These are the Closet Core Patterns Jenny Overalls. The overalls come in 2 band sizes: 0-20 and 14-32. The standard pattern is comprised of wide legged trousers (with pockets) that are cropped at the ankles. They can be made up into stand alone trousers or dungarees, with the added bib and straps. The waist sits at your natural waist creating a very feminine silhouette. There is also a free extension pack (on their website under free resources) for a tapered leg.
The trousers/dungarees are secured by the option of 1 or 2 side lapped zips and a button closure at the waistband. The 2 zips are designed for those with bigger hips that require extra room to get in and out.
I made mine up in a 12 oz non stretch indigo blue denim. The fabric was beautiful to work with. It was thick and stable and the perfect weight for jeans and jackets. If only it had a teeny bit of elastane in it - then it would be my most favourite fabric ever!
I got the dungaree buckles from Amazon, replaced the interfacing with Ban Roll for the waist band and used contrast topstitching thread in gold 412 for that shop bought denim look.
Next step, choosing the size to make. I don't know about you but I find that deciding on what size to make is almost always the most difficult decision with every project. I went for a size 14 in the end (having looked at both the body measurements and the finished garment measurements) and chose the tapered leg.
I made a toile in calico fabric which was essential since I'd never made trousers before and had no real idea of how to fix potential fit issues. I'm glad I made the toile as the trousers needed further tapering at the thighs and leg. I ended up trimming 5/8 inches on the entire in seam leg although more would have been ideal if my fabric had some give or stretch in it.
I decided to go for the 2 zip waist band (despite not needing it for fitting purposes) as I already had the 2 zips plus I enjoyed inserting the first lapped zip so much that I wanted to do another. The instructions for this were really good. Comprehensive but simple. Essentially, you baste the zip seam closed. Then you attach one side of the zip to the back leg seam allowance and the other side of the zip to the front leg seam allowance. You then top stitch around the zip from the front of the garment; add a zipper guard and then remove the basting stitches for a perfectly inserted lapped zip.
There are a lot of top stitching details included in the instructions which were really satisfying to sew and great to admire after. I used an embroidery needle for my machine as it has a bigger eye and is the perfect size for thicker top stitching thread to work smoothly. A metallic needle would also work.
For topstitching, I like to use a longer stitch length of 3.5 to allow the stitches to look more defined. As a result I had to actually set up 3 sewing machines for this project. I used my Pfaff Ambition 630 with a 90 jeans needle and navy blue thread, set to a 2.5 stitch length for regular sewing. I used my Brother Innov-is A16 machine (that my girls normally use) with an embroidery needle and the 412 topstitching thread, set to a 3.5 stitch length and then my Singer overlocker with navy cones. This made for a more harmonious sewing experience without the need to continually change needles and threads when required.
For topstitching, I like to use a longer stitch length of 3.5 to allow the stitches to look more defined. As a result I had to actually set up 3 sewing machines for this project. I used my Pfaff Ambition 630 with a 90 jeans needle and navy blue thread, set to a 2.5 stitch length for regular sewing. I used my Brother Innov-is A16 machine (that my girls normally use) with an embroidery needle and the 412 topstitching thread, set to a 3.5 stitch length and then my Singer overlocker with navy cones. This made for a more harmonious sewing experience without the need to continually change needles and threads when required.
Things that didn't go to plan: I had such trouble top stitching the front of my waistband as the layers were so thick that my foot kept going off line. I then spent a good 30 minutes unpicking it and made the final decision not to top stitch the waistbands at all. The rest of the topstitching in other areas were pretty neat though.
I made 3 changes to the pattern all in all. Firstly, I added my own design for the back pocket. I did try several freehand swirly designs but they were actually very difficult to achieve so I decided on a simple but effective geometric design instead.
The second thing I did differently was to change the straps. The pattern will have you turn in the long sides to conceal the raw edges but I chose to fully line my straps which were a good idea at the time until I realised I couldn't even use my normal turning tools to turn them out. The fabric was too thick! In the end I spent a good 15 minutes with a pair of long nosed pliers to achieve the job.
Lastly, I tapered the legs even more as mentioned above.
The end result is really great. I love them. I love how the high waist has a sort of vintage vibe and the lines create an hour glass silhouette. My only issue is that I find there is still a lot of excess fabric at the thigh and the belly area. Ease of wear is apparently a necessity these days. Haha. Perhaps a stretch denim would have been a better choice but I wouldn't have exchanged the joy of sewing this fabric up for anything else.
Inspired to make your own version? Here's what you'll need:
Inspired to make your own version? Here's what you'll need:
Pattern : Closet Core Jenny Trousers and Overalls
[Disclosure: Crystal was provided with the materials for her project free of charge and received a gift voucher in recognition of the time spent on her project.]
[Disclosure: Crystal was provided with the materials for her project free of charge and received a gift voucher in recognition of the time spent on her project.]