Dirndls in Detail: Working with Denim

For the new Spring/Summer Collection, Day at the Lake, one of the elements I knew I needed to incorporate was denim. I wanted to use it as subtle details, as well as use it to make Denim Lederhosen Style Shorts. Creating a distressed look with fabric proved to be difficult, but creating a frayed edge was simply a nightmare!

For the Outdoor Adventure Dirndl (one of my favorites), I loved the striped cotton and I thought that accents of the denim fabric would be a perfect way to make the dirndl go from plain to a fabulous Rare Dirndl! In addition to using the denim as piping, I wanted to do a pleated trim around the neckline, a ruffle at the hemline and apron ties. I wanted the denim to have frayed edges and the best way to achieve this look was to rip the pieces, wash & dry them, and then create the trim. Sounds easy enough...





So, I did exactly that… for the neckline trim I ripped 1.5 inch strips of the denim and put them into the washing machine along with the 2.5 inch strips for the hemline and apron ties. About an hour later… this is what I pulled out of the dryer - a big messy ball of denim strips! I knew it was going to be a bit messy… but I honestly didn't expect the frayed stray strings to create this much of a nightmare!

However after about 2 hours of cutting threads, cleaning up the edges and pressing the pieces, the final result was perfect! Exactly the look I wanted. I used every scrap of the striped fabric to make inventory of the Outdoor Adventure Dirndl, so what is available now is all that will ever be made.

This is good news for me because that means I will never have to detangle another crazy denim mess like that again! (Unless someone orders a custom dirndl with frayed edge denim accents.)

























What do you think about the denim accents on the Outdoor Adventure Dirndl? Was it worth all the time to create the frayed look? Tell us on Facebook or Twitter and be sure check out some of the close up shots of the denim details on the Outdoor Adventure Dirndl on our online store by clicking here.

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