Sewing a Cockade, How?

[csuniforms]

Hello, I have been looking for days on instructions for sewing Secession Cockades or Rosettes, as used by the Minute Men of 1860, and 90% of the people in the Seceding States South.

I have lots of pictures. What I need is how! I have gleaned from research that just sewing a ribbon in a wavy circle is not the pleated and ruffled cockade of the 1860's. That a piece of netting or material was used for the base, and the ribbon sewn on, needle in place, and pressed to give that flat wheel shape we see in pictures and photos. I was also told by an adept and knowledgeable seamstress that making the correct style cockade was not easy and took some time.--

I did a search on Google books and have some instructions, but it appears from the times of the 1850's and 60's, that everyone knew how to sew rosettes and to ask the question then, you would get a," why everyone knows how to do that" look!. Dont know if Godeys has this type of information.

We want to make up a bunch of authentic State and Military cockades for our HARD TIMES SOUHTERN BALL, coming up in 2010. Proceeds go to helping our soldiers overseas. Our group the WEST SIDE SOLDIERS AID SOCIETY OF MILWAUKEE has sent out over 400 boxes of food, school supplies, and other needs to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Thanks
CSuniforms
Tom Arliskas

WSSAS President.

[lojafan]

I would also be very interested in learning this!

[col90]

I've been doing research on various types of cockades, both North and South, for years, and they are actually easier than you think. You are basically making a ruching or quilling of silk ribbon (or bias strips cut from silk taffeta, if you cannot find the ribbon you want.). Rosettes were frequently used as trim on dresses prior to the 19th century, as well as during "our" period, so you find information about ruching or "quilling" in period magazines, and even books on millinery. Here is an excerpt from an early millinery book with some information on them: http://images.library.wisc.edu/HumanEcol/EFacs/MillineryBooks/MBAnslowPractical/reference/humanecol.mbanslowpractical.i0017.pdf

To break it down to modern terms, you are going to take a length of ribbon and either box pleat or knife pleat it...either is found on period rosettes. If you need information on how to pleat, that can easily be found online. Pin those pleats into place, and then stitch them so that the pleats hold. Once you have the length you want, you can then stitch them into a circular shape onto a base of buckram, which may be found in most fabric shops. That is what the majority of period rosettes were stitched onto as well. The centers were usually filled with a button of some type. You may add streamers, or leave them off..I've seen both, as well as doing several layers of the pleated ribbon.

The ones here http://home.freeuk.net/gazkhan/cockade04.htm and here http://home.freeuk.net/gazkhan/cockade01.htm are done with several layers of the pleated ribbon stitched to a backing.

Here is the back of an original, so you can see the buckram it is stitched to...and notice those are just big stitches to hold it on there.

16745

Hope that helps some.

Colleen

[csuniforms]

Hello, thank you so very much-- I too am studying cockades and rosettes used during the War, and have found cockades, their colors and styles fascinating. I am always searching for more of course. Will try to put some together and let you know how it is going.

CSuniforms
Tom Arliskas