Striped mob cap

Last month, I made a late 18th c. mob cap for the Historical Sew Fortnightly Stripes challenge.  It goes along with a pair of painted shoes that I decorated for the HSF Accessories challenge.   I haven't posted anything about either one of these projects because I was waiting for a chance to get dressed up in my blue redingote with my new cap and shoes and take pictures of it all together... but... my brilliant plan isn't working out so well.  My life is so hectic right now that I haven't had the time for a decent photoshoot, so I've finally given up and decided to just do some quick posts about the construction of these projects and save the dress-up posts for the later.

This project was inspired by a beautiful striped cap in an 1787 portrait by Adélaïde Labille-Guiar.  My version is a 28" circle that I gathered around the edges and then bound into a narrow band of gold silk taffeta that is 30" around.  The sheer striped silk fabric was pretty limp at first, so I starched it heavily and lined it with a layer of tulle to give it a little more body.  The opening of the cap is so large that it only works with a hedgehog wig, but after experimenting with a variety of sizes, this is what seemed to work best for me.

I noticed that many of these caps that are illustrated in period artwork also have a falling veil in the back.  I didn't have much fabric left for the veil, so mine is less full that many of the examples that I have seen, but I thought that a little extra decoration in back would still be better than nothing.

I finished off the cap with a pair of blue bows to match my redingote and a spray of yellow feathers to add a bit of contrast.

This was a very fast and easy project.  It was hand-sewn and entirely made from materials in my stash.  I can't wait to wear it - it's huge and silly and fun, and I'm hoping it will give my redingote a very different look for the summer.

For more wonderfully over-the-top mob cap inspiration, check out the Ministry of Silly Hats page by Mode Historique or the Big Cap of DOOM by The Costumer's Closet.  Both of these ladies and their fabulous caps were a huge inspiration for me wanting to make one of my own.