Dirndl Project 2010

Every year our Family Church has a Christmas Bazaar. This year it is on Saturday November 27th, 2010 at 10am. Otherwise known as German Cake day by some of my friends due to the variety of German Cakes available for purchase.

A few years back a family friend had a Dirndl made for Victoria when he went to Germany and we managed to get two years of wear out of it for the Bazaar. But it doesn't fit any more :-(

So the challenge is to make a new one for her. I'm pretty good with the pattern that I am going to use. I am going to draft a pattern off a dress that fits her at the moment and hopefully re-use the apron that came with this dress providing it doesn't look too small. But the lynchpin in the outfit is the embroidery along the top of dress.

My Dirndl that doesn't fit me anymore :(

I've been looking at Barvarian Embroidery for my Janome Embroidery machine. I love the idea of doing it by hand, but it would take too long and I have end of year reports to write as well!

If you are wanting to do something like this by hand then the Mad Sampler Book Company has some images from books that are out of print that you could use. Alternatively Dover Publications have some Peasant Iron On Transfer Patterns that you could use.

via Emboridery by Ruth

Sewn by Joan has some free electronic embroidery files that might be appropriate but the bought ones might be a bit better such as Elke's Emboidery Patterns.

Then I came across "lancaster embroidery" which could be well suited, but it is not German or Barvarian. Hungarian machine embroidery styles might be good if I delete some of the decorative accents.

via Windstar Designs

I like the image above of the acorn's and love hearts, as Victoria has a thing for acorn's at the moment and there is a big Oak tree in the front of our family church.

Dress Patterns

My aim is to make the dress out of black linen with red accents and a white linen blouse, which we already have. I have some red ric rac that might look good around the hem of the dress. We are going to use the white apron from the original dress that was made for her. Zip up the back of the dress rather than the front.

via Germany.info

I pretty much have the pattern worked out for Victoria, but as with most machine embroidery, you have to trace the pattern out, do the embroidery first and then cut out the pattern later. So the hold up is the embroidery.

But if you don't have a pattern then you could try these ones.

Vogue Patterns has an Austrian Dirndl pattern.

Simplicity have a children's pattern that you could use. I would just use the base garment of 'B' and not include the rouched waistband and over skirt.

via Simplicity

Alternatively, you could do a hunt for a vintage 1960s pattern to do the job.

via GrayMountainGoods on etsy

So we will see how we go. Hopefully I will have time to finish this project before the 27th November.