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Step 1

You will need to decide how high you want your fillet to be.

Images in manuscripts vary, so gather your supplies.

If you're not sure, a wide ruler can be a good guide.

Step 2

Cut your canvas.

I made mine a ruler width and 62 cm long, but I have a small head!

I've allowed a little extra to fit a hairnet and hairpiece as well. 62cm was my TOTAL of all of those combined. Again, I have a small head.

Mark it out with a pencil and then cut to size.

This is what you will be using as a base for the linen, and will provide a little bit of stiffness.

Step 3

Mark your linen to cover the band. You'll need to make it twice the width of your canvas PLUS enough to make a little hem on each end for you to tuck under.

Make it as long as your canvas PLUS 2cm. This will allow for some folding over.

I drew a dashed line to remind myself to fold and not cut the middle. I also drew 2 solid lined where the hems will go.

Next, cut it out.

It should look like this now.

Step 4

Cut an enormously long thin strip of linen and pin one side like the picture. I didn't measure mine, sorry, but it was well over a metre. Definitely double my head width at least.

This one was about a ruler width to start with as it gets less wide with the hem on one side and the gathering on the other.

I could have used a salvedge and not hemmed, but I've found that the extra thickness of the hem makes the ruffle a bit more ruffley.

It's definitely more work and time consuming, but worth it.

Step 5

Here's the ruffle with the hem sewn down.

You can use a hemming stitch or a running stitch. It really doesn't matter, but I've found that smaller stitches hold the hem together and are less likely to unravel when it's drawn together for the frill.

Step 6

On the opposite side of the hem, do a line of running stitch (that's the one that's just in and out) in reasonably large stitches.

If the stitches are too close, you won't get a nice ruffle, and if they're too far apart, it won't ruffle enough.

Step 7

Pull the thread tighter and space out the ruffles.

When you're happy with the pleating, pin the linen to one side of the canvas.

I find it easier to pin along the pleats rather than across the pleats as it holds them in place a bit better.

It should look a bit like this.

Step 8

Here's another picture showing the ruffle pinned to the canvas.

I'm pinning it to the canvas base, NOT the other linen strip.

Step 9

Now you've pinned the ruffle, sew another running stitch or backstitch for extra sturdiness if you wish.

Sew the entire length down and you can remove the pins.

It will look like this.

Step 10

What I did to make life easier later, is to fold the ruffle upwards and then sew it in place.

This step may be completely unnecessary, but I personally found that if the ruffle is really secure and upright, it's easier than trying to hold it upright and sew the linen to the canvas at the same time.

Step 11

You now have a ruffle made of linen, free-standing and attached to a band of canvas.

It should look a bit like this.

Step 12

This is the back view.

It's a bit messy and very uninspiring, but don't worry. We are about to cover the canvas with our folded linen strip which we cut out at the start.

At this point, I sew the two ends together to make a circle.

Any kind of stitch is fine. Whatever works for you.

Step 13

Sewn into a circle, it should look something like this.

Just make sure you test the size on your head again and remember, you will probably have a hairnet and possibly a hairpiece underneath, so allow for those things.

Already you can see what it's going to look like.

Step 14

What I've done here is folded the linen head strip in the middle, and then folded and ironed one of the hems down so it will be easy to sew.

What I didn't photograph is sewing the two ends of the linen together. I did that BEFORE I sewed the linen strip to the fillet.

The ironed part of the head linen goes to the top, where the ruffle is. I recommend doing the BACK side of the ruffle first.

Pinning the linen is extremely important or it will wriggle around and you'll be extremely sad.

You can sew right through the canvas and linen together.

Step 15

Here's another view.

I'm sewing the INSIDE of the fillet part, but it looks like the outside because I've turned it inside out to sew.

You can see on the frill that I'm sewing the BACK of the frill first.

Once you've sewn the back, turn your fillet inside out.

Now you're ready to do the outside.

Step 16

I didn't take many photos at this point because I was sewing, but essentially, you're going to repeat the same thing on the other side which is the FRONT or outside of the fillet circle part.

You won't need to pin the bottom, as it will be held fast from the other side, but it really is important to fold the entire length of the linen and pin before you start to sew. Tuck the hem part over as you fold and pin, pin, pin!