Patterns of Kashubian coif embroidery greatly differ from ones of schools from Zukowo, Wejherowo, Wdzydze, Puck and Slupsk. Unlike multicoloured embroideries, coif patterns are single coloured with 2 colour variants possible. In the gallery, patterns presented are yellow, yet they can be embroidered with a white thread. In both cases, framing with a brown thread is used in order to underline motif drawings. Kashubian coif embroideries also differ in composition that plays a substantial role here as a number of motifs is greatly limited.

The Polish name for coif embroidery (“czepcowy”) comes from “czepce” (eng. coifs) worn by women in Kaszuby in the 1st half of the 19th century. These coifs commonly sewn from velvet were decorated with gold or silver embroidery curving out. Such a coif was called “złotogłów” or “złotnica” in Polish. Coifs were for example made by nuns in 2 convents, famous for their embroideries in Kaszuby: the Premonstratensian convent in Zukowo and the Cistercian one in Zarnowiec. They were a highly expensive part of folk outfit. In the half of the 19th century, such a coif embroidered with a silver thread cost about 12 thalers. They were worn rarely, occasionally, and often not thrown away. Sometimes it happened that a coif belonging to a mother was then passed on to her daughter and even to granddaughter.

With care given to coifs some of them have survived from old times and now are carefully kept in museums. They are also the one and only genuine part of female Kashubian folk outfit that has remained. Folk outfit went out of fashion and everyday use in Kaszuby already over 100 years ago. In the inter-war period, folk bands started the process of restoring Kashubian folk outfit and because of that referred to coif patterns. They were copied onto coifs and also onto corsets by decorating backs and fronts with a golden thread. Already at that time gold and silver threads were replaced with a yellow and white embroidery floss, largely due to cost savings and also to the fact that not every embroiderer could manage with a more difficult technique of tinsel embroidery.

Coif embroideries began to appear on linen – tablecloths, table runners and tapestries – after the Second World War in the 50s, most of all because of the current policy “Cepelii” whose artistic principles promoted single-coloured embroideries. It was thought that yellow and white tablecloths are far prettier than multicoloured ones. That met great opposition of both folk embroiderers and ethnographers. The dispute ended up with a victory of supporters for multicoloured haft which again won favour. Coif embroideries are still used, but are rather rarely available. Patterns of these embroideries are almost identical all over Kaszuby and its specific feature are soft, rounded lines of leaf drawings which make the coif pattern so different from ones coming from any other school of multicoloured embroidery.