Project Alteration; dungarees
2025-May-08, Thursday 02:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chebeThe problem with focussing on repairs and alterations is that there is rarely anything significant enough to blog about. But I'll try and highlight the pieces that involve a bit more work as they happen.
Like these dungarees shorts. I bought them, and they fit. Barely. But they were far from comfortable. What to do? There is a waistband, that I don't want to mess with. And button plackets on both sides behind pockets, that I'd do best to avoid. So that left opening up the side seams, and inserting some extra width. Luckily the side seams were faux-flat-felled, so they weren't that painful to rip back. With the seams open I tried them on, with some calico, and just pinned and marked the calico in the gap left by the denim. I could have gone narrower, but the full freedom of movement (and air flow) appeals. This is about an additional 17cm along the hem on each side.
I transferred the markings from the calico to pattern paper, added 1cm seam allowances, and cut two pieces out of black linen.
I overlocked/serged the seam allowances separately. Then I sewed the linen pieces in along the button/pocket edge first, then to the backs. Finished the tops of the triangles by hand. And zig-zagged along the bottom hem in line with the denim fraying, and then started the linen fraying to match. And we're done. I'm hoping the denim doesn't bunch too much now that it isn't being held in tension, if it does I will need to narrow my triangles. Otherwise I'm contemplating adding some embroidery to integrate the new pieces more and amp up the folksy vibe.
Like these dungarees shorts. I bought them, and they fit. Barely. But they were far from comfortable. What to do? There is a waistband, that I don't want to mess with. And button plackets on both sides behind pockets, that I'd do best to avoid. So that left opening up the side seams, and inserting some extra width. Luckily the side seams were faux-flat-felled, so they weren't that painful to rip back. With the seams open I tried them on, with some calico, and just pinned and marked the calico in the gap left by the denim. I could have gone narrower, but the full freedom of movement (and air flow) appeals. This is about an additional 17cm along the hem on each side.
I transferred the markings from the calico to pattern paper, added 1cm seam allowances, and cut two pieces out of black linen.
Dungarees with side seam open and calico pinned in
Photo by chebe
Pattern piece pinned to linen
Photo by chebe
I overlocked/serged the seam allowances separately. Then I sewed the linen pieces in along the button/pocket edge first, then to the backs. Finished the tops of the triangles by hand. And zig-zagged along the bottom hem in line with the denim fraying, and then started the linen fraying to match. And we're done. I'm hoping the denim doesn't bunch too much now that it isn't being held in tension, if it does I will need to narrow my triangles. Otherwise I'm contemplating adding some embroidery to integrate the new pieces more and amp up the folksy vibe.
Altered dungarees with additional linen pieces
Photo by chebe
Altered dungarees with additional side seam width
Photo by chebe
