The 1642 Tailor

Based on an example in the Met Museum in New York, this is worked on linen in black silk and sewn to a pattern of a coif in Janet Arnold PoF4. This is another example of the lovely embroidery work that Araaish Designs in Mumbai are doing for us. Construction and design is by the 1642 Tailor.

The pattern for the coif is based on an embroidered one in Janet Arnold’s book. The original has a red, green and black pattern with barberries and leaves, but the basic layout is the same. We’ve kept the linen drawstring and the thread loops of the original as you can see from the photograph.

The pattern for the embroidery is taken from an example in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Follow this link to see the original coif. Meantime here are some close up photos of the work.

Lower edge showing worked loops and the drawstring

Detail of the embroidery pattern.

Top edge of the “pointy bit” with more loops and another drawstring

The lower right hand edge with reproduction bobbin lace.

Drawstrings

This new pattern is based on an engraving in a drill book from 1642, The Military Discipline, published in London by Thomas Jenner. If you look closely the peak extends around the circumference of the cap, a style that I’ve noticed before. Thomas Lundsford’s cap in Come Friend Array Yourself also from 1642 is similar in construction, but in the Jenner engraving this feature is particularly pronounced and the pattern of stripes makes it obvious that it is a separate piece rather than a continuation of the crown. I’ve also straightened the curves of the top part of the folding skirt to match the image. The new cap isn’t any more comfortable to wear than the standard, and it takes a bit longer to make, but the tricky transition from peak to crown is a lot smoother with this new addition. Here are some more photos of the cap and the original image I copied.