making the hood v 1.0

My current thoughts on how to proceed:
You need to cut four pieces of the same pattern (see prototype): two for the lining (red silk) and two for the shell (black silk) and assemble as follows:

1.     sew chevrons to lining (per your school’s design: mine is white on red)

2.     sew two lining pieces together at liripipe curve (looks like small round bite out of wide end); clip and trim seams.

3.     Do the same for the two shell pieces (black).

4.     Turn shell unit right side out and insert lining unit, matching seams.

5.     Alternative to 2-4:  Sew all four pieces together at liripipe curve, then bind seam with bias tape. (Make from black fabric).  Layer the four pieces bottom to top:
black wrong side up (WSU)
lining right side up (RSU)
lining WSU
black RSU

6.     (after 4 or 5)  Baste edges of lining to outer black together along cowl, and along cape.

7.     Add dark blue VELVET border to cowl edge.

8.     Bind edges of cape with bias tape (made from either black or lining fabric).

9.     Attach front narrow ends (either in a V, or button together), lining-side up.  (this is the part that goes over the head and is anchored on the chest via a button vel sim.)  Having it lining side up is what gives the curve

VELVET BORDER

Doctoral hoods have a dark blue velvet border around the edge of the cowl.  The ends are joined together at the front; this is the part that goes over your head and is secured (somehow) to the front of the robe.  I read that 5" is the width for a doctoral hood (narrower for master's and bachelor's hoods).

How to incorporate the velvet border into the construction.

I’m not sure whether this is (a) like a collar added to both lining and outer shell (double thickness of velvet), or (b) velvet is just on the lining side.  (b) would be much lighter, and it’s important to minimize the hood weight.  Now that I think of it, there is also option C (which I’ve just found pictures of online), which is to have the velvet border be just on the shell side.  That makes a lot more sense.  It seems there are versions of both B and C (band inside and band outside cowl), but I worry that this won’t work for the s-curve cowl in the Aberdeen style.

For the Aberdeen cowl in option C, I suppose you might:

·      cut a bias strip of velvet the length of the cowl perimeter (5” + 1” total seam allowance)

·      turn under one edge ½” and baste

·      sew other edge of strip to lining side of cowl (right sides together); ½” seam.

·      trim seam and understitch to lining.

·      fold over velvet to right side up and hand sew long edge to shell

But I’m not sure this would hang properly, given the negative curve of the cowl.  It would likely hang better with a different hood pattern (more like “East Anglia style” [Groves a4]—if you incorporate a cape.  But is the cape necessary?  It’s another option that adds weight.)  Other options, without the cape, include “Oxford Simple” [s1] or “Edinburgh [simple]” [s4].

SEWING CHEVRONS TO HOOD LINING       

Still need to figure this out.  If silk is really expensive, maybe scale back so only visible parts of lining are silk.  Perhaps do as sew-on applique onto lightweight base fabric (to cut away or leave in).