This is part 2 of 2 posts. Click here to read part 1.

Welcome back to the vintage starburst wedding veil tutorial post. Yesterday we discussed tulle options and the history of this veil. Today, as promised, we make the veil.

Storing this veil for 86 years has wrinkled the crisp veil pleats a bit, but it’s still adorable. I didn’t take the time to restore the pleats, but, if pleats are what your ensemble wants, then pleats is what you’ll have….here’s how.

Supplies needed:

• 3-1/2 yards of tulle
• thread to match your tulle
• scissors
• hand needle
• measuring tape
• iron
• ironing cloth
• straight pins
• patience

Instructions:

Follow the steps below, and refer to the pictures as needed. You can do this!

Step 1: From your 3-1/2 yardage of tulle, cut a piece from the end measuring 5″ wide by 33″ long. This will become the pleats. Cut another piece measuring 2″ wide by 28″ long. This will become the ribbon piece that is sewn around the cap. Set the second piece to the side for now.

Step 2: Fold the first piece (5″ x 33″) in half, lengthwise, and iron the fold. (Yes, nylon tulle can be ironed, using a low setting on your iron along with a damp ironing cloth on top of the tulle. Start with a test piece of tulle to be sure you have the right heat setting and technique. Move the iron quickly across the damp cloth until the fold is flat. Cotton tulle can handle a little higher setting on the iron. If you need to iron the rest of your tulle, now is the time.)

Step 3: Find the middle of your pleat piece at the top folded edge and put a pin in it to mark it.

Step 4: From the middle, begin making 1/2″ accordion pleats on each side (mirroring each other) evenly across the entire length. The center pleat will be larger, with a pleat in both directions. Iron pleats into place. You can iron with the straight pins in place as long as the pins do not have a big pin head on them. The big pin heads get in the way of the iron and can melt if they’re made of plastic. Though I show some pictures with big pin heads in them, just to be safe, I removed all my pins with pin heads on them and used only the steel straight pins when ironing.

Step 5: Pin the pleats to the edge of the veil in the middle, with the center pleat front facing down. My tulle was 60″ wide, so I pinned the middle of my pleats at the 30″ mark of my tulle. Make sure the folded edge of your pleats is at the top, and the raw edge is pinned down. Hand stitch the pleats to the tulle. As you sew, try to get two stitches into each pleat to hold them in place, otherwise, some may fan open more than others when wearing the veil.

Step 6: From the front (where the center pleat is larger), fold the pleated piece forward, along the seam line you just made, covering the seam allowance. Pin and then iron this fold down. Be careful not to iron out your beautiful pleats!

Step 7: To begin forming the cap, we need to reinforce the top to give the pleats stability. One layer of delicate tulle is not enough to support the pleats on your head. Under the pleats, we’ll fold the tulle back about 4″, then forward about 1-1/2″, so that the raw edge of the pleats is in the middle and you have a fold on both sides of the reinforcement. Pin it in place. If you like, you can also sew a basting stich in to help hold it in place. It’s not necessary, but may be easier without the pins in your way. (The first picture in Step 9 might make it easier to see the reinforcement).

Step 8: Take your second cut piece (2″ x “28”) of tulle and fold it in half, lengthwise, three times, so that it measures 1/4″ wide and 28″ long. Iron down the folds. This folded ribbon of tulle will go around your head, from the crown, around the nape of your neck, back up to the crown. (You may not need the entire length of ribbon tulle. Everyone’s head size is different. Your hair thickness and style will also affect the length you need. Trim off what you don’t need).

Step 9: Starting in an inconspicuous spot, pin the folded ribbon tulle on top of the pleat seam allowance, making sure to cover the raw edge and the seam. The ribbon tulle piece should have the folded edge facing forward. The other edge should just meet the pleats, helping them to stand straight up. You may need to try on the veil at this point, so you can continue pinning the ribbon piece to the tulle as you work around your head, forming the cloche cap that’s just your size. It might be difficult to work behind your own head, so invite a friend over to help. There should be gathers, evenly spaced at both sides of the cap, toward the back of your head. Once you have the ribbon piece pinned where you want it, hand stitch it in place, going through all layers of the reinforcement on top and getting the side gathers nice and even on the cap. In the very back of the cap, there is a 3″ space where the ribbon is not sewn down to the tulle. This is to allow the tulle inside the cap to expand as needed for your hair style.

And voilà , your veil is finished! Give yourself a pat on the back and take a bow.

The veil itself makes such a great statement on its own, that it can be worn as is. If you like, you can doll it up with some lily of the valley sprays, as shown on the original veil. To save money, I made my own lily of the valley from paper and wire. There are many videos online that can show you how. Alternatively, a few small flower sprays should not be too expensive at a craft store. Another idea is to add some vintage wax orange blossoms. If you have an heirloom string of pearls, that would look lovely sewn across the top near the crown. Be creative and personalize the veil to match your personality and your ensemble.

The bottom of your veil may need to be tidied up if you cut your ribbon and pleat pieces from there. To match the original veil, the train is square cut, quite common in the 1930’s. If you prefer a softer, rounded edge, then fold the train in half lengthwise, and cut the shape you want. The veil length should end up being about 3 yards long.

If needed, you can sew a hair comb to the inside of the top of your cap to help hold it in place.

This may not be the easiest tutorial, but if you persevere, with a little time and effort, you’ll have a stunning look, all for the price of the tulle.

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♦
Faith is the Senior Fashion Writer and Editor for legendary weddings at LLTM. Hire her to enchant your readers and get them talking!

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