Each month in our pattern review column, readers share their unique style with a gorgeous garment make!
When I first saw this pattern I was immediately drawn to the loose, slouchy fit; it just looked so fun and comfortable. I always struggle with clothing over the summer; I’m not a fan of dresses and this looked like a great alternative for those hotter months. I noticed that the designer showed models of different genders wearing them on their product pages and social media, and as a non-binary person; I find I’m always more drawn to patterns marketed as gender neutral.
MY STYLE
I love the quirkiness of my dungarees! I feel I’ve made them quite unique with my rainbow patchwork bib. And they are so comfortable and versatile; I just know I’ll be wearing them all summer long – in the garden, the studio, and while playing with my kids.
My style could probably be described as artist-meets-hobbit; I love wide trousers, loose shirts and smocks, tailored waistcoats, scarves and ties, and lots of layers and textures! I think these dungarees fit right in actually, and definitely fill a gap in my summer wardrobe.
FABRICS
I usually stick to natural fibres in my clothes and for sewing; such as linen, cotton or wool. I find these more comfortable to wear, and they tend to be more durable and sustainable.
I felt these dungarees could benefit from a bit more drape than cotton or linen could provide, so I went for a linen-viscose blend. Viscose fabric is made from natural materials (regenerated wood pulp) using human processes so is a great fibre to blend with linen. I’ve never used such a fabric before but it was actually wonderful – the slubby texture of linen, and very soft, comfortable and light.
TIMINGS
It probably took around six hours in total to cut and sew the garment, including making the rainbow patchwork bib and sewing on the pockets, so I would call it a quick sew. I didn’t think a toile would be particularly necessary with this garment, given the loose, oversized fit, so I took a gamble and I think it paid off!
FAVOURITE PARTS & CHALLENGES
The most enjoyable part of this make was trying the dungarees on for the first time! Sewing the bib onto the legs is one of the last steps of the instructions, and until this is done you can’t really try them on. So, it was a nice surprise looking in the mirror and seeing myself wearing the end result.
The pattern is quite straightforward, and anyone who has made a few garments before shouldn’t have a problem. The most challenging part was sewing the pleats (there are 12 of them!). If you get this wrong, then the
