Mortem\’s Trick or Treats: A Time For Recouping.

It’s been rough these past couple of weeks. Physically that is.I have been fighting a small injury to my hip, that although small, nevertheless kept me from my usual freedoms. After I healed from that, I was stricken with a bad allergy attack that made my eyes swell up shut. After I took enough antihistamines to get them open it was just a matter of waiting and medicating for the rest of my body to follow suit…Still, despite all of it, recovery time did offer me a moment to finish some smaller projects I kept putting off and of course writing on my blog– that’s why I have been so very active online, hehe.Now that I’m mostly back to relative normality, I took the chance to model out a pair of overalls I finished before the allergy attack.

This was the project I had even earlier set aside to work on my version of McCall’s 6503.It was while I was deciding what to do for embellishments on this project that my path took me to the dress. After that struggle, a little break afterwards, and I guess the bruised hip (lol) I was able to finally get back to it.This is McCall’s 7547 in view C; the overall shorts.Always wanted me a pair of velvet overalls, and now I finally have them– with a few modifications.And modifications there are a few of…To start, I omitted side seams and any zippers or the connected waist bands that were originally designed with the pattern. In their place I used grommets for lace up details, and double sided button tabs to ensure they stay together– in case unlacing should somehow occur.

The button tabs were things I had to draft in myself, though as you might imagine, not very difficult to do.

I took a portion of the original waist pattern piece and arrowed it off.The method might have been easy, but the decision to use them wasn’t; this new design feature. I bounced the idea around among buckles or snaps. None seemed more neutral in the end to any future belts I may wear than fabric covered buttons, since I kept the original belt loops in the design.Lucky I had some button making kits in my stash leftover from making my bat dress.My biggest revelation while making this up was the use of fabric glue. I know, sounds like a no-brainer to a crafter.Once I did scoff the use in garment construction, because hand basting was more than sufficient, and glue can have rather unsightly effect on the finish, if you’re using liquid glue or a strong enough stick glue. I use it all the time in my millinery and other accessory related craft… but during this, I wasn’t in the mood to baste every seam in this to make it sit right.Stick glue never liquid for bastingSee, I don’t have a velvet board; a tool used to press/iron velvet without affecting the pile adversely. It’s also very expensive, and the sole reason I don’t yet own one.Fluffy towels are said to be a good substitute, but I don’t have fluffy towels. It left me puzzling over what I could do to get the cooperation I desired when pins were too cumbersome for accuracy.I bought this fabric glue pen to experiment in my millinery (brand: June Tailor), but the application was far too light for those purposes. Kind of an ah-ha moment.A quick swatch test, and doors of possibilities opened.I was able to make the straps and work under finite seam allowance with ease, all thanks to fabric glue basting; the pen applicator was acutely responsible for the level of handiness.

Pattern Overview:The finished garment produces a close fitting/fitted pair of overalls, worth it to note for those looking for a loose fit. With major and complicated tweaks, the possibility is there. Front top pocket is not originally intended for View C, this is an optional piece for this view.If you’re using a material with not a lot of thickness, like I did, make sure you’re reinforcing and adding an interfaced thick layer where the dungaree buttons will be installed.It should be mentioned that originally the pattern has a side zipper closure, and a working front fly. I wanted neither.Comes together very easily, though I suggest paying close attention to how you finish your seams and reinforce stress points; the crotch, corners of pockets, the point where the straps are attached, as well as front and back bibs along the waist.