Dirndl Top

Dirndl Top Made From Umbrellas

You read that right.  I am making a dirndl top out of umbrella fabric.  What?  All the cool kids are doing it!  I heard that little girl with the fashion blog who dyed her hair gray made one.  No, not really.  Anyway, I'm a hoarder, and every year when I see inside-out umbrellas lying in the street, I think, "I bet I could do something with that."  So I cut the cloth off of two busted umbrellas I found, washed it, and here we are.

I used this pattern: https://www.simplicity.com/burda-style-pattern-7326-dirndl-dress/B7326.html#q=dirndl&prefn1=contentType&prefv1=simplicity-tools-supplies&start=8

Step 1: Go through all the papers that come with the  pattern and cut out the pieces in your size that make up the top.

Step 2:  Baste all the pieces together.

Step 3:  Look at the pieces and realize they're all backwards, and take them all apart and baste them together the right way.

I mean, I could blame the terribly Germanic instructions, but I just failed to look at the numbers on the corners of the pieces for matching them up.  Also, if you've never made clothes before, this is not the pattern to start with, due to the typical gobbledygook instructions.  Do something from Decades of Style instead.

Anyway, I sewed the chest part of the top all together, around the sides, since I need to dial in the shoulder seams.  I have really slumped shoulders.  The button placket is still just basted together, waiting further adjustments. 

Step 4: Cut out sleeves.  The sleeves are meant to be elbow-length, but I'm going to make them shorter than that.  Also, I have fairly fat upper arms, so this is the largest size of the sleeve pattern that came in this envelope, and the chest part of the pattern is made of the smallest size that came with the pattern.  


 I also left enough width around the edge of the umbrella to make the ruffles out of that.  So we'll see how that went on the next post!

Part 2 of Dirndl Top: http://allofthecostumes.blogspot.com/2018/08/dirndl-top-part-2.html

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