After the disastrous start that was The Comedy of Errors, I went back to the drawing board in order to better understand garb, with my new found Experience.

I decided to invest in some more literature and took the plunge to buy both a book and a pattern set that I've been wanting for quite a while: The Queen's Servants by the Tudor Tailor. I cannot recommend this highly enough. The book was informative, the patterns logical and well structured but still customizable, and above all else, intuitive. Jane and Ninya make the Tudor Tailor materials so easy to work with that even an utter novice like me could turn out a great garment that fits excellently and is historically accurate.

I elected to go with a black wool for this one, specifically for that touch of historical accuracy. Now, I do not recommend having a black wool kirtle as your only piece of garb in a Virginia summer. It's not comfortable. But I do love my kirtle. I did also make slashed sleeves to go with it that tie on at the point of the shoulder, but I finished those literally on my way to Storvik Novice, and thus do not have a picture because I didn't hate myself enough to put them on that day.

Things I like about this pattern:

• It fits perfectly. I understand this is very much a luck of the draw thing, but wow. Exactly what I wanted.

• It takes overall less fabric than the last one. There are two panels to the skirt vs the 8 individual panels on the red kirtle.

• The bodice was easy to construct in layers, vs the red which needed to be flatlined. This allowed me to evenly layer the black wool of the bodice over the outside of the pleats, resulting in a much neater effect. I did the same thing with the linen lining, ensuring my pleats stay where I want them.

• This layering also allowed me to whip stitch the layers of the bodice together along the outside edges, creating strong edges, that do not require internal boning to be supportive.

This kirtle is going to be a staple in my SCA Wardrobe and I am thrilled. I cannot wait for cooler weather in which to wear it more.