Sometimes it is hard to focus on one idea, one project from the beginning to the end, without getting distracted by new ideas and projects.
When I sew clothes, I usually have a very specific idea of them right from the beginning. In my head I already see the person (or myself) wearing them, in a place in a whole scenario. If I sew for myself, I get really impatient at times, to wear the garments I didn’t even started sewing yet.
With the dungarees I am talking about now it is the same. Once I had the Idea, I couldn’t wait to be able to wear them… The picture I had was taking the bike, driving through the wheat fields, passing the red coquelico. Having a picnic or somewhere under a tree or some Rosé next to a little stream, with the evening sun shining through those wheat and coquelico-fields.
Part of the sewing I spent drawing those pictures in my head, awaiting the evening to make them reality, until I see the sun setting and must realize that it will not happen that night. Because maybe making, constructing and designing dungarees from scratch takes a little longer than just one afternoon or even two.
Another thing I am thinking of is, the process, most likely, since I seldom work with patterns, I must construct them from scratch. Which is in one way a great learning process, since I am getting familiar with creating patterns, understanding how they even work or how they are build up. Or copping them, so in that sense I am working on the skill of reproducing some favorite garments.
In last weeks postlast weeks post I shared with you how I came to have the idea of making dungarees. Now I want to share the creating process with you. The fabric I used, how I created the pattern and what kind of techniques I used.
The Idea was, to make red dungarees, with the possibility to only take of the trousers part (without undressing completely) so as woman for example it wouldn’t be a mission to pee every time... Red, because it was the fabric that spoke to me at this moment.
Usually, I do like to choose a fabric that inspires me first, and then come up with an idea of what to create with it and not the other way round.
I got the fabric in a secondhand shop a while ago, and now finally I picked it up, and was glad to have it within my little fabric collection.
I feel it is a bit like with books, sometimes you have them standing around for aaages and never feel like reading them, but then when you do, you love it and couldn’t imagine how you didn’t find the inspiration to do so before.
The fabric is most likely to be cotton, or any other natural fabric. Since I bought the fabric second hand, I am not sure. But you can burn fabric to see what it is made from, and if it doesent melt you are pretty sure it is natural fibres (as far as I know).
The dungarees have some story too…. Well after hesitating I am going to tell you about. Since I am all about the story I see or live with and behind the garments, I should include this one aswell.
Especially because I feel whatever you or someone else lived with a piece of clothing contributes to how you feel about wearing it.
I found those dungarees, made from linen (which makes them sooo comfortable) in a hostel clothing-exchange-box in Morocco. Where they traveled across the country with me through the desert and back across Europe, so they have seen a lot:)
After the fabric, the idea and the sketch I did transfer the pattern of the existing dungarees onto the fabric. Here I made some little adjustments, like the legs are a bit longer and wider and the waist is higher too (which didn’t serve at all, I did cut it down shorter later again lol).
Somehow, I tend to give way too much fabric in all sorts of useful or ridiculous places, in fear I would end up with not enough. The opposite is more likely the case…
Cutting the first pieces, always feels quite edgy… It’s kind of the first big turning point, where the path is set if the project will succeed or not.
Some courage is needed to pick up the scissors and do it…
The longer I was looking at this bright red colour, the more I fell in love with it, and the more I got attached to this project and wanted to do it good.
This time (first time ever I think lol) I sewed the whole trousers with a loose stitch together to be able to take adjustments on the form, after trying it on.
It fitted surprisingly well… Still, I had to get rid of some fabric in the crutch.
It is funny so see what kind of tendencies I have when it comes to different garments. With any sort of trousers, I realized, I tend to include some waist band that can be tied. Almost every single time. And this time was no exception…
I made the pockets in the same design than on my linen-dungarees. So that changed from the sketch where I was thinking to make "classic" pockets on the inside.
Then comes the less glorious part, but included in almost every project.... regardless of the loose-stitch-system. I sewed to early where I shouldnt have, and had to open all the 1mm stitches... a pain.. but it was worth it!
Next photo you see why... to fit the pockets neatly on the front.
I sewed some laces for later...
...created some more fuck-ups...
...and had to finally accept, that it will take me a few more days to finish those dungarees.
Nevertheless I am very happy with how things went. And this is how they look so far...
(front and back in detail, the pockets and the back open, that you can tie with the laces, which should prevent you from taking of the whole garment, when peeing lol)
Thank you to take the time and share the process with me, I really appreciate all the exchange and sharing! And I wish you all a lovely week! Looking forward to see you around:)
(all photos are taken by me)