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The construction

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Kirtles with a waistseam

The second type of kirtles that I'll be presenting have a waistseam and very fitted bodices. These are the period examples that I used for inspiration ;

From an unknown flemish painting,
late15th century, Brussels,
Musées Royaux des Beaux Arts

Master of the Life of the virgin,
The birth of the virgin 1470

Hans Memling,
The lamentation 1475

Hans Memling Passion of Christ (Greverade Altarpiece) 1470

The Stark triptych, 1480
National Gallery of Art

Hugo Van der goes, Calvary Triptych 1465-1468

Rogier Van der Weyden,
Seven Sacraments 1445-1450

As the kirtles without a waistseam, I've also experimented a fiew different construction theories for this type of kirtle as well. We have quite a few exemples of high resolution images where details can be made out in the most surprinsing way and yet, none of these show definate lines that would clearly point to a specific construction. This image is amongst those that are the neatest. This is thought to be a kirtle made of grey squirrel bellies, cut in small patches and assembled in order to create a full skirt. Therefor, there are no specific guidelines to follow as this is somewhat of a "patch-work" job. What we are seeing is the leather side of the fur. This further supports the theory that this was in fact an undergarment as this specific kirtle was also depicted in other scenes such as the "Saint Colomba triptych" where it's indeed worn as an undergarment. I don't believe that this kirtle is covered with additional fabric as some have speculated, I think that the teeny seam allowances is simply directed on the fur side and so, are hidden by the hair. You can definatly get the certainty that this is indeed grey squirrel fur (petit-gris) by the reversed guard of the skirt.

Other exemples such as Weyden's Seven Sacraments and Memling's Passion of Christ above also show a nice display of a few box pleats at the center back. So I've decided to attempt such a style. Although this could be achieve in many ways, I have personaly decided to go with the most basic construction of all, a bodice and two rectangular pannels to form the skirt. This gave an interesting result as I had to cut a slit in the middle of the front pannel in order to make the gown open wide enough so that I could be able to slip it on. If I was to make another one like this I'd go with a wide rectangle for the back and two smaller one for the front and I'd probably add a front gore as well. I used metal lacind rings for this one. This kirtle isn't lined and is nearly all sewn by hand, except for the 2 main skirt seams.

This is a diagram of the approximative pattern I've designed for this kirtle along with a close-up of the back pleats "after" the box-pleating was done ;

This one wasn't made from scraps, it was cut out of a gown with very different construction. The gown however had used a whole lot of fabric and I had some left to make a new bodice for it. This kirtle consists of a fitted bodice and of 4 trapezoïd skirt pannels of 90 degrees, which makes the skirt fully circular. This one isn't lined and is mostly sewn by hand including the eyelets.

Here's the layout of the approximative pattern I've made for this kirtle ;

There is also this type of construction that I'd like to attempt at some point in the futur. I have used this construction for modern garments and found that it works incredibly well if you need to match big patterns in the skirt as well as a continuity in the bodice. When the half circle is cut in the grain direction and is set on the edge of the weft, any designs or patterns big and small will align just as well as wall paper. Evidence of circular skirts can be observed  on various extant garments, namely the cote communly known as the "Satin coat of Charles the bold, 1476" (See image beside the diagram).

Additional images that are of inspiration to me
(Though because of the aipron, there's no way of knowing if these have a waistseam or not) :

Gaspar Isenmann, The visitation
Munich 1460

The shepherd's dance (the annunciation) from a 15th c. book of hours