The Kerchief

Here's a shot of the kerchief laid out on my 13" tile, so you can get an idea of the size. The "brim" edge is just folded over a piece of fusible interfacing to stiffen it a bit.

How I Wear My Hair

Don't know how much difference it makes, but here's how I usually wear my hair under the kerchief, up in sticks. That's what I love so much about the kerchief, it's a head-covering that fits over my sticks.

Placing the Kerchief

I start by draping the kerchief over my head, getting an idea how far forward I want the brim to sit. I generally line the notch with my ears so my earrings show a little.

First Pin

Then I pin the two sides together at the nape of my neck, fairly snugly. I couldn't do the can-can or anything, but it's pretty secure. I point the pin down, because how it drapes later will leave this pin pointing away from head.

Second Pin

Next, I pin the kerchief to my head, by pinning through my hair at the crown. I usually poke myself in the scalp a couple times before I get it right. If I lost a pin, this is the one I would leave out.

Grabbing the Edges

Next I grab the edge of either side (I kind of pinch those spots), right at the bottom of the draped fold. Sometimes I play with grabbing it a little lower down, this does impact the final drape just a bit.

Pulling to the top of my head

Now I bring my hands together at the top of my head, bringing the "wings" with me, and...

Placed on the crown

...place those two pinched edges at the center of the crown of my head. This spot usually ends up a bit forward of the first pin.

Third Pin

Then I pin the two wings in place. I point the pin to the back of my head, and I go through all the layers up there. This is the second point where I stab myself in the scalp a few times.

Throwing back the wings

Then I grab the bottom corners, that are now hanging in may face, and throw them back behind me. They flap around a bit in the breeze, I suppose you could pin them together at the back so they don't do that, but I don't bother.

Side/Back View

Here's a sort of corner angle of the finished kerchief pinning.

Side Draping

Isn't it cool how it drapes on the side? All those folds just form themselves.

Front Picture

Voila! All done! And it only takes two or three pins and a square of fabric!

Wired Kerchief

Here's a second experimental kerchief I did, a bit shorter than the first. The brim notches are much more angled, and the front edge is wired, so I can do the little curlicues at the ears.

Wired Angle Shot

I have to really fiddle with the wire to get the front edge to "hug" my head so the curls sit right, but you get the idea.

Wired Back

The shorter back results in a much tidier and compact silhouette as well. I do like the length of this one.