Jalie Overalls! Pattern #972
Over the past couple of years there have been several new patterns released for varying sorts of overalls/dungarees. My main problem with all of them was that the styles just weren't what I wanted. I was looking for classic, mid-nineties overalls. The kind with a Y back and lots of pockets and, most importantly, no ties or waist definition. I spent a fair bit of time searching the internet and Instagram for options and wouldn't you know it, one of my favorite pattern companies had just the pattern I was looking for!
This is Jalie Patterns #972. The downloadable PDF is a scan of their out-of-print paper pattern, so it does not have layers or any of those cool features that modern PDF patterns have. I made a size X and other than making the bib and the straps a little shorter, I made no other alterations. And they fit! And I loved my first pair so much that I made a second pair!
My first pair were made from a 100% cotton, linen-like IKEA curtain that I purchased at a thrift store.
I cuffed the hems, which I love, despite their constantly catching plant matter and needing to be ironed after every wash. The instructions contained a few points of confusion for me, primarily around the leg pocket. The notches for that pocket are not distinctive and I got confused and attached it too low on the leg on my first pair. It's fine, because I'm not likely to use it anyway and, thanks to the shelter-in-place order, only my family has seen these in person. Also, this pattern does not call for any interfacing - even where the buttons are attached. So in my second version I added that.
I searched high and low on the internet for a matching set of overalls buckles with sliders and extra sliders and buttons. As far as I can tell, only Closet Core Patterns offers these and at the time I was looking, they were out of stock everywhere. Also, this project calls for eight buttons, so I needed to be able to buy additional matching buttons. This was too much to ask back in the early days of the shelter in place order. I ordered the buckles with sliders and the extra sliders on Amazon. I already own a large snap press from KAMsnaps, so I bought the adapters and dies and jean buttons from them. Luckily, all of them look nice together and work together well.
My second version is made from a wonderful stretch chino from The Sewing Studio. I actually bought a shorter length to make into shorts, but the fabric ended up being much darker than I thought it would be (I am not a fan of my super pale legs sticking out of dark shorts). The fabric did seem perfect for a pair of work-wear overalls, though, so after washing and drying and ironing the fabric, I laid out the pattern pieces on it to see what I could cut out of that length and then estimate how much more I would need to buy to cut out the rest. I ordered the amount I would need (thankfully it was still in stock) and presto! Within a week, I had overalls!
I bought fun quilting cotton for my pocket bags and belt lining at Mill End, and I made sure that the right side was the side I see when I put the overalls on. Usually my pocket bags are made from remnants of quilting cotton or the cotton bedsheets I purchase at thrift stores for muslins, but I've used up almost all of that making face masks for my family. It was time to restock.
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