Day Cap Tutorial

OK, ok, I know I'm crazy. How do I have enough time to sew this much lately? Well, for one, I'm pretty motivated: The yard is starting to call. Oh no! It needs a lot of help considering I was expecting the beginning of last summer and recovering the latter part. I also have a pretty content (but stubborn) 4-year old (plus, I let her push the pedal sometimes when I sew, and, uh, we do like PBS during baby nap time) and a sleepy 8-month old. Oh yeah, my husband is working on a master's, so that keeps him busy at night, and we really don't watch t.v. Lastly, I'm almost done with projects. I have only one more pinafore to finish (not critical because we already have one, it just doesn't match) and a bonnet for me that's been a year in the works (also not critical). I guess it would be good to figure out what my 6-year old boy will wear for pants, too. So, it's coming to an end, and I just know things are going to get busy.

Anyway, I figured out the day cap. Well, mostly, I guess. It looks like it even if it's not made the same way. I settled on "Another Cap. . .very suitable for a servant's day or bonnet-cap. . ." because it looked the easiest, but is different from the baby caps I've made. It is found on page 66 and corresponds with Plate 9, Figure 21 of The Workwoman's Guide. I really want to try "Another Shape" on page 64 as well as "Another Cap" on page 67.



It would take probably 1 to 1 1/2 hours to complete this. It took me about 8. You know, 20 minutes here, 5/10 minutes there.

I started with a 15.75" long by 13.5" wide rectangle according to the pattern. I marked the top two corners 4.5" in each way and cut them off in a rounded fashion (see picture below -- I got this dimension from the Woman's Day or Night Cap pattern on page 62).

I cut the band 18" long by 2.25" wide according to the pattern.

I cut "strings" (I'd call them ties or straps) 15.75" long by 1.125" wide (I also got these dimensions from the Woman's Day or Night Cap pattern on page 62).

Then I ran gathering stitches 4" (the directions say 3.93") from the bottom, up and around the top, and down the other side.

Then I turned the bottom to the inside 1/4", then again 1/2" and hemmed it. Oh yeah, I also added a little button-hole on the outside center back of the bottom hem (before I hemmed it) for some strings to exit for adjusting the bottom of the cap.

I gathered and adjusted the curved part of the cap into the band, leaving the band hanging 1/2" over on each end so I could fold that in when I finished the band later (you can see the hang-over in the below picture, bottom right).


Then I pressed the unattached long edge of the band in 1/4" and then folded it in half and pressed it. Then I finished it by hand.


Then I made and attached a ruffle as well as my "strings." I also ran some real strings through my hem in the bottom and out the back through my button-hole. The pattern says the ruffle is a "double border. . . sewn on in front," but I don't know what that is.


Finished! Pretty simple.

However, when I put it on, it looked like it was to cover my beehive.


I don't have a beehive, let alone much hair, so I grabbed a section in the back and stitched a line to pull it all in a bit. I'm sure there's a name for that.


So, now it fits my head better. Oh I'm looking old.



So, it looks a little funny in the back, but I'll take that over a really tall head that I don't really have. If I only had a bun!

Time to go do the dishes and exercise!