I’ve made some rather cra-a-a-a-zy, and yet rather out-there groovy-baby jeans!
And they double up as overalls too! should I ever feel the urge to wear a pair of overalls… 🙂 Sneaky conversion between the two by way of a few flat buttons inside the waistband coupled with buttonholes on the bib and straps… #havingmycakeandeatingittoo
So, these are the Jenny overalls/trousers pattern by the ever clever and uber-cool Heather of Closet Case patterns. Actually I made TWO pairs of Jennys!… but first things first; this blue denim pair are my first. To be honest I don’t know if I’m ever going to blog my second pair because I’m suffering from a retroactive hate for the fabric I used… but we’ll see! Heather asked for us to make them with the bib if at all possible, since she wanted to check out how the bib bit looked on chests. So I bravely went there. Initially I was pretty sure I would prefer to wear them as jeans, but now I’m actually a bit torn since the bib bit is rather cute?! I’m just not sure if I’m “cute” enough to get away with it, you know? I think I have a good grasp on what my style is, and “cute” is likely a stretch for me. I’m keeping my options open, but so far I’ve only worn them out in the wild sans bib #notbrave
The upper part of the legs I cut from a piece of blue cotton denim that was given to me by my friend L when she cleaned out her garage, but it was a smallish piece, not big enough for the whole jeans. So obviously, I had to make up the difference somehow. Remember my maisa jean jacket? well I actually kept all those leftover bits, most of them were the original pockets and waistbands; and I had great fun cutting and arranging and cobbling them together to make up the diff… all that patchwork does make the legs a little heavy, because of the double layers of fabric in the pocket buts, plus embroidery and rivets and belt loops, but overall (haha, see what I did there) it’s not too bad! My love of how they look outweighs the weight… if that actually makes sense!
I’ve worn them a couple of times already, whoops! It’s not that long ago I would not allow myself to wear things until I’d blogged them; must be mellowing out in my old age, hmmm. They’ve actually attracted several individual, real-life compliments from random passers-by on both occasions… this is extremely rare for me, and it’s pretty nice to hear!
In the below picture you can see the closure; a lapped zip in the side seam and disappearing inside the pocket. I really love this discreet and clever feature, although being right-handed I find it a little awkward to do up that waistband button situated where it is slightly to the back of the right side of my body. On subsequent pairs I think I’ll probably switch this closure to the left side of the trousers. Having said that though, the instructions for inserting the lapped zip are outstanding! I’ve inserted about a million lapped zips in my time, to the point where I barely follow instructions anymore, however I followed these ones to the letter, without “thinking about it” (you know what I mean) and my lapped zip is immaculately and perfectly aligned. I should follow directions more often!
Details:
Jeans/overalls; the Jenny overalls by Closet Case patterns, cotton denim and recycled old denim jeans
Tee; the Nettie by Closet Case patterns, white jersey, details here
Cardigans; both the Miette, a free pattern by Andi Satterlund, details of the red one here, the mustard one here
Shoes; made by me, details here
Soooo; I usually like to get at least one ” out in the wild and actually wearing it” photo of the things I make… well, the little monster, I mean; Clara, and I were waiting for Craig to finish scoping out Bunnings (baby door for the patio at the beach house) and on the spur of the moment I just propped my iPhone up in the grass outside. Bam, photoshoot, DONE!!! Who needs a fancy camera and a tripod, anyway?! Oh, OK, if I’m going to even pretend to be a blogger then I guess I gotta keep up appearances, at least some of the time… 😉 Anyway it’s not a particularly good shot of my jeans, more like flipping’ terrible; but on the other hand Clara happens to be looking rather beautiful in a wolf-prowl-y sort of a way… Please admire that her coat is looking momentarily spiffy and fluffy and washed and brushed! #didntlast
btw, people often accuse her of giving side eye in my pictures.. it’s only because her eyes are actually half blue, half brown! which makes for a particularly side-eye-y sort of optical illusion!
These are amazing! I love your dedication to hoarding fabric scraps, using said scraps, all that piecing, and of course sewing as art. Have you been tempted to put things in the hem pockets?
thanks! I’ve been tempted, yes! but realistically the hemline is quite heavy 🙂
‘Groovy Carolyn’ as these pants take me back to the 1970s in a good sort of way. Thought they looked great with the bib and what a cool feature that the bib is removable like that. And actually, the first thing that came to mind was that I could so see Yoshimi wearing these! And she has great style, just as you. Clara is looking lovely as usual. 🙂 xx
thank you Lisa! You probably thought of Yoshimi because she made a pair of jeans using old jeans once, years ago!! I absolutely loved her pair, and they were much more stylish than mine here 🙂
I’ve found them! Yoshimi’s jeans are here
http://yoshimitheflyingsquirrel.blogspot.com/2010/03/jean-upcycled.html
Yes, I perfectly understand your reluctance to do the bib, BUT, the fully bibbed version does look amazing on you, I must say.
thank you so much Susan 🙂
LOVE! I am partial to the full-on overalls version, but I’m an unapologetic overalls-lover. I actually bought the Jenny pattern specifically to graft the bib on to skirts to make overalls dresses. Very clever with the reuse of fabrics & making the bib removeable!
thank you Ciara! I really like the idea of making an overall/dress; totally love the look of them myself too! 🙂
These are so fun! I’ve been wary of the overalls trend that seems to be going on in sewing patterns lately, since it hasn’t felt like something I can pull off now that I’m in my later 30s. I haven’t worn them since I finished college, except occasionally for painting. But these are really fun. I like that you made them convertible, and I loooove the patchwork leg bottoms. (’90s teenage me would have snatched these up in a heartbeat.)
haha, well I’m quite a bit older than that Becky! It’s funny, because when we were in Alaska I saw plenty of older, even elderly gentlemen wearing overalls, clearly not thinking they were too old for the look! I actually like the look a lot myself, just unsure for “me” if that makes sense 🙂
Oh my gosh, I adore them – both as jeans and as overalls!
I recently bought a pair of long overalls after owning and loving a short-legged pair for a couple of years. I am possibly too old for them, but I’m now at the age where I don’t really care what I’m too old for.
thank you, carol baby! Like I commented to Becky above; I don’t think anyone is too old for overalls! but it’s just a personal thing about what you want to wear, you know? I say if you love them then it shows in how you carry yourself, and you’ll look terrific in them 🙂
I love your jeans. I can’t look at them without thinking the word groovy!!
thank you so much Philippa! I was definitely aiming for groovy, so that’s so nice to hear 🙂
Looking at the bib, I don’t think it is that sort of cutesy cute. It’s cute, yes, but in an okay way. Anyway, if you are in the mood for the bib, you can wear it!
thanks so much Sarah Liz!
The bib version is so good Carolyn!!! I think it kind of balances out all the pockets at the bottom.
thank you Naomi! that’s a great point! 🙂
The patchwork effect looks great and your bib option is very smart! The more ways to wear a piece, the better! 🙂 (And these are on my to-do list as well! Planning already…)
thank you very much! Ah, I’m a real devotee of the patchwork look… 🙂
Wow, these look great! You can certainly wear the bib too…it looks good on you! Love the patchwork effect on the lower legs…so fab!
thank you very much Dianne! I absolutely love patchwork clothing.. too much, maybe!
Oh I do like those. The high waist looks amazing on you. I like them with the bib too.
thank you so much Catherine!
You are surprising us again with these cool jeans, Carolyn! So clever! Actually, I do love them even more with the bib. I agree with Lisa, too.
thank you very much SaSa! Like I commented to Lisa, Yoshimi made a pair of patchwork jeans herself, years ago! Hers are far more lovely than mine… you can see them here
http://yoshimitheflyingsquirrel.blogspot.com/2010/03/jean-upcycled.html
These look so great, with and without the bib. I love the clever way you’ve made them so you can wear either way. The last photo is lovely too but Clara definitely steals the show in that one!
There’s a mum at the school where I work who always has amazing clothes – avant garde and they fit her so well. When she walks down the hall the teachers rush to find each other and ask “Did you see Elena’s pants/jacket/dress today?!” These are true Elena pants.
Smashing! Love them with and without the bib!
Brilliant that you made them wearable with and without the big and Clara is looking gorgeous.