I have completed a grand, no, a monumental task! I have sewn together a pair of overalls. Now, it really depends who you are whether you agree that this is a monumental task. But in all seriousness, it’s really more about the mental hurdle when it comes to denim and pants. I was so afraid they wouldn’t fit me correctly! Especially since my measurements have been fluctuating recently (stress, am I right?). Fortunately, they came out just about right, perhaps a little snug, but definitely livable!
I was thrilled when Simplicity 8447 for these 1940s style overalls went on sale at Joann’s, and I promptly bought it. The shocking thing is that I also went back for fabric about a week later, and then I actually started work on them! I doubt that there is much that is more unsettling than not procrastinating on a project. I knew that I wanted to start trying my hand at needlework, so I also picked up some needles and embroidery floss and whipped out a simple flower on the pocket. I used the super sophisticated approach of printing a picture of a flower and then stitching the outline right through the paper onto the fabric. It actually worked, which was perhaps the most surprising part of the whole experiment. I did a chain stitch for the pedals and French knots for the center. It’s imperfect, but that fits the style of the garment, so I was content with the result. I chose pretty floral wood buttons to tie it all together.
The biggest irritation with this project was cutting out. The fabric was terribly off-grain. I love Joann’s, truly, but my goodness their fabric is off-grain more often than not. But hey, coupons cover a multitude of sins! As I purchased the fabric back in August, I am not sure of the price any more, but I want to say that I spent somewhere in the vicinity of $30. I didn’t want a synthetic mix, and I definitely didn’t want the denim to have any stretch. Pure cotton, if you please. I eventually was able to wrestle the darn stuff into submission, though truthfully I just cheated the grain some on the legs and called it a day. There comes a point when perfection is no longer the goal and completion becomes more important.
It was at about this point in the project that I began to be beat up by life stuff: leaving jobs, starting jobs, leaving again, costuming a cast of 35, unexpectedly moving again (roommates are a treasure), then came the holidays with a wedding following on their heels! But somehow, I found time in the middle of December to sew them up. I was originally planning on trying to finish the seams with an old serger I rescued, but getting said serger to perform reliably was not in the books or in my patience levels. So I opted to simply pink the seams and pray for favor. In the end, the fabric hasn’t unravelled at all, despite multiple washings, so I am at peace. After all, I am the only one who ever has to look at the inside!
I had a scare when I put the bib together and tried it on, because the sides seams met without any overlap to allow for a closure! I had a panic and seriously considered how I could quickly lose 3” off of my torso, but then I remembered that I hadn’t sewn on the underlap yet! This immediately transitioned me into realizing how perfectly they would fit, and corsetry and crash diets were abandoned. This is for the best. I was impressed with how well and easily they came together. I have read reviews of extant patterns for pants where the inseam sits way too low and has to be adjusted higher, but these did not have any such issue. I am not sure if they were redrafted or not, but I love a pattern that I don’t have to adjust. The buttonholes gave me headaches, but this was due to my machine more than to the pattern. My poor buttonholer didn’t know what to do with 2-3 layers of denim. It was trial and error to get an end result, and truly Error is only really hidden by the existence of my buttons. Let it be simply stated that the buttonholes are ugly. But I have come to terms with this and filed them away with the pinked seams to be ignored for the greater good of the overalls.
I will definitely be making up this pattern again, though next time I believe I will make up the trousers themselves, and perhaps include a zipper instead of buttons. I also am in love with the hooded blouse option. It makes me think of Paulette Goddard in “The Women” as Miriam. She’s wearing a similar hood on the train to Reno, and I have always loved it!
Let me know in the comments what you think! Have any of you sewn denim and/or trousers before? I would love to see your pictures!
Much love!
P.S. I wrote this post before all of the current world events started to take place. It occurs to me that the perfect time to make the world a little brighter is during a difficult time like this. Please join me in remembering that the world is still beautiful and worth saving. It's time for us to all be superheroes!
