1500 Working Woman Kirtle photos
I finally have photos of the 1500 working women's kirtle that I've been busy finishing up. I uploaded several pics that I don't want to flood my f-list with, so I will just put up this one thumbnail, and a link to the rest of the album.
Follow the hotlink to my whole dress diary for this project.
I am rather proud of this "simple" kirtle, especially since the bodice and sleeves were completely hand sewn, and it fits me very well. For those new to reading my dress diary, I used pattern pieces from Margo Anderson's Elizabethan Lady's Wardrobe. Specifically, I used the underskirt pattern and the basic bodice pattern. The short sleeves are my own pattern (for good or bad).
I took the photos on my new Uniquely You dress dummy. I had to add extra stuffing at the tummy and over the bum, since the dummy is rather flat in those areas, and I am not. It isn't 100% accurate, but closer to my actual shape than any other form I've used, except tape ones (which none of mine ever had a stand).
While the new dress form is squishable, the bodice is not a corset, and has no boning at all, so I did not want to stress it out trying to push the boobs in (they don't go up like mine does). But the bodice does support me (I am a C cup) very nicely without the boning I am used to, and while there are some minor wrinkles (mostly from the hand eyelets), it does its job, and comfortably, too.
I need this if I am going to head to the big Great Western War next month, as I don't have much in the way of non-noble outfits that fit right, is summer comfortable, or isn't over a decade old. I will make more as time and other projects allow.
And I've decided I am not completely done. I've got some pearl cotton threads, and have been playing around with fingerloop braids, so I want to make up some simple braids to apply as a simple trim, at the neckline, sleeve edge, and possibly at the skirt edge (hmmm, maybe, maybe not). But that will be done as I have a few hours to spare where I don't have to move to deal with the kids, or anyone else. I will post progress on that as I can.
{x-posted to a few places}