FRONT LACED KIRTLE

THIS IS MY LATEST I WAS SEARCHING THE WEB AND I CAME UPON PICTURES OF THE LATE 1400'S THIS DRESS I THINK WAS THE BEGINING OF THE TUDOR GOWN AND ELIZABETHAN GOWNS.IT IS A KIRTLE THAT WAS WORN UNDER A MAIN GOWN CALLED A BURGUNDIAN I THINK THIS WAS ANOTHER TYPE OF KIRTLE SOMETIMES LINED WITH ANIMAL FUR AROUND THE CUFFS AND NECK.ALSO INTERLINED WITH FUR.THE KIRTLE CONSISTS OF A SMOCK WITH A SLIT OPENING FOR THE NECK NO FULL SLEEVES LIKE TUDOR ETC.MADE OF LINEN.AND A ONE OR TWO PIECE KIRTLE MINE IS TWO PIECES.THE SKIRT HAS SMALL BOX PLEATS FROM THE FRONT TO THE SIDE SEAMS AND LARGER BOX PLEATS FROM THE SIDE SEAMS TO THE BACK..i PUT PINS AT EACK SEAM AND THE CENTER BACK TO MAKE THE PLEATING EASER.I USED ONE PANNEL FOR THE BACK SKIRT AND ONE FOR THE FRONT CUT IN HALF WITH A GORE UP THE MIDDLE THESE ARE MUCH EASER FOR ME PUT IN BUT NOT A PIECE OF CAKE.IM NOT THAT GREAT AT IT AND I JUST CANT SEEM TO MEASURE RIGHT OR I DONT UNDERSTAND HOW TO.SOO I GUESS AND IT OFTEN TURNS OUT RIGHT,WHEW!I PUT GUSSET UNDER THE ARM.I HATE GUSSETS!~ AND IM NOT THAT GREAT AT THEM BUT THEY WILL PASS FOR NOW.SHORT SLEEVES I MAY SHORTEN THEM A WEE BIT MORE MAYBE.I PLAYED WITH THE BODICE LENGTH A COUPLE OF TIMES LIKE I SAID,MEASURING IS A BEAST FOR ME.BUT I FINALLY FOUND MY WAIST.CUT, CUT, CUT, AND THE BODICE DOESNT LOOK TOO LONG FOR ME ANYMORE.I ALSO MADE A PARTLET USING A BODICE PATTERN WITH A FEW ADJUSTMENTS.I CUT IT JUST SLIGHTLY TOO SHORT SO I ADDED BIAS TAPE AROUND THE BOTTOM THIS ISNT PERIOD BUT IT WILL PASS.I WILL TRY TO FLAT FELL THE SEAMS OF THE GORE.I SERGED THE REST OF THE SEAMS..I DIDNT HAD TO HEM THE BOTTOM BECAUSE OF THE KIND OF WOOL I FOUND............AT A THRIFT STORE 5 YARDS FOR TWO DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS.SCORE.IT HUNTER GREEN I GUESS.I WILL REMAKE THE SHIFT TO A MORE PERIOD NECK OPENING WITH A PATTERN I GOT FROM A WEB SITE CALLED (RECONSTRUCTING HISTORY)I TRIED TO CHANGE ANOTHER PATTERN BUT THE WHOLE THING TURNED OUT A MESS. YOU KNOW WHEN YOU TAKE A CAKE OUT OF THE OVEN PIPING HOT AND TRY TO FROST IT AND IT CRUMBLES?NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO IT GETS WORSE AND WORSE.?WELL,THAT WAS THE SHIFT I TRIED TO CHANGE.I KILLED IT.SO I TOOK IT APART AND MADE THE NECK GATHERED.THESE ARE THE PICTURE OF THE MAKING OF MY FRONT LACED KIRTLE.THIS IS THE FIRST ONE I EVER MADE.