I made dungarees! I’ve been wanting to sew dungarees for SO long but couldn’t quite decide on the style I wanted and part of me thought the process might be akin to making jeans – which demands a little more time and energy. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the simplicity of the construction and how quickly this garment came together. I also think this was partly due to the dreamy, soft cotton twill which was really lovely to sew with.

Choosing the pattern

When searching for sewing patterns, I tend to lean more towards indie patterns simply because I find the instructions are more detailed and thus easier to follow; they are also regularly supported by online sew-alongs or detailed step-by-step pictures of the construction. However, I really loved the classic style offered by the McCall’s M7547 pattern and the different trouser options included.

I cut a size 12 throughout and these fit really well.

Alterations

Having read a couple of reviews online beforehand, people had mentioned the shortness of the shoulder straps. I initially cut these really long and then when trying the dungarees on, simply trimmed off the excess fabric I didn’t need. I added an inch to the leg length and ended up accidently making the narrow – instead of the thicker – hem but actually the length is perfect.

Also, this isn’t really a pattern alteration per se but I covered the exposed seam on the inside of the bib, just to give it some stability as it was fraying a little and didn’t look very neat. This was easy enough to do by simply cutting a piece of fabric slightly longer and wider than the seam, joining this piece to the main fabric (wrong side up) and then folding the outside edges in, turning in the long raw edge at the bottom of the fabric piece and bringing the folded edge to meet the top of the fabric piece and sewing in place.

How to wear

The weather is getting a little warmer now so I’m envisioning wearing these dungarees with a simple T-shirt or embellished blouse and flat sandals. The twill is medium-weight but feels quite light to wear and is really lovely and soft so I think it will work well for spring. The fabric itself is from Rainbow Fabrics and I would definitely recommend checking out their website if you haven’t already as they have some gorgeous pieces that are really reasonable.

What’s on your ‘to-make’ list for spring?