rivka

Let me know when you get ready to do it, and I'll give you a few tips. The Irish (shinshone) dress is pretty straightforward, and really nothing more than a cold climate variant of the Italian fashion that was popular in the 16th century. The important thing is to include a LOT of material for the skirt. It is gathered to the waist of the bodice, and flares away quickly. One recovered shinshone dress, found in a bog in Ireland, contains some 21 yards of material all told. The woman who wore it might have weighed 100 pounds. (Modern reproductions don't need to be so deeply pleated - and are quite hot if made that way, but still need a lot of fabric if they're to look right.)