Friday, February 7, 2020

Classic Comfy Overalls: Cone Mills Denim S-Gene Jenny Overalls

I've been planning to make some basic denim Jenny Overalls since I made my first pair. Recently I came across the 3 yards of Cone Mills denim I'd bought for this purpose, and started washing it up. 


I got it cut and started sewing, then life happened. It languished in piles around my sewing machine, taunting me. I'd sneak in a little sew here and there, and finally, 3 weeks later, they were done!


I used Cone Mills S-Gene Denim, probably 9 oz. This is a pattern that calls for non-stretch, but I was going for comfort, so I figured it would be fine. I did end up taking in the side seams a bit more than I would have for a non-stretch.

I also narrowed the legs, using Heather's tutorial for a tapered leg Jenny, and also her tutorial for side seam buttons, since I'm sort of obsessed with this look.

I used these buckles and these buttons, the ones with the tiny stars in a circle, both in antique brass finish.



The topstitching and bar tacks are done with Mara 70 thread in color 448. I think this tip originally came from Lladybird. It sort of saved me since my machine doesn't much care for topstitching thread that is any thicker than this. When I first started making jeans I bought Mara 30 in a bunch of colors but it is a battle to use it, and forget about trying to sew a buttonhole with it. 


Since I was using stretch denim, I decided to do a front pocket stay, such as the one on Ginger Jeans. I drafted the pieces using the Jenny pattern, and sewed them up in a cute clouds quilting cotton that I picked up on super sale at Hobby Lobby. 


I also made the bib facing out of my cute cloud cotton! The inside waistband is also this quilting cotton, although I didn't get any pics of it.




This is the first time I followed the directions for the straps and just turned over the edges .25 twice. I thought it would be fine with denim, but they are floppier than I'd like. Next time I'll go back to cutting double the strap pieces and sewing them together as a faced strap, it makes them much more sturdy and they hold their shape better.


They are super comfy, the denim is soft on the inside and the stretch makes movement effortless. I imagine they'll be a favorite for weekend tasks like gardening and housework and hanging with the kids. I'll probably also wear them to work on occasion, for more casual days, although I think they'd also make a statement with a pair of shiny boots and a great blazer. 


Bonus pictures of our cat Dala, preening and dozing on our Eames chair (look alike).

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