Two Eden overalls

I was asked by my bestie to sew a pair of Eden coveralls for her wee spud. This is a pattern from Brindille & Twig and can be sewn in jersey or woven fabrics. I love a pattern that can do both types of fabric, it’s so helpful when you’re thrifting all your fabric secondhand. You never know what fabric you’re going to find next and you can’t rely on the thrifting gods to hand you what you need, just when you need it. Having patterns that can be flexibly fit into your stash, rather than the other way round, makes sewing a secondhand wardrobe much more achievable.

The first coveralls I made using a blue linen remnant from my stash. It’s been lingering for a few years, I always thought I would make it into a top for me, but the blue was the wrong side of purple to be useful to my wardrobe. Still, it was soft and a natural fibre, easy to sew and iron. I’d forgotten, after a long period of sewing almost exclusively with jersey fabric, how lovely it is to work with natural fibres. No shiny burn marks, stretched-out lettuce-wavy hems or unpleasant plastic smells.

I finished off the nape of the neck with a Craft & Thrift label. I worked with Jen Hogg, from Jenerates, to create these labels. They’re made from reclaimed leather and cork materials, with the Craft & Thrift logo of 3 trees embossed onto one side. I love the professional, clean finish they lend a project.

The second set was made from an old dress, belonging to my pal but at the end of its wearable lifespan. She sent me the dress with the request to make the next size up of the Eden coveralls, after the first set had proved a hit. The dress was a beautiful linen, quite light and floaty, which made this pair a bit more tricky to produce a clean finish. Now that the kid in question has grown, the larger size also requires more fabric and I was surprised to realise I would need the entire dress, including piecing together the remnants to cut the longer sleeves. It was a fun puzzle, using all the last scraps and remnants and has given the sleeves and facing some interesting textures, in the form of the seamlines.

This is my favourite type of sewing, taking discarded fabrics and clothing and turning them into something smart and functional. I hope the wee spud enjoys his new duds!