Sewing: Dirndl Skirt for Scarlett

I was born in Germany and my family spent a few more years there when I was a child. I have a lot of fond memories and traditions, which I'm trying to carry on in my own family. About a year ago in some childhood things my mother saved for me I found my old dirndl--little white blouse, green dress with bright pink roses and a bright pink apron. I need to give it a good pressing and trying it on my girls. I'm not sure if it will fit Audrey or Scarlett, but it will likely be very short on either of them as it's from the 70s!

In any event, I have had a dirndl skirt on my mind for a while now. I wanted to make one for Scarlett to go with her blue sweater. (I am really loving blue and pink together right now. Did you know decades ago blue was considered the baby girl color and pink the boy color?) I wanted the skirt to look like a full dirndl with apron and ties but I didn't want the trouble of continually having to pick up the apron and tie it on her again It's difficult enough to maintain a bow!

 

So this skirt has the apron integrated--it's a flat waist in front and gathered in back with apron ties. It's full too for twirling and running and has patch pockets on the apron skirt.

I finished it just in time to take with us to Italy. The very morning we left in fact. But it was worth it to me to squeeze it in. I loved dressing the girls in their floral dresses and blue sweaters. Audrey is wearing her Pretty Posie dress from last summer--I love that dress pattern! Tess is wearing her floral Ruffled Chemise and the Picot and Lace sweater I made for her on the trip. 

I thought they looked pretty cute and it made me wonder why I don't dress them in dresses or skirts more often? I guess it's because Audrey hasn't been the frilliest of girls but she seems to tolerate skirts on weekdays a bit better now so maybe I'll try it. Paired with tennis shoes they still seem pretty functional. I even let Audrey keep on her jeans--a look my husband could do without, but I think it's not bad given the style of the dress! Am I bonkers? I wouldn't send her most places this way but it seemed to work for a day of play and exploring.

So here are my three girls exploring a very small Tuscan town called Barberino, where our new found friend, Susanna, lives. (She cooked us a few amazing Tuscan meals while we were there.) Also living there was a very interesting cat.

We also went to nearby Certaldo where besides a medieval town center on a hilltop, they had a carousel! Audrey's favorite thing. The colors were pretty amazing!

Scarlett enjoyed it too. It was good for us to keep a balance of childish things on the trip: carousels, chasing kitties, lots of gelato stops, and we even found a bouncy house! Happy children make happy parents.

If you'd like to make a Dirndl Skirt you may find information on my pattern here. This floral and pink apron version was made with a 1:3 ratio waist circumference to skirt. The PDF pattern includes a couple versions and walks you through taking measures for a 1:2 skirt and explains how you might incrfease the fullness. You may purchase my Dirndl Skirt pattern in my shop.