I was fairly new in my dirndl sewing when this project came about quite impromptu. Wandering through the fabric section of Hobby Lobby, as one does, and stopping all of a sudden because a lovely material catches your eye.
The thought had been in my head to make a white or pink dirndl dress with a contrast blue apron. I loved the idea! But trying to find a local fabric that so wonderfully reflected the Lena Hoschek design was my challenge.
But then I stumbled upon this classic pink stripe Hobby Lobby fabric. “Hmm… wonder how I can make that look? And can I find a blue fabric appropriate for an apron?” Why, yes I did!
So into my cart went 3 yards of the pink rose cotton stripe for the skirt and a yard of the green with cream polka dots I found near the pink fabric that would be for the bodice. And – ta-da! – a blue cotton with tiny dots was discovered and 2 1/2 yards bought as well – huzzah!
I used Burda 7057, which is listed as “Burda Young”, but it was ok with me as I wasn’t going to use the pattern’s short skirt and the bodice was very much an authentic cut. (After making, I realized I need to raise the front balconette line up a bit to be more flattering on my figure.)
I cut three skirt panels for a 30″ long skirt and about 128″ wide. This width is perfect for larger hips. And I simply gathered it with my usual two rows of basting stitches. This isn’t as authentic as deep knife pleats or cartridge pleats, but I wanted a full, twirly skirt and fast construction. (Yes, I can make gathers quite quickly and enjoy the process!)
I made custom bodice piping from the remaining skirt fabric after cutting the three panels. Inside is a small 3/16″ filler cord. After the side back and side front princess seams were piped the bodice was bag lined with another cotton fabric.
The apron was cut on the cross grain to avoid a seam and so I could get the full width I wanted. And I machine sewed the hems at the side and bottom. Two rows of woven cotton ribbon were machine sewn near the hem. The ribbons were purchased at a local fabric/craft shop, Harmony, in Provo, Utah. The top is cartridge pleated to fit the waistband.
The center front closure is an invisible zipper, which is common when combined with bodice hooks and lacing ribbon. Surprisingly, authentic dirndl hooks are hard to find outside of Bavaria and Austria. This set I bought on Etsy from Trachtenliesl, who is lovely and I’ve successfully ordered from her a few times. The green ribbon I pulled from my stash and is silk, probably from Farmhouse Fabrics.
The ribbon trim around the neckline is in the “pulled box pleat” style made in 7/8″ wide petersham ribbon, also from Harmony. You’ll find a full tutorial for this common dirndl style in my online Ribbon Trims class.
This dirndl I’ve worn with two different blouses (which you can see in the photos in this post). Both were from Burda patterns, but the one above with the lower sleeve ruffle was altered to resemble a vintage dirndl blouse that was gifted to me. It’s a common style seen in Germany.
Above I’m wearing a proper dirndl bra (Rosme “Kamila” style), which is simply a balconette style; a push up bra will work, too, for the best dirndl silhouette. I also found a simply fantastic petticoat on Amazon (aflink) that works beautifully for holding out the skirt but not in a full-blown square dance width – LOL.
And that’s my 2nd me-made dirndl! You can see that trims and the right undergarments add so much to the final look.
Beautiful, Jen! So “Springy”! Love the colors! I made my first dirndl skirt while learning to sew in Jr. High. If memory serves me, it was made out of chocolate brown broadcloth and I made a vest to go with it. The style had come back into fashion for a time in the mid- or late 1960s. I don’t know that it stayed around long because I know I didn’t reuse the pattern. I never knew the origin of the style nor that it was an actual dress. I just knew it as a “dirndl skirt”. I always learn so much from your posts. Thank you!
Thank you, Elaine. I first learned of the term “dirndl skirt” in the 1980s when I learned to sew my own clothes. Later, I learned it came from the folk wear style of Bavarian dirndls. 🙂