German Folk Clothing - Dirndl - Oktoberfest
I’ve always been a big fan of the German Folk clothing, it’s a bit Renaissance looking. In Fall 2017, I seriously looked into getting myself some lederhosen for Christmas, but then forgot about it for a while. A few months later, we started prepping for the theater production Young Frankenstein, and all the towns ladies wore dirndl dresses. So by April 2018, I knew that I needed to make myself one.
Everything made by me. I had some green scrap fabric laying around, so I patched it together to make a piece large enough for the top. The bodice of the dress is basically 1 pattern piece, zipper in the back. The skirt is also fairly simple; 1 large rectangle piece with pleats all the way around the waist. White crop top undershirt with poufy sleeves/ ruffles, and the apron was also just a rectangle with some pleats. The lacing at the front is decorative.
To avoid having piles of spare fabric scrap, my ultimate sewing goal is to utilize all the fabric, so there aren’t any substantial bits remaining. I usually find flaws with sewing patterns because they have unnecessary seams, which creates weird little scraps of fabric which would not have existed if the pattern pieces were conjoined. I also think larger pattern pieces are easier to work with, because you can see how they’re supposed to connect, versus smaller pieces that take precision assembly to make functional. The more pieces there are, the more likely it is to have an error with the assembly [the wrong edge sewn in, or misaligned, or unsymmetrical].
Lately, I’ve started leaving a visible point of modification in my clothing. A large seam that makes alterations easier, like exposed darts, or an area of overlap where moving a button would significantly alter sizing. People forget that taking an inch out of a garment is a lot easier than adding one in; so all garments should be constructed slightly oversized, and then tailored down to fit. In this particular outfit, the back railroad zipper has an inch of fabric extra on both sides. So if I become thicker, I can simply move the zipper out and keep wearing it.
I also became very mathematical with my skirts lately. Pleated skirts are great if you like math. Fabric comes in either 45” or 60” wide, so if you want a simple skirt to the knee; you only need 1 yard. Seriously, SEE my workshop page, Hats/Makeup/Sewing for Things I learned while Making Things, for a math example about pleats and circle skirts and other similar thoughts.
No real pictures, worn to a local Oktoberfest, and for a home photoshoot.
Everything made by me. I had some green scrap fabric laying around, so I patched it together to make a piece large enough for the top. The bodice of the dress is basically 1 pattern piece, zipper in the back. The skirt is also fairly simple; 1 large rectangle piece with pleats all the way around the waist. White crop top undershirt with poufy sleeves/ ruffles, and the apron was also just a rectangle with some pleats. The lacing at the front is decorative.
To avoid having piles of spare fabric scrap, my ultimate sewing goal is to utilize all the fabric, so there aren’t any substantial bits remaining. I usually find flaws with sewing patterns because they have unnecessary seams, which creates weird little scraps of fabric which would not have existed if the pattern pieces were conjoined. I also think larger pattern pieces are easier to work with, because you can see how they’re supposed to connect, versus smaller pieces that take precision assembly to make functional. The more pieces there are, the more likely it is to have an error with the assembly [the wrong edge sewn in, or misaligned, or unsymmetrical].
Lately, I’ve started leaving a visible point of modification in my clothing. A large seam that makes alterations easier, like exposed darts, or an area of overlap where moving a button would significantly alter sizing. People forget that taking an inch out of a garment is a lot easier than adding one in; so all garments should be constructed slightly oversized, and then tailored down to fit. In this particular outfit, the back railroad zipper has an inch of fabric extra on both sides. So if I become thicker, I can simply move the zipper out and keep wearing it.
I also became very mathematical with my skirts lately. Pleated skirts are great if you like math. Fabric comes in either 45” or 60” wide, so if you want a simple skirt to the knee; you only need 1 yard. Seriously, SEE my workshop page, Hats/Makeup/Sewing for Things I learned while Making Things, for a math example about pleats and circle skirts and other similar thoughts.
No real pictures, worn to a local Oktoberfest, and for a home photoshoot.
All photos are copyrighted.
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