In and out of love with the Loveralls

It was love at first sight for me with the Loveralls. I bought my fabric straight after this blog post way back in March. I was going to make some Loveralls and wild denim horses were not going to stop me.

When I accepted the invitation to the Sewing Block Party, I was only after one thing, the Loveralls (of course) and I’m not ashamed to admit it. But the pattern was not ready and whilst everyone else at the party was excitedly sewing up other Petit a Petit Patterns, I was patiently waiting for the Loveralls.

And then, as if the sewing fairies were listening (or after a heavy hint), this message popped up…

…and of course it was time to put my party shoes on and GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!!!!! RIGHT?

Celina spun her magic and the Loveralls pattern was ready in time for the party. Kudos to her, the love and hard work that was put into this pattern shows. And I most admire anyone who dares to do something different. A quirky take on the classic dungarees, oh yes, she got me.

So I had this idea

An idea above my station I was later to find out. My intention was not to finish any seams using my overlocker (at all). I was going to finish ALL the seams as neatly as possible with bias binding or flat felled seams. I was going to take my time and make my Loveralls beautiful from the inside and out, a work of art that one day I was going to hang on my wall.

But everything did not go according to plan, which is quite typical of my sewing adventures. I went through what is known as ‘The Creative Process’. Allow me to explain…

 

This is amazing

It all started well, I made some beautiful and exceptionally neat front pockets. Top stitched like a ninja (a sewing ninja that is), whilst enjoying the Hokey Cokey with my bobbin thread. And bias bound the pocket bags like a boss.

This is tricky

I had to make some fit adjustments to make them work for my 9 year old whose legs resemble a baby giraffe (as Toya so rightly put it).

I lengthened the legs and took a few centimetres off at the hips.

I shaped the back to fit her curves and avoid excessive gaping which comes as standard when you do not have a pancake butt.

This is crap

I also did a flat felled seam along the inner legs (which uses up more seam allowance). Had I not already taken some off at the hips, this seam may have been ok. But as it happens, the Loveralls are already a slim fit and making them even slimmer meant that my daughter would have to walk like a penguin to avoid discomfort when she moved.

Sadly, I was going to have to unpick the flat felled seam that I had been so proud of and overlock the edges after all.

So after the medium sized set back of the Loveralls being too tight I was keen for my daughter to try on her Loveralls again. This meant having to hastily tack them together so that she could try them on in the  morning before she put her uniform on for school.

I am crap

And holy crap, the Loveralls were now twisting from the knee downwards on one leg. Levis Twisted Jeans, eat your heart out. I had to take a moment to compose myself and I very nearly gave up on this whole ‘sewing lark’. OK, I was being stupidly dramatic but I was rapidly falling out of love with the Loveralls.

This might be OK

I sought advice (thanks ladies, you know who you are) and then calmed myself down. I stepped away from the Loveralls for a good 12 hours. And then took my time lining up the side seams, inhaled deeply and started sewing whilst singing Fairground Attraction.

Perfect

It’s got to be perfect, it’s got to be worth it,
Too many people take second best
Well I won’t take anything less
It’s got to be, yeah, perfect

 

Young hearts are foolish, they make such mistakes
They’re much too eager to give their love away
Well, I have been foolish too many times
Now I’m determined, I’m gonna get it right

This is amazing

And so it was time to try the Loveralls on again. Hurrah! my ‘slow down and take it easy’ approach to sewing seemed to do the trick. The Loveralls were now fitting beautifully.

And this my sewing chums is the result…

Little details

I certainly put a lot of love into making these Loveralls. With meticulous attention to detail. Constant thread changing from white to yellow to blue and back again became routine.

• I cut the back pockets so that the lines ran diagonal to the lines in the leg
• I divided the pockets in two and added yellow piping between the seam
• I topstitched EVERYWHERE and finished it off by hand.
• I attached sew-on snap fasteners underneath each pocket flap to prevent them from flapping
• I added yellow piping to the back yoke.

• I inserted a small tab from colourful bias (bought during Paris Sew Social) to the right back pocket
• I added dungaree clips, jeans buttons, snaps and rivets for authenticity. It was a tough job, it took a bit of manpower but no snaps or rivets were harmed in the process.

OK, well maybe a few. But I’ve got the hang of it now.

• I carried the colourful bias detail through to the turn up
• And used a tight zig-zag stitch to neaten the inner leg seam

• To the bib (which I cut on the fold), I added an off centred pocket at an angle
• I added piping through the pocket, as a nod to the piping at the back
• I added a small pocket within a pocket in the front pocket of the bib (try saying that 5 times fast) to hold a pen or a  pencil (a necessity of course, people always need pencils)
• I added decrorative and functional yellow and white stitching detail to the pocket corners of the bib (as I had already done for the coin pocket)
• I added another colourful bias tab to the bib pocket

All the little details that prevent my Loveralls from looking homemade.

Denim adventures

Making jeans takes time (a lot of time) but the satisfaction you get from making jeans is immense. You can see my previous, utterly satisfying handmade jeans here, here and here.

And one day, I just have to make a pair of jeans for myself, but the fit has to be right, the cut has to be flattering and the fabric has to be stylish, comfortable and durable. It’s my ultimate goal in denim.Wish me luck.

20% off Petit a Petit patterns

If you’re tempted to make some Loveralls or any other  Petit a Petit pattern, you can get 20% off using code ‘BLOCKPARTY’. Offer lasts for throughout November.

And for the chance to win ALL of the Petit A Petit Patterns, click a Rafflecopter giveaway to enter.

Thanks for listening whilst I babble on about my Loveralls, now off you go and mingle with the others at the Block Party. And if you run out of conversation, you can always talk about my Loveralls…

Nov. 1st – Sweetkm | Nov. 2nd – The Sara Project | Nov. 3rd – La Folie | Nov. 4th – Hello Holli | Nov. 5th – Chalk and Notch | Nov. 6th – Sewing Like Mad | Nov. 7th – Beatnik Kids | Nov. 8th – Stitched Together | Nov. 9th – Coffee and Thread | Nov. 10th – Made by Toya | Nov. 11th – Stahlarbeit | Nov. 12th – Lily en Woody | Nov. 13th – My Petite Sophie | Nov. 14th – Handmade Frenzy | Nov. 15th – Paisley Roots | Nov. 16th – While she was sleeping | Nov. 17th – My Cozy co | Nov. 18th – A Jennuine Life | Nov. 19th – Knee Socks and Goldilocks | Nov. 20th – Sanae Ishida | Nov. 21st – Little Cumquat | Nov. 21st – Needle and Ted | Nov. 22nd – Gaafmachine | Nov. 23rd – Craftstorming | Nov. 24th – Made by Sara | Nov. 25th – Buzzmills | Nov. 26th – Bartacks and Singletrack | Nov. 27th – Moineau & Petit Pois | Nov. 28th – Naii | Nov. 29th – Just Add Fabric | Nov. 30th – Mie Made Memories | Enjoyful Makes | Dec. 1st – Petit a Petit and Family