How many yards were used to make a ruff?
Hi Elizabeth:
The pattern of a ruff was similar to a box pleat, if the edges of the
pleat were rounded instead of ironed flat. That would mean you'd need a
minimum of 3 times the outside measure of your ruff. So, if your neck
were 18 inches around you would start with the radius of the circle
round your neck: it would be about 18/3.1416 = 6 inches across. Then,
if your ruff were say 5 inches wide, you would increase that circle
from 6 inches to 16 inches, (6 + (2x5)), and the circumference of a
circle 16 inches across is approx 16 x 3.1416 = 50 inches times 3
equals 150 inches or 4 yards 6 inches. I'd make 5 yards.
This is similar to the measurement estimate by:
http://www.vertetsable.com/demos_ruffs.htm
which is "For most ruffs, if you have an average neck size of between
12" and 15", four to five yards of horsehair will be required.
Generally speaking, the wider the ruff, the longer the length so that
the figure eight pleats are not squeezed at the edge."
If you're going to make the whole ruff from lace, you'd still need 5
yards or more, so the pleats won't be pinched at the outside edges. In
Elizabethan times the main width of the pleat was more likely to be
embroidered linen or cutwork lace than plaited bobbin lace, so you
could get away with 5 yards of a narrow bobbin lace edging if you just
wanted to stick it on the outside edge.
Hope this helps.
Adele
North Vancouver, BC
(west coast of Canada)
-
To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line:
unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
