Half a Wig but all the work

Previously the artist completed the wig template, so now she can begin making the foundation.

Before the artist can start the foundation, she will need to mark out some important lines.

Firstly, the artist will make out the desired are she would like her wig to sit on the model’s head, in this case, the model requires a half wig. So, the artist will draw a receded hairline further back on the template to mimic a half wig of receded hair.

Then using the measurements previously obtained while making the template the artists will draw a solid line around the hairline from the top of one ear around the hairline to the top of the other ear. She will then draw a straight line up from the ear 2/3cms long, repeating the process on the other side. Next, the artist will connect the two lines drawn by following the 2/3cm thickness around the back of the head to the other side. Finally, she will draw a final line straight across the back of the head connecting the lines above the ears. The artist will also add an H in the small band at the nape of the next which will remind the artist that the lace placed here will need to be horizontal and a V in the area between the nape and the top line to remind them this area requires the lace to be placed in a vertical direction.

Now the artist can place their block in a wooden cradle which will hold the block still while she lays the lace and whip stitched it all into place. The artist will lay her first piece of lace in the section at the nape. The lace in this section will be folded to create a double layer of lace and small pins will be placed 1cm apart around the circumference of the section. This section must have the lace holes matching up otherwise the artist will struggle when she comes to stitching it together. Once the artist is happy with the positioning of the lace, she will begin whipping using a clear nylon thread. She will work her way around the full piece of lace following the line underneath. Every 4/5 holes the artist will do a double knot, this is a safety measure in case the nylon snaps. When the full piece is whipped the artist will leave a 1cm gap at the top and cut the remaining lace away from the head. Folding this section back on itself and pinning it into place

Figure 1, V marking

For the next section, the artist will then measure the section marked V (figure 1) using these measurements she will cut a single piece of lace and place this on the block. Overlapping the bottom edge onto the nape section, she will then pin this in place with the bottom edge laying perfectly over the folded top edge of the nape. Following this the artist will now begin whipping across the bottom line joining the two sections together, remembering to also whip the folded edge from the nape to the edge of the back piece. This finishes off the bottom of the wig foundation.

Figure 2, Whip Stitching Video

To complete the artists half wig they now need to cut a final piece of ace and pin this in place across the last section of their template. This will then be whip stitched into place across the bottom edge all the way around. The artists will leave the top edge up touched as this will be the lace front to their wig and used to blend and attached the wig to the model’s head. Figure ? is a video of the final stages of whip stitching the lace together before the artist starts ventilating the wig.

How will the half wig look when complete? To find out keep reading….

Reference List

M. Bouvet, (2018) A Practical Guide to Wig Making and Wig Dressing, Wiltshire, The Crowood Press Ltd

Figure List

Figure 1, V marking. K. Ellison 2022

Figure 2, Whip Stitching Video. K. Ellison 2022