Instead I've been working on a translation of the text which accompanies the veil images I posted on my "IRCC II - Stitch by Stitch" page. According to google translate the closest I could come to the texts on my ipad translate like this (and I've added my guesses too):
[287]
Patrones para "mantellina o rebociño de damasco" calcados del libro de Fracisco de la Rocha de Burgen, Geometria y traca perteneciente al oficio de sastre, Valencia, 1618.
El sastre advierte: "la parte yzquierda ha de yr flores arrba por ocasion que se suele echar por debaxo el braco derecho la una delantera y asi es bien que vaya la parte izquierda flores arriba"..
Patterns for "damask rebociño mantellina or" traced the book Fracisco de la Rocha of Burgen, Geometry and fireworks belonging to a tailor, Valencia, 1618..
The tailor warns, "the flowers r yzquierda must arrba per occasion that is often cast by braco vnder the front and right one is so good to be the top left flowers."
I'm thinking that this has something to do with how the curve of the outer edge would fall in rippling folds on either side if the top center was placed on the head...
[288]
Patrones para un "manto de seda para muger". Pagina del libro de Francisco de la Rocha Burguen, Geometria y traca perteneciente al oficio de sastre, Valencia, 1618.
Patterns for a "woman silk robe." Page of the book of Francisco de la Rocha Burguen, Geometry and fireworks belonging to a tailor, Valencia, 1618.
[289 & 290]
Interpretacion de los patrones del manto de seda para mujer de la FIG. 288, siguiendo las instructiones que de el sastre, que tienen algunos puntos oscuros. La pieza de tela extendida, que mide unos once metros de largo, se dobla primero en uno de sus extremos a lo ancho para sacar el patron de la FIG. 289, que resulta duplicado. Despues, doblando varias veces la tela restante a lo largo, se van cortando las piezas que componen el patron de la FIG. 290, igualmente duplicado. Estos patrones resultan, pues, de tela doble, lo cual se explica dado lo extraordinariamente finas y delgadas que eran las sedas empleadas en estos mantos.
Interpretation of the patterns of women's silk mantle of FIG. 288, following the INSTRUCTIONS that of the tailor, who have some dark spots. The piece of cloth extended, which is about eleven meters long, is bent first in one of its ends in width to make the pattern of FIG. 289, which is doubled. Then, bending the fabric several times remaining lengthwise cutting are component parts of the pattern of FIG. 290, also doubled. These patterns are, therefore, double fabric, which can be explained given the extremely fine and thin silks were used in these garments.
[291]
Las imagenes de algunos mantos femeninos muy particulares de los que se puede dar por seguro se correspondian con los incluidos por el sastre Rocha Burgen en su libro, nos permiten imaginar como si se disponian los patrones de las FIGS. 289 y 290. El resultado era como si se Ilevasen superpuestos dos mantos de distinta forma, que no sabemos como quedaban unidos; los extremos del que iba encima se unian delante, donde se recogian con una mano (ver FIGS. 292 y 293).
The images of some very particular female garments that can say for certain is corresponded with those chosen by the tailor Rocha Burgen in his book, allow us to imagine as if were preparing patterns of FIGS. 289 and 290. The result was as if two overlapping sheets Ilevasen differently, we do not know and were joined, the ends of which was joined up front, where they gathered with one hand (see FIGS. 292 and 293).
I think it's saying that the big oval veil and the veil shaped like a slice of bread were worn sewn together, the smaller layered on top of the larger whose outer tips were held in one hand. Looking at illustration 292 I can see it as a plausible explanation of that particular veil, but I haven't noticed layered veils in Venice...I'll have to go look!
I'd say there's still a way to go on the translation, but it's a start!
I'm currently leaning towards basing a veil on fig. 287 but I guess we'll just have to wait and see what fabric I come up with since the quantity of veil fabric will have a lot to say about what shape I can make.
