers. You can get it on a roll at most DYI stores or by the foot then you can cut the tubing into 3″ lengths with craft scissors. I like to use it because it is possible to pin thru it with corsage pins so you can hold your curlers in place. I’m using a chignon base at this point and not my wig block because the chignon base is so much smaller and can fit into a steamer.
You can find a pattern with my free downloadable patterns here. The inch wide hanks of hair were wrapped around the tubing several times (4-5 times) as smoothly as possible. Then strips of tissue paper were used to keep the ends of the hanks tight to the curler. the corsage pins keep the tubing tight to the chignon base.
In a large pot I steamed the hair for ~1min. then tossed it into the freezer for 5 min. When the pins, tissue paper and tubing were taken out the curls looked like this. I set them all counter clockwise that is the way it seemed to be in the fashion plate. The curls can slide on the filament so if wanted the number on each side could change from 3 & 5 to 4 & 4.
Laurie in her hotel in Venice having fun with the curls before getting down to dressing for photos.
There seemed to be a small gold pin in the fashion plate between some of the curls on her left side so I found these small gold bobby pins with a butterfly on the end. I think they really helped with holding the monofilament in place.
