The Black Kirtle, part 2

From cartridge to knife pleats

I'm starting to lose count on how many times I've already made and re-made this kirtle, but hey - it's all part of the learning process ;) After last post I made two changes with the skirt and the bodice. 

The skirt

I decided that the cartridge pleats were too heavy for my kirtle and I decided to re-make the skirt.

 I cut the front piece in a v-shape to better accommodate the bodice. The lining is attached with small back stitches. 

Then I knifepleated the skirt and sew the pleats together for a more flat look. I attached the skirt to the bodice with whipstitch using a strong twoplied silk thread.

The bodice

I decided that I wanted an open back. Here, I'm wearing the kirtle with my square necked shift, but I'm planning to make a high necked shirt with small ruffles. The shoulder straps should be a wee bit narrower, but that's easily mended!