1550-1575 French Kirtle Pattern

Jonathon was nice enough to sleep for a few hours so I managed to get my kirtle pattern sorted. Thanks again to Lady Christine Duvant for her amazing bodice pattern. I was fortunate enough to be able to try on a pattern she had made for someone else and it fit me exactly. It just needed to be lengthened a bit as it sat right under my bust. I then altered the neckline and made the bottom edge dip slightly to fit with the French style gown I want to make. (Nb: The front pattern piece is not symmetrical because I am not symmetrical)

Lady Christine's Pattern

My adjusted kirtle pattern

This is what it looks like when it's on. I'm not huge in the bust but it gives amazing support, better even than a lot of commercial bras. The creases will disappear in the final garment due to the weight of the skirt. Also the sleeves are so secure on the side of my shoulder even though they look like they are going to slip off. It's one of the reasons I am in love with this pattern.

Front

Back

After that, I pulled out the blue velveteen I mentioned earlier, and I really lovely red wool that I would like to use for the kirtle. I also pulled out my box of shinys and found some pearls and buttons that I can use. When I first started out costuming I used to hate reading blogs where the people always happened to have these amazing things "in their stash" and I have come to realise that I am now that person. So I apologise in advance to all the poor uni students out there. I was you not that long ago.

 
 

So these are my materials to start out with. The buttons are a plastic gold/pearl shank button and I am going to use them to attach the sleeves. The tiny pearls will be for the slashed sleeves and the strings of pearls will be used in the jewellery. The colour of the velveteen looks most like the second photo and I have just over 6m of it. I only have three metres of the red wool, but it is 150cm wide and the kirtle pattern in The Tudor Tailor uses less than that so I should be fine.

I was getting pretty excited seeing all the materials sitting together on the table, so much so that I nearly grabbed the scissors and started cutting. But for a change I'm going to be a good girl and pre-wash all the fabric (including the canvas interlining and whatever I choose to line the bodice with). Now usually I wouldn't bother pre-washing fabric which is terrible I know. In my defence most of the garb I make is made out of cotton drill, and it's really just a waste of time pre-washing. Also, I am really meticulous about washing anything remotely woolen in cold water on a gentle cycle with wool wash so I hardly ever have anything shrink. But this wool I purchased off someone else a few years ago (thus the little tag, which is the handiest idea ever) and I don't know what has been done with it previously. Also, the velveteen was on a bolt that got wet when my room flooded a few years ago. It was dried out and re-rolled but never washed because I had so much fabric get wet that it would have taken me weeks to wash it all. I've also had an experience with the canvas lining shrinking in a bodice I bought on ebay resulting in this horrible wrinkling of the outer fabric. In summary, this time I am pre-washing.

While I'm waiting, I might go do some weaving.