A tutorial or advice for this?
 

I want to make Princess Isabella's circlet and side cauls from Braveheart pictured here: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2090303744/tt0112573

It looks as though there is a flat piece of wire furtherest down on the forehead and separate from all the other pieces. Above that, are more wires but not sure how they are combined to form the circlet. I am also interested in how the side cauls are attached to the circlet. I know the cauls themselves have netting that has been woven but it looks as thought the frame for the netting is wire and that there are individual wires mixed with the netting though I can't tell if the wires are over or under the netting.

Does anyone know of a tutorial that might address similar wireworking? Any ideas on how to reproduce this or something like it? I'd consider anything from wireworking techniques to working with silver clay. I am a total beginner so would appreciate any tutorials or information that a beginner could work with to complete something similar to this. Is this something a beginner could do or is it impossible?

Thank you for any help you can provide! I simply don't know where to begin so anything is a help!

:)

It appears to be crocheted and the wires have been crocheted into it.

She was so beautiful in that movie. That was back before we all knew that Mel was bat sh*t crazy. lol

Lol Kevan :) Yeah it kind of makes you wonder... I figured the side cauls were crocheted but would love to figure out how to do the wire circlet across the forehead as well

On the wire circlets:

It looks like there are two simple circlets made of gold wire that's been flattened and hammered and then one where the wire was left round and smaller gauge wire was used to wrap the pearls around it.

I looked again. On the one with the pearls it's square wire that's been twisted, I think, and then wrapped with the smaller wire and pearls.

Hi there. That style of head wear is called a Crispinette. There should be some pages on how to make one of these, but McCalls has a pattern #4806 that looks pretty good.

It is possible for a beginner to make on - just like anything it takes time and patience. :) I used to play in the SCA and at one event was pleasantly surprised when one of the ladies who was wearing one took it off. She joked that they were fake hair stuffed wire mesh colanders that she decorated up.

Have fun!
-SindaAran

I'm wondering if the top circlet is braided. The pearls could be on a finer thread. The cauls appear to me to be macrame. The could be stiffened into shape by using starch, cornstarch and water, or watered white glue and left to dry over a form.

Thank you all! I do think the side cauls are macrame or a form of netting called french knot. I was wondering how they were keeping their shape but cornstarch, or starch can do it. It looks like the side netting is attached to circular frames of twisted wire which make up the side cauls somehow. Since I see pearls, I wonder if the netting is attached to the side caul frame using the finer pearl wire (wonder where I can find pearl wire or how to make pearl wire). I'm wondering how the side caul frame is attached to the main circlet. Maybe that is more wire as well?

I did buy a simplicity pattern and a Mccall's pattern for medieval hats and though they look similar to the picture, they are not quite what I'm looking for. I think the sheen of the wire and the pearls and gold netting is just so pretty.

Is it easy to twist square wire or make flat wire like in the picture? What kind of wire is it (half-hard etc....) and what gauge(s) would I need?

At this point I'd even be willing to follow a tutorial for a bracelet as long as it could go around my head and make side cauls that could be attached to the main circlet as well! If I could just find a way to make a flat circlet and side cauls that are attached even, I could decorate it with filigree pieces etc.... Hard to know where to begin when it's wire.

Thanks again! :)

Found this on the net. it may be of interest.
http://www.virtue.to/articles/easy_cauls.html

That's a good tutorial queenofswords..... I'm trying to figure out how I would accomplish the same kind of thing with wire as seen in the picture of queen Isabella. I think I would have to lay the wires that would go across the forehead parallel with each other and then bind them together maybe with more wire at the ends. I think the side cauls could be bound to the main circlet with fine wire as well....... maybe I can find some cheap wire and experiment though I'm not sure which gauge, hardness, or shape to use. Thank you for your help! :)