This year's middle class endeavor is a kirtle and doublet, based vaguely on the "doublet for a slim young woman" on page 107 of Patterns of Fashion. (Based? We're far enough departed that "inspired" is probably a better term. Y'all know me and plans by now.) The kirtle is a fairly uninspiring affair made of red wool crepe (originally fuscia, but much more berry thanks to a few packets of dye and a tip from Jen that what I really wanted to do was overdye it with *green*, not red -- this sort of thing is why she has a degree in art and I don't. ;) ) It's based on the Kohler pattern (pg 252, History of Costume and Fashion -- draping instructions here. This kirtle was actually made directly from the pattern draped in that example, in case anyone wonders if those things are for real....) I think it gives a nearly perfect line to the front of the skirt. The wool crepe drapes beautifully, which helps. The skirt of the kirtle has a slight train because, um, well, because I *like* them that way. (Remember: if you're in the dust cloud, you're following the lady too closely.)
The doublet is more interesting, and took a lot more time, so I don't feel bad about focusing on it. The body of it is made of two layers of black linen. This is something of a construction experiment -- it's stiffened only with felted wool. (Yes, that includes the lacing edge. There's no boning in this puppy anywhere.) Most of that stiffening is worked into the design elements of the doublet. All of the stripey bits are fancy gimp braid on top of a layer of felt. This gives the doublet enough stiffness that I can wear it without a corset if I choose too without it buckling. (I won't -- the lacing strips weren't designed to take that much strain.) The doublet laces shut via a set of internal lacing strips from the bust down. The strips are set in so that their edges never actually touch. Above that, it ties closed with seven sets of ties and aiglettes (courtesy of Maggie). The aiglettes not only look ridiculously cool, they help weight the ends of the ties so that they lie nice and neat. The double row of small brass buttons is purely decorative.
The shoulder rolls are relatively gigantic affairs that go completely around the arm. They're made of felt remnants, stuffed with rags (mostly muslin off cuts from patterns and old bits of cotton that never got around to becoming a curtain). The rag stuffing wasn't so much an attempt to be more period than anyone else -- I didn't have any normal stuffing around and I wanted to finish the rolls. Now that I've tried it, though, I don't think I'll go back to fiberfill for rolls -- the rag packs down into a good, hard filling, and it has enough weight that it the rolls lie nicely to the outside, rather than trying to flop in and make me claustrophobic. The rolls were covered in strips of linen (dear goodness, does that stuff stretch!), then with strips of felt and gimp to match the decoration on the doublet body. I made the little tassels up because that was the part of the doublet in PoF that I liked best. They're just little tassels made of rayon embroidery floss, which I brushed out with the cat "de-matting" brush to make them look more like fine silk fibers instead of big horkin' rayon threads.
There's a doubled over pipe of felt at the closing edge and all around the collar, which helps to give the doublet form. The kirtle is supported by my corded petticoat, and has padded pleats. There's no bum roll under there. In fact, there are only about 10 pieces of "real boning" in the entire costume (those are all in the corset, which is made of three layers of light spring wool, and very lightly boned.
I've just finished a little italien style bonnet to go with this dress, but I didn't have it in time for the pictures, so I did my hair up in the "3 minute court roll" style. It really needs something more than that, but I didn't have it at the time. (Feria, "Flaming Red", before anyone asks. My sister and a friend of hers call the color "Jessica Rabbit Red".)
