We love a good cottagecore bodice!

Sometimes you see some fabric at the thrift store, you snatch it up, and then you launch off to hand sew an entire project on a whim. Or maybe that’s just me? Oh well.

Quick note before I really get started though: I always need some sort of written component to truly understand processes. So while I published this project as a YouTube video last month, I decided to write up all the steps in my blog here as well.

​I do understand people who prefer video, so if you prefer the video version of this project, you can watch my YouTube video with the exact same information below!

Anyways!!!

​​I found this lovely floral at a local art supplies thrift store. I think it's a home decorating fabric, but it’s 100% cotton. (I even burned a little piece to make sure!) It has a corduroy texture, but I think it’s actually just a thicker cotton twill. I bought 1 ¾ yards for $6, so I’ll have leftovers to make a couple more of these… or just have it hanging out in my stash forever.  ​

The pattern I decided to adapt was the Dirndl sewing pattern by the company Folkwear, but adjusted to my own preferences and ideas. I mostly used this because I had already bought the pattern, printed it out, assembled it, and adjusted it a little to better fit my measurements.

While the original pattern for the dirndl dress doesn’t line the bodice and just uses facings, I’ve found that I almost always prefer to line the bodice of a garment–especially with a rougher fabric like the wrong side of this floral twill. it’s more comfortable against the skin and protects the seams better. 

I’ll be lining the bodice with a layer of cotton fabric from an old pair of sheets my mom gave me to sew with. So that was free! 

I sewed this project by hand because I’ve felt a bit frustrated with my sewing machine lately. It moves really fast and I find I make a lot more mistakes when I use my machine instead of hand sewing. However, I usually sew the long, straight seams and easier seams with my machine and then finish the seam allowance by hand (as well as the trickier seams). I didn’t do that here, though. The construction seams weren’t very long at all.

Then, I traced the pieces with tailor's chalk into the fabric and cut them out. I also transferred markings for the boning channels, eyelets, darts, gussets, and the fold line. ​

So the first step of sewing is to sew the dart on the strap of the bodice. This is pretty quick, and I just used a normal backstitch. 

Next, I'm inserting the gussets. This can be a bit tricky and I’m really happy I hand sewed this—I’ve never attached them with a machine before.

I'm backstitching them in, one side at a time. There’s a bit of a trick to it—you put the gusset on either side, right sides together, and sew one half. Then you fold the bodice in half and do the other side. 
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I like to reinforce my gussets with some extra stitching, with either a simple running stitch just inside the seam allowance about ⅛ of an inch away from the regular seam or some whip stitches along the outside of the seam. It makes the gusset a little sturdier and I don’t feel like I have to be especially delicate with the finished garment.

Now it’s time to sew the front pieces to the back piece, and then the fronts and backs of the straps together. I’m using a backstitch for this as well. 

Next, I’m sewing boning channels into the lining seam allowance. There are other ways to do this but the waste reduction is important to me, and the ½ inch seam allowance is plenty for boning channels. 

I pulled out some 4mm synthetic whalebone boning, which I have leftover from some regency short stays I made a couple of months ago.

​Burnley and Trowbridge, one of my favorite online stores for historical costuming supplies, has this boning for about $1.50 USD a yard. I’m using two 7.25” pieces and two 7” inch pieces, which is like… $1.25 of boning. I could have also used some zip ties or something too, but I just had this boning in my stash already!

​Just as a note—I’m doing all the same seams and techniques on the lining, and I will attach them together at the end with binding tape. This is how linings were attached in most historical garments until the industrial revolution, but I won't waste time by re-describing. 

The longest step of this garment is to bind all the edges with bias tape. I thought the fabric pattern was too big for cutting strips of self-binding, which is what I usually prefer as a historical technique. 

Luckily I had a couple of packages of this light pink bias tape already. this is about $5, but I only used a package and a half, so I’m gonna around that down to $4. ​

Lastly, I’m going to make the eyelets. You could definitely use grommets, but I prefer the look and sturdiness of hand-sewn eyelets, so I’ll do those. 

I actually used to hate these until I started using buttonhole thread! it makes it so much easier and quicker, not to mention it looks a lot neater as well. ​

Well, that’s how I made this bodice! I love its vest-like look, and I think it looks super cute over a blouse or shift. It definitely came out more cottage core than I thought it would. It’s a bit low cut, so I don’t think I would wear this alone. This is a great piece I can wear out semi-casually or to my next Renaissance Faire. It only cost me $7.25 to make!

​This pattern also comes with a placket to put behind the lacing gap but I don’t think I’ll need this because I’m probably only going to wear this with a shift or shirt underneath.

I probably should have made it one size smaller around the bust and waist and kept the strap length though, that would have been better for a stays sort of look and feel.

Well, that's it for this cute little dirndl bodice. Leave any questions in the comments!

Thank you for reading today. See you next week!