Probably the most ubiquitous and obvious hair cushion from the 1700s—and heck, even today—is what we lovingly refer to as the “rotten banana,” because, well … just look at it … now imagine it in dark brown wool knit. We start seeing them in use in the mid-1760s when hair begins to rise, and they continue into the 1770s, growing in size to produce even higher hair. Easy-to-use, variable sizes make this piece of head fruit a staple in your eighteenth-century toilette. We styled Cynthia’s hair to be fashionable from the late ’60s and early ’70s, so our hair cushion is on the smaller side. Don’t be afraid to make yours a bit bigger if you want!
• ¼ yard (25 cm) wool knit
• #30 thread
• Granulated cork, horsehair or wool roving
1. Cut out the pattern as shown.
2. With right sides together, backstitch the fabric pieces together, leaving a 1-inch (2.5-cm) gap at the center of the banana’s bottom seam.
3. Fill the cushion with your stuffing material, making sure to work it into the ends of the cushion.
4. Once it’s filled to your satisfaction, whipstitch the hole closed.
5. Dang. That was easy. Read on to enjoy the fruits of your labor ….