Sewing a Medieval Kirtle - Recreating 15th Century Artwork

We’re being ambitious today, and attempting to recreate a summer working class kirtle from the June illumination from Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry - painted between 1412 and 1416. This is a fun handsewing project made from a cotton-linen blend, and is fantastic for medieval adventures in summer weather.
Materials used:
Cotton-Linen - 3 yards ~ fabric-fabric.com
Linen Thread 80/3 weight ~ burnleyandtrowbridge.com
Silk thread - devereyarns.co.uk
Cotton Crochet Thread ~ hobbylobby.com
Morgan Donner Kirtle Tutorial: • Drafting a Medieval Ki...
Morgan Donner Fingerloop Tutorial: • Easy Fingerloop Braid ...
Image used: www.digitalmedievalist.com/20...
For behind the scenes, geekery and tea, find me on Instagram @the_halfling_seamstress
Business inquiries: [e-mail]
Music from Epidemic Sound:
The Kings Carpet - Deskant
The Goths - Bonnie Grace
A Celtic Blessing - Bonnie Grace
Tudor - Bonnie Grace
Knight’s Templar - Adriel Fair
The Norman Kings - Bonnie Grace
Want to try Epidemic Sound? Get a 30 day free trial using my referral link: www.epidemicsound.com/referra...
Chapters:
00:00 Project Intro - background on the inspiration
00:57 Drafting the kirtle - doing the scary thing
03:25 Construction begins - cutting out the pieces
05:03 Stitching - seams, gores, and felling
08:24 Stitching part 2 - front facing for security
10:57 The Eyelet Saga - marking & sewing 27 eyelets (plus a little roadtrip)
13:35 Lacing - research & braiding
14:53 Sleeves - not quite so scary after all
16:53 Hemming - trimming and felling
17:47 Sleeves part 2 - the actual assembly
18:59 Reveal & Wrap-up - the shiny thing is complete, yay!

[@ABC1701A]

As someone else who tends to hand sew all my own clothes - history bounding but actually basing them on 11thC styles in my case - I discovered that when I fell my seams [and I do fell them all, even ones for conventional/modern clothes for others at this stage] and turn one piece of the fabric over to cover the raw edge of the seam, before felling to the main body, I use either a small running back stitch or a larger back stitch - depending on the fabric and how much strain that seam will have on it - to hold down that flap of fabric. I then press and fell the seam to the main body of the fabric. This gives me a secondary ''seam'' if the worst happens and the thread on the main seam breaks [which has happened a couple of times, I think it was a reel of bad thread] or if the fabric is a lightweight one that has a tendency to fray a lot. It might take slightly longer but as the stitches aren't visible they don't have to be neat and even a back stitch using longer stitches doesn't actually take that long to do, and I watch KZbin while I'm sewing as well. I feel more secure with the extra row of stitching and I've found a couple of times with fabric that really does fray badly that holding the flap down with, basically, tacking back stitch helps to keep the frayed edges well underneath, especially on chiffon or lightweight silky fabrics that fray like mad.

[@catherinemckegney8344]

Your kirtle is gorgeous!! You do NOT look like a potato. Thank you for proving that Morgan’s method works on a body that looks more like mine.

[@mori.curious]

You don't look like a potato, you look lovely! 😍 👌

[@MirsUrmel]

Love how you give credit to other creators and use their content for what it was made for really. It's so heart warming to see other people do the same as I and take their bits and pieces from their works and let them inspire you to make your own projects out of it. Also: such an amount of work and such a beautiful end result! Love it!

[@diewebmacherin]

For these close-fitting garments there are actually archeological finds and a great book about them: Medieval Garments Reconstructed: Norse Clothing Patterns As the name suggests it includes patterns, as well as pictures of the originals and reconstructions. I've had this dress on my to do list for a while. Great video. Thank you.

[@HalflingSeamstress]

Ooh! I love book recommendations, I’ll have to check it out, thanks!

[@christenagervais7303]

Fantastic Lydia! It turned out perfectly. I like Morgan and Bernadette too! I live your humour and style! I also love how your channel is a mix of different kinds of projects! Keep them coming!

[@HalflingSeamstress]

Thank you so much!

[@christineyates2618]

I know a little of history of costume and always considered garments before the 17th C. to be made mostly with rectangular pieces of fabric woven to the correct length and width for the garment. This because most fabric was home made and probably loosely woven and liable to fray when cut. Nobility might avoid this problem with more expertly produced material but even so the heavy embellishments at neck, hem and armhole I suggest might not be just for decoration but also for control of any inclination to fray.

[@inthecloudss1133]

Even though I have no idea what you're talking about half the time, watching you make a historical dress tickles the history part of my brain juust right.

[@HalflingSeamstress]

I love this! Thank you so much!

[@stormraynes1707]

Just found your channel/ this video. OMG, your hand stitching is GORGEOUS. I am headed off to look at more vids just to watch those beautiful stitches. Will watch your hand stitching while doing some of my own ;)

[@HalflingSeamstress]

Thank you so much!

[@susannepreuss4358]

You looks so cute in this sky blue kirtle. I am still fighting and fiddling with Morgan's kirtle draft. i am three mocku-ps in!😄 But i will get there!

[@HalflingSeamstress]

I found it feels like you’ll be fiddling with the mock-up forever, but then all of a sudden it’s perfect and then it’s full steam head with the actual kirtle - you got this!!!

[@sarahmwalsh]

Beautiful!! You look like you stepped right off the pages of that book. I have been poring over it since I stumbled across a copy in high school, wanting to make the long green gown from the "betrothal" scene. You may have just inspired me!!

[@sarahpatterson7458]

You look so wonderful in the kirtle! Thank you for explaining all your tries and mockups! That gives me encouragement to try myself. :) Looking forward to your next video!

[@HalflingSeamstress]

Thank you so much!

[@brendaescalon2175]

Fabulous. I too have been following Morgan Donner.

[@KathrynsRavens]

Turned out really well! What a beautiful colour choice too. If you're looking for a good St Birgitta cap to go with the one Katafalk did on her blog is really nice, she also made a free pattern for it (in metric) that is easy to adjust to size.

[@HalflingSeamstress]

Ooh, thanks for the tip! I'll have to go check that out!

[@AllTheHappySquirrels]

It looks so good! 🤩

[@tinuvianna]

That's one of my favorite medieval garb inspiration images!

[@tinuvianna]

This is the first video I've watched on your channel and I'm looking forward to others. One thing, and I hope this is okay for me to say: it was kinda hard listening to you criticize your body shape. Besides the fact that you're actually lovely, putting body confidence out there on a public platform is a great way to affirm the wonderful variety of body shapes of your viewers.

[@RockinTheBassGuitar]

Wonderful! And congratulations on taking the leap into more complicated drafting. 👏🎊

[@HalflingSeamstress]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@McNerdyCostumesandProps]

Black Briar Meadery! Glad to meet another Skyrim fan out there lol. Great job on the kirtle!

[@HalflingSeamstress]

Thank you!

[@teresagabriela5806]

Well done!

[@savannahbrewer6161]

In case nobody shared it, if you press your linen seams and folds it will be much more cooperative, reducing the need for pins :)

[@HalflingSeamstress]

Oh I do, I just tend to go overboard with the pins, especially if it's a new pattern :)

[@amauryy4417]

Beautiful work and nice prononciation for Duc de Berry! I love this illumination, the manuscript is in my city museum and seeing it brought to life at the other side of the world is heartwarming... The blue is stunning !

[@HalflingSeamstress]

Thank you so much! My French is so rusty, so it's encouraging to hear I got it right!

[@cherylstraub5970]

I know that this is a silly nit picky thing to tell you but it looks like instead of doing a whip stitch you are doing an applique stitch. They are very similar, but the applique stitch is more hidden from sight when you are done. Good work though. Love watching it come together.

[@jordancox2910]

Always love your videos. This project turned out so good!

[@HalflingSeamstress]

Thanks so much!

[@elainebye9090]

Great job! I really enjoyed this video

[@HalflingSeamstress]

Thank you!

[@cayjadoobirsingh2519]

Well done! I’ve been scared to try this. It turned out beautiful!

[@HalflingSeamstress]

Thank you so much! It's definitely scary to start, but you can totally do it!

[@ladyjusticesusan]

I love this so much. Thank you for posting.

[@karinpeirce1245]

What a treat to see this creation. I used to make costumes sometimes for A LOCAL THEATER GROUP. WHAt fun to see you ar work, I'll definitely check out your nezt post!

[@HalflingSeamstress]

Thank you! 😀

[@CrowingHen]

Thank you for the inspiration. I haven't had the courage to sew a fitted kirtle yet but yours looks so good, I might just have to give it a try.

[@HalflingSeamstress]

Thank you so much! You can totally do it!

[@juniperjr2017]

It looks great! I took a little break from sewing but this is giving me the motivation to get back into it. ❤️

[@HalflingSeamstress]

Thank you! It’s always so nice to hear that my little sewing adventures are motivating other people to have sewing adventures!

[@maybeadreamer6246]

love this video, so informative as well as entertaining!! 💗

[@HalflingSeamstress]

Thank you so much!

[@TheSerialHobbyistGirl]

I love it! The color is so nice.

[@HalflingSeamstress]

Thank you!

[@abigailgerlach5443]

I lucet all my lacings. I tend to lucet while watching TV, and I've found myself with yards and yards of lacings for every possible use. This either means I'm watching too much TV or I need to find something else to do. Lol

[@HalflingSeamstress]

I just started attempting lucet lacing recently! I love how it turns out, but getting consistency is taking a lot of practice…I also have an issue of sometimes dropping a loop and then not being able to sort it out again. But it is a fantastic craft for while watching tv!

[@mzrando]

Thanks so much for sharing you've inspired me to make one for a re-enactment in the summer. I am worried about the from centre bit where lacing meets gord. Everyone seems to hide that bit 😁so I am guessing it's as hard as I think it's going to be to get everything to lie flat (I don't need any extra lumps in that area I have enough of my own ). Is there anyway to add a pic to the video showing the front in detail inside and out? That would be great for any of us hoping to follow you into the 15th c - thanks again btw loved the music too

[@HalflingSeamstress]

Thank you so much! I’m not able to add to the video once it’s published, but I would be able to post some closeup pics over on Instagram 😁

[@Charlotte13118]

Wow!!!!! 😯🤩😍 I tried to make the same dress from the same reference, and also used Morgan Donner's video to draft, but I had far less luck with the starting mockup. I think I got lost around drafting the upper chest and shoulder area...🤔 I say 'tried' because it is set aside as an 'ufo' for now....😅 PS Excellent taste in background videos to sew to! I totally sew with CosTuber videos in the background too 😆😘 PPS I really like your choice of background music 🎶💙🎶

[@HalflingSeamstress]

Thank you so much! I was definitely worried about the drafting process, especially when mine turned out not quite like Morgan’s, but it really is a personal fit. I was so lost until I watched the video multiple times (and followed literally step by step while drafting 🤪)

[@suzannebudlong8376]

What a gorgeous dress. I’ve been contemplating doing one as well, but have chickened out a few times. Also….. love the Doctor Who clip, and love that the gown is almost Tardis blue…. It’s nice when things work out

[@HalflingSeamstress]

You can totally do it! And I definitely may have planned the DW nod once I realized how close to the Tardis the fabric looked. I may or may not be planning a modern tardis kirtle for down the road...

[@suzannebudlong8376]

@@HalflingSeamstress A modern Tardis kirtle….. I’m intrigued. Also…. Loved the outdoor sewing during vacation. Were you in the Muskoka?

[@HalflingSeamstress]

@@suzannebudlong8376 Totally a blue sky idea at the moment, came to me while filming the reveal lol. It was a very nice little weekend escape, actually up in Tobermory :)

[@suzannebudlong8376]

@@HalflingSeamstress I’ve never been in that area. Any time I’ve driven through Northern Ontario I’ve gone around Lake Superior and either over to Ottawa or down to Toronto. It’s a long drive.

[@HalflingSeamstress]

@@suzannebudlong8376 That's definitely a long drive! It's about 3 hours from my house (west of Toronto) to our cabin, but the scenery is so worth it.

[@thelinenrose]

This is awesome, what I want to know is where everyone finds these beautiful fabrics. Everyone says online, but where online??

[@HalflingSeamstress]

There’s a lot of different places depending on what you’re looking for. I found this material on fabric-fabric.com - other popular sites are Burnley & Trowbridge (wools & silks, little $$$), fabrics-store.com (linens) and Fabric Wholesale Direct, but there’s tons of options out there 😁

[@thelinenrose]

@@HalflingSeamstress Thank you so much!!! The fabric is beautiful and I am always looking for affordable sources of wool!

[@artandcrafttherapy]

😘🍄

[@helenmoore8743]

This turned out so lovely!! What is the under dress of this called? I'm really enjoying your videos. keep them coming!!

[@HalflingSeamstress]

Thank you so much! The under dress is called a shift, and they were the common undergarment for most centuries. They're basically like gored t-shirt dresses, but made out of linen. I made mine out of cheap cotton muslin, but it's super comfy.

[@tamarab.7151]

What kind of fabric is the kirtle?

[@HalflingSeamstress]

It's a cotton-linen blend

[@Imjetta7]

Well done!