Denim Days-Overalls

Hello Readers. I am working with denim all month. Today was a fun project. Do you like overalls? I have been wanting a pair of overalls for a while and decided to make some for myself. 

Before and after.

These jeans had elastic in the back of the waist. They were a little too big but I realized that would work perfectly for overalls. Overalls are usually loose and that was what I wanted.

I actually had a second pair of these exact jeans that I refashioned last year into paper bag style waist shorts. I had saved the lower legs from those pants/shorts. I am glad I did because I used the legs as the front and back bibs of my new overalls. The denim matched perfectly. I turned the old cut off pant legs inside out, stitched the ankles closed and turned them right side out again. Those were my front and back bib pieces.

I also had the legs from a denim jumpsuit that I refashioned into a romper and I decide to use these legs to make shoulder straps. (I am trying to use all the scraps I have been saving.) I cut out my 4 shoulder straps. They were just 4 long strips with 2 sides. I cut them from the sides of these pant legs and stitched them closed while they were inside out. Then I turned them right side out to hide all the stitching.

 This video walks you through all the separate pieces I had to work with.

I connected the 4 straps to the bibs at the corners.

I connected the bibs at the center front and back. 

I sewed the bibs onto the pants by putting the right sides together and stitching on the inside. I attached the straps to the bibs in the same way.

These overalls are so comfortable and fun. I liked the shoulder straps. The bows added a feminine touch. 

 

I was perfectly dressed for a day at the beach. Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself. 

*Year End Note From Chickie- These were a great refashion. They are comfortable, I can eat all the cookies without these getting too tight. And I love the bows at the shoulders.

 

When You Can't Button Your Over-Alls

 Hello Readers. How are you? I hope you are well and not lost in an argument with someone online. It won't change anyone's opinion. It will just make you angry. My neighborhood HOA Facebook page is a breeding ground for arguments like this. It is surprising to me how fast an argument can break out. Let's not argue today, let's just sew in peace. 

These wonderful gray linen wide-leg overalls were a hand-me-down from my daughter. I liked them a lot.

I thought they would fit perfectly but as you can see, I could not button them up. I was not very happy. I noticed that the waist seemed to fit very well. That gave me an idea...

 

 

I quickly cut the top off. It was too small and made me feel fat. It had to go. 

 

 I used a zigzag stitch on that cut edge. This linen fabric would fray like crazy so I wanted to prevent that. I went over the edge twice to make sure it was secure. I turned the edge under and made a wide waistband. There were already buttons in the front that would act as a button-fly.

 

I used my dress form to tweak the waist and make sure they would fit.

These pants are so comfortable and fun to wear. I like how they turned out. They were cropped on my tall daughter but on short me they don't seem cropped at all. I am still thinking about the length I want. Any thoughts dear reader? Should I hem them a bit shorter? I think I like them as is but I am not sure. am not sure.  Let me know in the comments.

 I am trying to show the legs and the waistband without showing my actual pale stretch-marked stomach. 

Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.
 

Dressy Overalls?

Hello Readers. How are you doing? Are you OK? I hope so. I am trying to stay up to date and informed but also not over-load on all the bad news in the world. Its a tough balance. I am also sewing to stay sane. So, let's talk about that.

This dress was fine. It was in good shape and would have been great for Easter Sunday. (If we had gone to church. Thanks Corona!) It fit pretty well but it showed a lot more cleavage than I was comfortable with. It has been hanging on my refashion rack waiting for me to get inspired.

I finally figured out what I wanted to make. I started by separating the skirt from the bodice. I just unpicked a lot of stitches to open the waistband and made sure that I did not cut the zipper. I unpicked the stitches around the zipper and left the zipper intact. 

This is what I had to work with. I started working on the skirt piece.

I spread the fabric flat and used a pattern to make some shorts. I used the bottom hem of the skirt as the hem of my shorts. That saved time. I didn't really need to make a waistband either. Why?

I was going to attach the shorts to the bodice of the dress. That would be the waistband.

When I connected the 2 pieces I put the zipper in the back of the shorts.

I had a cute pair of overalls. I have been wanting a pair of overalls for a while. These are a little fancier than denim but still loose around the waist. That is key after all the Corona snacking I did.

I was comfortable and pleased with the final result. I always liked this floral fabric but the overalls seemed less dressy than the dress. And since we are all at home I am not dressing up much. A shirt underneath took care of the cleavage problem.

Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.

It Can Be Mended!

Hello Readers. Do you do a lot of mending? Do you do a little mending? Any mending? I remember learning to do basic sewing in Home Economics but we didn't learn to fix anything. We didn't even learn to sew on a button. We made a boring tote bag. I was not impressed. I didn't sew again until I had kids. Kids that needed clothing mended and sometimes altered.

If you go to thrift stores or clothes swaps you know that the things you find sometimes need a little mending. I found these cool overalls at a clothes swap and I liked the material and design. And they looked like my size.

When I saw the back of them I knew it would be an easy fix. The straps needed to be tucked back in and the opening needed to be closed up. 

This green shirt was a little loose and baggy under the overalls. If it was a little more fitted it would stay tucked in better.

I adjusted the sides of this shirt so it fit better under the overalls. A zigzag stitch lets it stretch at the seams for comfort.

This was 20 minutes of my time and I was ready to go.

I admit the outfit looks a lot like it did before. But isn't the goal of mending to be invisible?

Thanks for reading along, now go make something fun for yourself.
 Or fix something you already own.