Kirtle_

The photos at right were taken by my hubby with my phone. He helped me into the corset and gown. (and out of it...oo la la).
EARLIER IN THE DAY:
It Fits.! tried it on over camecia/corset, all by me onsies. Here's how: I loosely spiral laced the back a 1/3. Dropped it over my head BACKWARDS. laced a few more rows and spun it around gingerly. I felt behind me and pulled it a little tighter still. Then I pulled the straps which were attached to the back, over my shoulder and pinned them to the front. Then adjusted the whole thing and checked it for fit. Seems fine. I looked it over to see what needs to be changed if I use this pattern somehow for the fashion fabric Bodice.
1. Move the straps over, closer to my shoulders in front and back to get that really wide Venetian look.
2. armpits could be a TINY bit higher.
I'm going to line it. It's very thin and I don't like how I can see the bones of the corset under it.
So now goes a lining/facing and underarm finishing. Straps and hem. Grommets and back finishing.
I added a 2" panel along each open side of the back center edge. It will strenthen the area where gromments will go. NEXT TIME: sew the facing first then add these panels.

Lining is done. I sewed in on while the dress was laying 'flat' on the floor. Sewed it right sides together and flipped it over. The details were excruciating and won't be spoken of here. Its midrif length and i tucked the sides in under the grommet panels.

Straps- two 12" straps are attached with safety pins to the 'nubs' I left after lining the top of dress. There are 1 1/2" wide finished, gold on both sides. The classic tube.

I'm wearing the kirtle right now. I hemmed it just about the ankle, so it doesn't show under the main gowns.
24 Grommets are in the back. There are a few little tweaks I want to make but not worth mentioning here.
ITS DONE AND READY TO WEAR.

Cutting out the kirtle- mistakes

Leaving the extra fabric around a cut out pattern piece and NOT marking where the pattern ends, proved to be a mistake. I'm typing it out in hopes of not glossing it over in an 'oh well'. Now I have two beautiful seams, 3 lovely pieces and the center bodice is an inch too low. Exactly WHY I altered the corset pattern- to make the kirtle high enough. Not only that but the bottoms don't match.
MAKE ALL MARKS ON ALL PATTERN PIECES AND STAY PRESENT.! no daydreaming. No scolding. Eat lunch, tear it out, start over. PERIOD. it isn't bad, it's just what is.

FACING, I am not going into how that transpired. Whew! Suffice to say that the facing is in, it goes about midrif length. It's made of one layer each-muslin, gold taffeta, white satin.

GROMMETS- This was my first time grommeting a real dress. There were two that I forgot to put the top piece on and hammered it down with it. DUH! I had a hell of a time pounding a hole in the fabric, I mostly cut it open one layer at at time with my little scissors.

Cutting out the kirtle

The gold taffeta was spread out on the living room floor, right sides together. It was pinned randomly to keep it from shifting. Paper Pattern pieces were TAPED to the wrong side of the fabric. Pencil marks were made 1/2" from pattern to mark the seam allowances. From the pattern on down, I had to free measure and mark a 42" skirt gore. There were pictures on the computer and I kept running back in to check, but Lordy! if I didn't make mine different.
The fabric cuts beautifully and hardly frays at all. left and right pieces were marked with their pattern letter A, B,C or D. The center piece was cut on the fold.
I saved a bit of uncut fabric above the front strap. I didn't completely cut that part out, as I haven't' decided what to do about straps. And I'm rethinking the need for sleeves. That would mean I'd be wearing my huge linen camecia AND big gold sleeves as well. Too Hot!

I found the proper lefts and rights and sewed the 7 pieces together. 1 front, 2 side fronts, 2 underarms, 2 center backs. I had to place the paper pattern on the fabric several times to see how it lined up with the previous piece. The bunch of fabric I was hoping to make straps out of proved to be a big hassle. I cut the extra off and from the front it looks like a strapless gown. The basic dress is done. I have not attached the facing or straps. I want to try it on ME first to fit it properly.
The photos below show the kirtle sewn with NO FACING OR STRAPS, yet. I used my LACING STRIPS (they are pinned to the outside of the dress) to figure placement of permanent grommets and back width.

Thoughts on altering KIRTLE

This is the TOILE.
If it's a gored kirtle, That means no bodice. Does it mean no boning? Does the gold fabric need lining?
I'll be wearing a corset under it and a boned bodice over it. There is no need for boning now. What about when I wear it this kirtle with something else?
I could let that time take care of itself. It can always be boned later. I can always make another corset that fits better later. It would save time to make it MM style for now. Then I can get on to making the fashion fabric bodice.

I see why people go to the trouble of making a duct tape bodyform. This dressform is not really me. I get confused when I have to make mental notes about 1/2" here and there between the form and me. Plus my measurements are always different, due to ?? taking them incorrectly? being too fussy? not fussy enough??

So, for today. I think I'll put the camecia/corset on, try on the kirtle before alterations and then make any really big changes. The little changes will be forgotten. I could baste on the lacing strips to the back and try to lace myself into it. We shall see.
This kirtle will be a bit looser and drape more like a modern dress. The things I wear under and over it, will make it period.
REMEMBER TO CUT WRIST LENGTH SLEEVES.

Kirtle TOILE

I decided to make the kirtle. I'll be using the gold taffeta Sarah D. found for $6. I found a pattern I liked. It will solve the problem of the waist seam.*

http://www.elizabethancostume.net/kirtlepat/gored.html
Followed these instructions:
1. Trace my corset out on paper.
2. Alter it on paper to create a bodice pattern.
3. Alter that paper to create a kirtle pattern.
4. Use that paper pattern to create a Toile. I used a heavy but loose weave of something my Nana made to cover a card table. There are piles of different fabrics here.
I sewed it together. The skirt part is in bits, since I didn't have enough fabric. I don't care about that. All I want is a bodice that fits.


*I want to be able to use this kirtle for other dresses, with various size bodice points and lacing locations. This seamless gored kirtle won't show a seam even in a deep Venetian front point. On a side note, this is the MM gored dress pattern. How cool is that?

more of same

never mind that joanns is having 50% off their fabric this week. dork, i bought some fabric for 16yd. pre-made curtains.

This post is just mulling over my options.

I am on some kind of weird over purchasing trip. This is the fabric I want, NO THIS is the fabric I want. Is there enough of this, THIS is a good price.
One panel on sale for 30$ is enough to make a skirt of 106" around the bottom. That's not enough for a matching bodice or sleeves. It's not even a full enough skirt. I don't want to go buy another panel. That would be 60$ for enough to do the entire gown. Is that a bargain? My other purchase was 5 yds for 6$ a yard=30$ of gold lightweight fabric. enough for a full skirt, bodice and probably sleeves too.
I have bodice size fabric in crimson/gold from last year, could I use the gold to make a skirt and sleeves? I'll look to see if there is evidence of not matching bodice/skirts portraits.*LATER*I found one portrait on Realm of Venus that showed bodice/skirt NOT matching.
Paul came home. I had the 30$ new piece and the gold laying on the floor. He loved them together and doesn't mind me buying the other panel. Of course it will come back to bite me later when i want to buy something and he says, 'remember you bought the extra fabric'. Grrr! I need my own money.
Did I mention that this panel of fabric that is too small and cost 30$ on sale is a premade curtain from the Drapery Department and Bloodbath and Beyond? Did I tell you that the pattern on it, when viewed closely, reminds me of a female body part. ....that rhymes with Regina! I'll post a picture and you be the judge. Ha, no one reads this. I'm going to boldly say that if I make this dress, it may become known as the 'Pussy Gown'.