It's time to finish our Erin dungarees or overalls! We're at the last step of the Erin sewalong, which has been made possible thanks to support from Janome.
In this part of the Erin sewalong we'll cover:
- Hemming
- Sewing the buttonhole version
- Finishing the tie shoulder version
Follow the Erin sewalong!
HEMMING
Try on your dungarees and check you’re happy with the length, bearing in mind the full length or cropped legs will be 25mm (1in) shorter and the shorts will be 10mm (3/8in) shorter once hemmed. If you’d rather they were shorter, you can trim them down. If you’d rather they were longer, you can use a smaller hem allowance, and make a note to lengthen them next time you make them.
If you’re using woven fabric, finish the raw edges of the leg hems with zigzag stitch or an overlocker. Press the hems under to the wrong side by 25mm (1in) if you’re making the full length or cropped legs or by 10mm (3/4in) if you’re making the shorts. Pin in place.
Topstitch the hems using a 20mm (3/4in) seam allowance for the full length or cropped legs or 7mm (1/4in) for the shorts. Topstiching just means sewing visible stitches through the layers. If you’re using woven fabric, you can use a straight stitch on a regular sewing machine. If you’re using a knit fabric, you can either use a twin needle or an even zigzag stitch – try setting it to 2.5 length by 2.5 width.
BUTTONHOLE VERSION
If you’re making the buttonhole version, with the two straps as opposed to four, we now need to sew the buttonholes to the front yoke. They should be marked on the right side of the front yoke – if the markings have rubbed off, refer back to the front yoke pattern, folding the edges of the pattern piece under 15mm (5/8in) to account for the seam allowance we’ve already sewn.
Nervous about buttonholes? Don't be! We have dedicated, in-depth tutorials for sewing different types of buttonholes:
It's a good idea to test sew a buttonhole or two first on a swatch that replicates your project – so two layers of fabric, one of which is interfaced.
The buttonholes should be around 20mm (3/4in) long to fit the straps through. If you have an automatic buttonhole foot, you can insert a button that is a little smaller than this in the back, otherwise, get to this length through trial and error. It doesn't have to be exact as the straps can be folded to get through the holes.
Once you’re happy with the length of the buttonholes, sew them on the front of your dungarees at the markings. If your fabric is on the bulky side, you can use a stitch starter to give the presser foot a leg up to help it get started over this edge – just fold a little scrap of fabric and put it under the back of the presser foot.
To tie your buttonhole straps, insert the straps from the back to the front through the buttonholes. You can tie them in a simple knot, a looped knot (as seen in the photo above), a knot tied around the top of the yoke, or however you like!
TIE SHOULDER
To wear your dungarees, tie each front strap to its matching back strap at the shoulder.
FINISHING TOUCHES
Dungarees are the perfect garment for displaying a cute woven label! Why not stitch one on the outside of your bib facing, like Abi did on her pair of Erin dungarees. Then you’re ready for your final press and it’s time to show off your finished dungarees!
Thank you to our friends at Janome for supporting the Erin sewalong. During this sewalong, our content producer Abi used the fantastic Janome DKS100 Special Edition sewing machine and dreamy Janome 6234XL Overlocker (serger).
In our final blog post in the Erin sewalong series, we'll be showing off our very own Erin dungarees, featuring Team Buttons and Team Janome!
Share what you're making
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Video sewalong: Abi Dyson
Photos: Jane Looker
