Monday, December 28, 2015

Dirndl Progress

Well, I'm back home from my wonderful Austin Christmas trip and surveying the crazy state of my sewing room. I left it in a mad flurry of different projects: the sew-along knit wrap top (final posts coming this week!), my Christmas dress for my card with Henry, and then the dirndl I've been obsessing about.

I wrote about making this dirndl months ago, and I'm finally doing it. The thing is, it's such a big project--and a type of sewing I knew little about. So of course it's consumed me to the point where I once woke up in the middle of the night to work on because I couldn't sleep! Yep, it's a sewing obsession.

I started with Burda 7443, but I've made about a million changes to the pattern. The lucky thing is that I now have two high-end dirndls that I'm using as research: one from Tostmann Trachten and one from Lena Hoschek. I love them both dearly, but the Lena Hoschek one has been my primary inspiration. It has something about it that I find completely sublime.

I used tiny piping on the bodice back princess seams and all around the neckline and armholes, just like the Lena Hoschek dirndl. The main fabric is one of my fall jacquards and then the piping is in a contrasting shantung.



One of my favorite things about the Lena Hoschek dirndl is the skirt: it's fully lined and has hand-stitched rows of shirring all the way around (except under the apron, where there are pleats).

I debated about whether to imitate this detail for my very first dirndl; it seemed ambitious to the point of stupidity. However, that is often my specialty! So I dove right in. I used polka dot quilting cotton for the lining, which also served as my guide for making the hand rows of shirring.

These rows had to made along long stretches fabric--almost three yards. Great for the middle of the night when you can't sleep. If the stitches somehow get alternated on one row, you have to re-do that part. Ask me how I know!

Anyhoo, the shirring finally came together in a rather lovely way, though nowhere near perfect.


I decided to use hooks and eyes at the center front bodice opening (rather than the called-for zipper). This meant changing the pattern a little (it now needed self-facings at center front), and also adding a placket that serves as a little modesty panel underneath the hooks and eyes.

I used steel boding on either side of the center front. It has another row of vertical stitching next to the boning channel, which helps keep the layers together where the hooks and eyes are sewn (I learned this from my Tostmann dirndl).

I've also been playing around with trim at the neckline, I know I want something very 3D and girly, in the vein of Lena Hosheck. This ruffle won't quite do, but it's on the right track. I also want to try a piped box-pleated trim.


Of course, I also have to make the blouse! I picked out this white with black swiss dots.


And then there's the apron, which will be in the same fabric as the piping on the bodice. 
So there's still quite a lot of work to be done, and I have to give attention to several other things at the moment. But I thought I'd share a bit of my process as I go. Wish me luck!

28 comments:

  1. I've just been researching (aka Pinteresting and googling) cartridge pleats, and it looks like the same process as your shirring! Cool sewing techniques that didn't translate well to industrialization and thus went into vogue. I think yours look great!

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  2. If you plan on more projects with shirring you should invest in a pleater. Quick, easy, & easy to keep the dots lined up while running through the needles. Saves your hands since the fabric pleats as the thread pulls through. Just like the smocked children's clothing. Easy to distribute the pleats evenly & tie off. The pleats could be smocked on front to hold or on back. Check it out if you make another drindl.

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    1. Thank you for the tip! Do you have a particular type you use? I see there are kinds that are flat boards (like the "Perfect Pleater") and then the kind with a roller and pins. I'm guessing you mean the second kind, but let me know if you have a moment. I'm very intrigued!

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    2. Hi there Gertie,
      I would suggest a smocking pleater too. You would literally do the job in minutes.
      I would be more than happy to give you more information....we are linked on facebook.
      Marysia Paling.
      Happy New Year Gertie.

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    3. Meant to say I use a Sally Stanley Pleater. I used to be associated with Australian Smocking and Embroidery Magazine...Taught myself to smock and had some of my designs published. As you are based in the USA you have the wonderful Martha Pullen and I know she would be happy to guide you too. Martha is also on Facebook.
      Hope this helps you.
      Another make of smocking pleater machine is the Amanda Jane.

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  3. Absolutely fabulous thus far. Being a pink and purple gal myself I would not use the b&w polka dot but something else, I know not what that something else would be at this moment tho.

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  4. The shirring looks great to me and I really like your fabric choices for your projects. I bought and plan to sew the purple jacks print sateen using B6284. And I plan to buy the black jacks print to make the skirt with the lined wrap top. Looking forward to finishing this top. I am glad I took your suggestion and made it a size smaller.

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  5. You have given yourself a challenge and are doing a fabulous job. Well done you! Beautiful work.

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  6. shirring is fabulous. genius idea using the polka dot? fantastic dress

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  7. This is looking great. It's going to be beautiful!

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  8. It looks beautiful! I love your fabric choice for the blouse, it goes really well with the other fabrics/colours.
    Hand-shirring is so tedious :) I used a small check as a guide for my (and my mum's) Dirndl and learned another trick that was really helpful (or rather stupid that I didn't think of it before): Always keep the thread on the spool and only cut it off when you're finished with a row - I used to work 3m long threads which always got tangled, so the shirring took forever!
    https://lassemista.wordpress.com/2015/09/22/dirndls/

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  9. Next time you do all rows with half the thread then you pull the fabric together ans do the rest.

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  10. It seems that the space beetween the rows is a bit to much. Should not be more then 1 cm

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  11. That's so lovely! The hand-shirring looks amazing when it's done, I'm so looking forward to seeing the finished dirndl :)
    X

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  12. That's so lovely! The hand-shirring looks amazing when it's done, I'm so looking forward to seeing the finished dirndl :)
    X

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  13. I love the combination of fabric and texture that you've created here! So breathtaking.

    Do you know how to crochet? I bet a hand crocheted trim would be the perfect textural effect for the neckline. Even a simple shell stitch would be stunning, and ruffles would be divine!

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  14. This is stunning! I like the ruffle trim in the last picture. It's striking without being over the top. Your work looks just as high end as the Lena Hoschek one.

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  15. Wonderful dress! Pattern is so sofisticated! I really want to see it finished.

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  16. Your pattern matching at the seams is brilliant. I, too, am a big fan of your choice of colors and patterns, I am also very inspired at how you are constantly teaching yourself new techniques.

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  17. Why have I never thought to alternate hooks and eyes down a long closure?? (in 40 years of sewing, & a lot of that time I've done it professionally!) I'm feeling like the clouds have opened up to me.

    that dirndl is simply gorgeous =)

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  18. It looks stunning! The combination of colours and fabrics is great, and I love the shirring.

    Happy new year Gertie, and to another great year of sewing!

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  20. Hi Gertie, to feed your obsession, there's a magazine called dirndl revue which comes out once per year. Last year's had 'Snow White' collars nd circle skirts instead if the shirn pleats. If you want the proper hansel (the strip if checked cloth they use as a guide) there's a website called stoffcorner.com where you can get all sorts of dirndl supplies

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  22. I love how much time, love and attention to detail you put into everything you create - the results are always absolutely breathtaking! I'm a new fan of your blog and work, having onlu discovered your blog a few weeks back, but you gave me the push to go after my dreams of learning to sew on a sewing machine (an old Singer 467!) and I'm on my way to making my lifelong dream of sewing my own clothing a reality. I've been reading through your archives from the very beginning and you are a truly awesome gal, and a total inspiration. Thank you for all that you do. <3

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  23. Hi Gertie, did you finish your dirndl? If so, would love to see it. My sister-in-law, Lydia loves the same vintage clothes as you do and like you, it suits her beautifully.

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Thanks for your comments; I read each and every one! xo Gertie

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