Waisted Kirtle

Princess Dress

Fitting started 3/8/2016.
kitty_dressBlue waisted linen kirtle started 5/13/2016, handed off (with unfinished hem) 6/9/2016.

kirtle

Fitted, self-supportive (ie, not bra underneath). Short sleeved, waisted kirtle. Front opening. Bodice will have two layers of linen, skirt will have one layer of linen. Square necked. Edges bound. Silk sleeves tied in at the shoulder.

Inspirational Images

https://www.facebook.com/musee.renaissance.officiel/posts/10153407662910866

kirtle Todo

  • (done) Create fitted self-supportive pattern.
  • (done) Update pattern with correct front/back necklines.
  • (done) Update pattern with correct waist seam placement
  • (done) Add SA to center back(it had none because we used a zipper for fitting). Bodice pattern will have 0 seam allowance at the center front and inside the neck (will be using binding) and 1/2″ seam allowance on other seams.
  • (done) Make pattern for short sleeves.
  • (done) Wash fabric.
  • (done) Cut out the bodice (2 yards linen).
  • (done) Sew the outer fabric of bodice together at the back, side and shoulder seams. Iron seams open.
  • (done) Sew the lining fabric of bodice together at the back, side and shoulder seams. Iron seams open.
  • (done) Cut out a 1.5″ wide strip of hemp canvas to reinforce the area which will have eyelets (1.5″ wide, follows the contours of the front seam). Sandwich this between the outer and inner layer of the bodice at the front opening.
  • (done) Flatline (less than 1/4″) the outer fabric to the lining fabric (and hemp linen reinforcement) at the neck, front opening and armseye.
  • (done) Add zipper to the front seam and baste in the sleeve to test fit.
  • (done) Test fit and confirm it’s good.
  • (done) Cut out sleeves. (1 yard linen)
  • (done) Make the short sleeves (sew inner and outer fabrics together along what will be the bottom edge. Then sew them into a tube making sure that the seam is matched up between the inner and outer layers)
  • (done) Attach the short sleeves to the bodice (sew down on the outside then flip and hand sew down the inside) (~2-3 hrs handsewing)
  • (done) Cut out the skirt. (6 panels see new cutting/piecing plan below)
  • (done) Piece skirt with french seams.
  • (done) Sew skirt together. (French seam the panels together with bias edges towards the back of the skirt. End up with bias to bias at the center back. Better swoosh and the front hangs straight.)
  • (done) Attach the skirt to the bodice (Put a box pleat at the center-back and then knife pleat either side to fit the top of the skirt to the bottom of the bodice. Sew the skirt to the front layer of the bodice and then flip the back layer of the bodice around to make a hidden seam on the inside).
  • (done) Make continuous Bias binding tape from black velvet. (instructions)
  • (done) Add eyelets to front opening.
  • (done) Add binding at neck and front opening.
  • (done) Cut the dress to length
  • Add binding to the hem.
  • Make sleeves

Progress pictures

Learnings

3/8/2016
Started on the fitting. Got the back seam done and the rest started.

3/22/2016
Finished the fitting. At least mostly. No more progress until after the laurelling outfit is done.

5/9/2016
I took a week off after the Laurelling and I’m finally ready to start working on Kitty’s dresses again. I pulled out the pattern and realized I forgot to mark the neckline and waist seams on the pattern.

5/11/2016
Kitty came over an we updated the pattern, added necklines and marked the waist seam and fiddled with the sleeve. I transferred this pattern onto pattern cloth. Next up, making the bodice.

5/13/2016
Cut out the bodice. It ended up taking two yards of fabric. Stitched the outer layer together and pressed the seams open. Stitched the inner layers together and pressed the seams open.

5/14/2016
Put the bodice layers wrong sides together and added a 1.5″ layer of hemp canvas at the front opening to reinforce where the eyelets will be. Flatlined the armseyes, neck and front opening. Next up, sleeves.

5/17/2016
Added a zipper to the center front of the bodice and basted the pattern for the sleeve to the bodice. Met with Kitty and had her try it on. The sleeve is fitting a little looser than I’d like but it will do for now. We modified the sleeve so that it would hang flat.

5/18/2016
Cut out sleeves and pinned them together.

5/19/2016
Sewed the sleeves together and did the machine stitching to attach them to the bodice. Finished the hand sewing on one sleeve. Started the hand sewing on the other sleeve.

5/20/2016
Finished the hand stitching on the second sleeve. Cut out all the skirt pieces. Pieced half the skirt panels together and ironed all the seams.

5/21/2016
Pieced the rest of the skirt panels together and ironed all the seams and got 4/6 of the skirt panels connected and ironed all the seams.

5/22/2016
Finished sewing the skirt together and ironing all the seams.

5/23-5/26
Pleated the back of the dress and pinned it in place. Attached the skirt to the bodice with machine sewing. Added binding to the front edge/neck of the dress. Flip and stitched the inner layer of the bodice onto the skirt with slip stitch hand sewing.

5/29
My husband, Fearghus won Cynaguan Coronet. That means that when Kitty and Eibher steps down it will be Fearghus and I stepping up. I’m freaking out a bit. I hadn’t quite occurred to me that this might happen.. and I don’t know how I’ll get all of Kitty’s dress done AND have time to work on Our step up garb and reign projects.

5/30-6/6
Tried to do machine eyelets with the binding in place and realized it was messing with the machine’s ability to make an eyelet. Removed the hand stitching on the binding. Machined the eyelets. Reattached the front edge binding. The eyelets are set a lot further back from the binding than I usually do. I’m not sure I love machine eyelets but they are fast and convenient. It only took 2 nights to complete the eyelets and the binding.

Kitty is longer waisted than I am. My normal lace length (72″) is just barely long enough, especially with the wider-spaced eyelets. I’ve order a 90″ lace from Amazon.

Next Kitty’s coming over for dinner and we’re going to mark her hem. Then bind the hem. Then make sleeves.

6/9
Kitty came over and tried on the dress. It looks fabulous. She graciously agreed that she can finish up the hem and make the sleeves. I feel guilty turning the dress over to her unfinished but I need to focus on Our upcoming reign.

7/9/2016
Eibher and Katherine (the one ture Katherine) stepped down as Prince and Princess of Cynagua. Katherine made the CUTEST HAT EVER to go with her dress and also made some silk sleeves (which I didn’t get in any pictures). Katherine also made Eibher’s outfit. She looked fabulous. I’m pleased that I got to sew for her.

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