Making front lace piece and Wire wefts
Models head measurements:
-ear tip to ear tip(over top of head: 30cm
-and again, across brow: 30.5cm
-ear to ear behind head: 53cm
-hairline to centre of brow: 9cm
-hairline down to the nape: 37cm
-hairline length: 10cm
-temple to temple: 21cm
-circumference: 55cm
Making the foundation The wigmaker cuts the pattern at the back and places it on the right- sized wooden block. The edges are then taped back together and the pattern is fixed with points. The wooden block used to make postiche should be approximately 15 mm larger than the circumference of the artiste's head. If the block is too small it should be padded. A cut is made and tissue paper pushed through; the cut is resealed with clear adhesive tape. Further cuts are made elsewhere as necessary. Only one cut is made at a time and never too near the hairline. The foundation, mount or base is now made using net, gauze or silk. Springs, ribbons and fasteners provide extra support and fit. Galloon, a type of silk ribbon, is sewn around the outline of the pattern. The foundation net is sewn onto the galloon and this forms the shape of the wig base. For a more natural-looking frontal hairline, a galloonless edge is more suitable. This applies to wigs or hairpieces used in TV and film work. Once the wig foundation has been made to measure, it is ready for knotting.
(Delamar, 1994, pp. 160 – 161)
To give my synthetic hair texture, I will use a method I used for Makeup Exploration, which I braided th elength of the hair around two pieces of string. This is also how crepe hair comes, and once released produces a kinked, frizzy texture.
To ensure this technique works, I will drop the wefts into boiling water and allow to dry. This will then help me to match my models afro hair texture.
Wire wefts & Constructing foundation base
Front lace construction & knotting
Attaching the hair piece
Marking out, length, width and seaming allowance for foundation net.
Foundation pinned in place to check measurements and to begin knotting the seams.
Using long hair pins, I can fix the foundation net to the pin curls, for a secure attachment.
Marking out, length, width and seaming allowance for foundation net.
Texturing the Hair
The blue diagram shows construction of the wefts being attached to the ribbon. However, I am going to try and attach my wefts
Knotting Front Lace
Here is the wire weft which will be attached to the foundation base using invisible thread. This will also be a string thread to ensure the wefts are secure.
Here also shows how the wefts look once attached and how the air falls once it is held in the potision it shall be on my models head.
This is how the hair looked once the wires were removed. This was an effective way to achieve the texture required. As I did multiple at a time, this meant that I had more control of how big the sections were, giving me control of making the whole piece consistent.
To attach the hairpiece, I used extention clips which were attached to the foundation base, and clipped them into my models hair. I then style her hair on both sides, securing the hairpiece in place, cross-gripping.