After the Jamestown Conference last year I really wanted to make a Tudor-era waistcoat and kirtle. The ones I saw people (and mannequin displays) wearing at the conference were just so sleek and tailored looking, I loved the style.
I started by drafting the waistcoat pattern from The Tudor Tailor last July; I also decided that I was going to completely sew the entire garment by hand–a first for me. The instructions were easy to follow, though I had a bit of a mishap where I kept ending up with two left sleeves and had to unpick all of my handwork (twice). I didn’t take many progress photos because the fabric, dark navy wool left over from my bliaut, does not want to photograph at all.
The shell, before inserting gussets and lining.
The Victorian Archivist 