Waisted Kirtle

Autumn Gold Kirtle

Autumn Gold sleeveless waisted kirtle started 7/24/2019. Worked on sporadically, and then finally finished on September 25, 2019. Details: – kirtle will be side laced. – edges will NOT use bias binding – this one will use one layer of interlining in the whole bodice and a second layer of interlining at the center front. I’ll be pad stitching them…

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16th Century, Waisted Kirtle

What the tuck?!?

Last night I finished stitching the tuck** onto the bottom of my Autumn Gold kirtle. Just as I finished stitching the tuck I looked at it and had the following mini-conversation and epiphany. Me: This tuck would be really convenient for pregnancy.Also me: Or for young girls who have not gotten full height… or hand-me-down clothes.Me: Yeah. But that stitch…

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Front view of Cobalt Kirtle no. 2.
Garb/Clothing, Waisted Kirtle

Cobalt Kirtle no. 2

Blue sleeveless waisted kirtle started June 21, 2019. Finished on July 2, 2019. I’m getting back into the swing of things. I need a new dress. The plan is to make a cobalt blue linen kirtle and wear that under a bright coral wool Antwerpen gown. This is the second kirtle I’ve made using the Cobalt blue linen from Fabric-store.com.…

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Waisted Kirtle

Walking it back

In my last post about my new bodice fitting based on the methods described in Mathew Gnagy’s book “The Modern Maker” and the pattern published on his facebook page (the pattern which will be included in his soon to be published pattern book(!!!)) I went on (at length) about the issues I was seeing with the L measurement coming out…

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Waisted Kirtle

Just a bit off the sides

Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky. Pictured here is the amount of fabric I removed from both sides of ONLY the front pattern piece of the bodice that took it from “filling in the cone in a not entirely flattering manner” and “actually working as a flattering and supportive bodice”. Honestly I’m a bit gobsmacked that removing that little bit from each side…

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Waisted Kirtle

“Yes, but where do my boobs go?” Part 2

After much thrashing about I’ve finally landed on a “Low-neck bodice” pattern that’s close to fitting me. Close.. but not quite there. Our story so far: (see also Part 1) I need a new kirtle. I’ve lost 50 lbs and my old kirtles are just not supportive any more. I don’t want to wear a modern bra under my kirtle…

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Waisted Kirtle

The continuing pursuit of a better kirtle

“Goals. Someday I want my garb to hang like a well made suit.” – Posted by me on Facebook Feb. 5, 2017. Un traje para Pitti Uomo 89 Posted by Sastrería Serna on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 I’ve often joked that every time I fit myself for a new self-supportive kirtle I lose 50 lbs (friends have also remarked that…

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Waisted Kirtle

Midnight Blue Waisted Kirtle

A while back I was wondering around at an event and I saw someone wearing the most gorgeous blue dress. The blue was so deep it looked black until they stepped into the sun at which point it was obvious that it was actually blue. I asked them about the dress (and the fabric) and they said that they’d bought…

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Waisted Kirtle

“Yes, but where do my boobs go?”

As I mentioned I’m very excited to try out Mathew Gnagy’s methods and apply that to a late-15th/early 16th century kirtle. That said.. I will need back out some information from “how they did it in the 17th century” to make sure the garment I’m creating is as true to my period as I can make it. Juan de Alcega’s…

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