Is It Period Garb???? Fitted Kirtle 1

This blog along with several that will follow are actually reposts from my profile at http://www.scacommunity.com/

  In the blog series Is it period garb??? I am documenting my garb that I have made. I will be taking pictures of the garb, describing that material, and style, and also deciding what is period about it, what isn't and what I would do It I could do it all over again.
 So here it goes.....


This is my first "period" item I have made. It is a red fitted Linen Kirtle which is backlaced, with a placket. It has grommets to hold the lacing. It has gold scroll trim. This kirtle Is based off of 14th century fitted kirtles.

 Duc de Berri's Tres Riches Heures, c. 1410

This was also my first time working with linen, so it was a learning experiance. It is almost period. It does have princess seams in the bodice, and trim under the bodice which ist not period, nor is the placket or grommets I believe. It is also machine sewn with visable stiches. It is a heavywieght linen, the trim could pluasably be period. The fit is period, and the cut other than the princess seams is also period.

I have had to repair it a couple of times, due to the linen unraveling at the seams, and I had to add gussests under the arms, due to the taking in of the seams. The seams have now been surged, and do not unravel. I also had to add extra fabric ito line the back and redo the grommets, since they popped out after wearing it twice.

If I could do it over again I would make a bit more room in the top of the sleaves, get rid of the princess seams, I would also line the bodice area with a lightwieght linen or cotton to help take the stress off of the seams. I would also add gussests and surge the seams at the start. I would also hand sew holes for the lacing, instead of metal grommets that keep popping out.

All in all it it still decent garb. I still wear it, it is warm and comfy, and it passes the 10 foot rule.