What's a dirndl?

I have to admit when I heard that term I had to google it.  As it happens to be, I knew what it was, just not by it's proper name and so do you. That's right, those adorable little Bavarian outfits that everyone wears to Oktoberfest  or Wurstfest. 

These two sweet girls needed dirndls for their outing.  I have to admit that after spending six months working on an all white dress this was a welcome reprieve.  Don't get me wrong I like building wedding dresses.  But the side effect is you go snow blind.  I find working on something fun, creative, and colorful is the perfect remedy.

This was just what the doctor ordered. Respectively, the girls wanted brown/pink and brown/turquoise outfits.  The first picture that popped into my head was chocolate cupcakes.  All decked out in fancy wrappers with white frosting and matching colored sprinkles.  The older sister wanted something girly, so I went with a pink gingham, trimmed with pink ric-rac and flowery ribbon.  The apron pocket had a pink, felt, blanket stitched, heart with flowers embroidered on it.  The younger sister was less specific, other than her chosen colors being brown and turquoise. I chose to go with a brown speckled,  light aqua fabric and trimmed  everything with a purple heart ribbon, mini brown ric-rac and large teal ric-rac.  For some reason, this color combination always reminds me of owls, so I found this adorable owl applique for the pocket.  As it turned out, this matched her style perfectly.

Thank you Holland Fabric House

According to the girls they were the belles of the ball, or um, lasses of the fest.

For all of you now thinking, I need a dirndl. Remember, just like the flowers Hawaiian girls wear in their hair, the apron ties tell your status.  Tied on the left, you're married. Tied on the right, you're single. Tied in the back, you're a widow.

Thanks, girls, for having me build these for you. It was a real pleasure.