Overall, I Sew Overalls

The sun has been playing hide and seek with the clouds this week, making Seattle feel like early spring instead of near summer. As the winds cut the air outside like a cold knife and rain threatened from dark skies, I hunkered down inside and cut out muslin fabric for a pair of Burnside Bibs from Sew House Seven.

Snipping along the pattern lines, it occurred to me that overalls are a recurring theme in my sewing projects. Again and again, when my mind starts imagining what to make next, I gravitate to Things With Straps.

The whole idea behind overalls is that they cover up and protect what’s underneath so you can work, play, do whatever without worrying about getting dirty or hurt. I associate them with whimsy and playfulness. When I pull on a pair, I’m free to be footloose and fancy-free, symbolically protected, for the moment, from the seriousness and pain of the outside world. It’s no wonder I’m attracted to these delightful workhorses (play horses?) of the fashion world.

Jenny Overalls: So Nice I Made Them Twice

The “Jenny” pattern from Closet Core Patterns is the kind of pattern that not only allows me to feed my overalls obsession, it’s fun making them too. In fact, it was so much fun, I made two different versions: cropped trousers and shorts.

The cropped overalls are easy to style and work year-round because the cotton fabric is just a little lighter weight than denim. I pair these with long sleeves, short sleeves, sweaters, boots, sandals–you name it. For the styling below, I “borrowed” a long-sleeve butterfly button-down from Hubby and slid my feet into an old pair of urban cowboy boots that I’ve had about 20 years. (Does that make them vintage?)

These overalls really do bring out my whacky side. I was so happy with how they turned out, I went on a virtual field trip to celebrate. Click the video below and turn up the volume to join me.

https://youtu.be/g1a_MDzzxgo

The trousers were just the beginning, though. When I purchased the faux patchwork denim from Mood Fabrics, they hollered “overalls.” Once again, the Jenny pattern came to out to play. Wearing these, I can almost smell the vegan hot dogs on the grill and hear a local band playing at Seattle Center.

More Overalls, But Make Them Dresses

Just when I thought trouser overalls were all I needed, I came across a bib dress pattern from McCall’s, and before I knew it, I was dancing in my living room in knee-high Converse sneakers and a pink beret. Whenever I wear this dress, I can’t help but get a little jiggy. (There’s a video that goes with this photo as well, but it’s best left to the archives. ha ha.)

Finally, one of my all-time favorite makes: a wide-strapped maxi dress from Peppermint Magazine. It’s not quite overalls, but the DNA is there.

Made from viscose linen noil, this dress is drapey and cool and oh-so-comfy when the temperatures rise. It has two slits on either side that make it swish when I walk. This creates air conditioning on my legs, which is refreshing on a hot summer day. Pop on a floppy hat and give me a beach to walk barefoot down and I’d fit right into a commercial for some kind of feminine product.

Seriously, though, I do wear it to walk to the farmers market–when that’s possible. Our farmers markets have been running all through the pandemic and Hubby and I have taken advantage of the curbside pickup being offered. But soon, we’ll be lining up with our fellow Seattleites to meet the farmers and vendors masked-face to masked-face. And if the day is warm, I’ll be wearing this.

Put on Your Overalls and Dance!

Four different overalls-styles and there’s another in the making. I’m sure the Burnside Bibs won’t be my last either. Not only are overalls playful in how they look, wearing them makes me feel playful. In a serious world, sometimes I need an outfit that inspires me to break free and let go.

In celebration of these playful pieces, I’ve created a playlist on Spotify. If you’ve got a pair of strappy slacks you love, slip ’em on and let them work their whimsical magic on you as you play the day away.

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