Marilla Walker Roberts Collection Overalls

I know, I know… I already have a pair of navy overalls. But just LOOK AT THESE! In my eyes they are totally different from my others. I like to call the vintage Simplicities my “fancy overalls” with their more fitted silhouette and high waist. These I’m calling my “everyday overalls” and they are SO GREAT!

This pattern is the Marilla Walker Roberts Collection overalls. I am a huge overall fan so every time a new one is released it pretty much goes straight on to my things to make list. When I saw this pair from the Sara Project I was especially smitten. I love the relaxed fit look even though I don’t really think I pull off the “sloppy but cool” look very well. I even ended up trimming down the legs (more on that soon) because when I finished they felt a little too loosey goose for me. There are actually several views in the Roberts Collection including coveralls and a boxy shirt. The boxy shirt I would love to try as well.

I did have to make quite a bit of fit adjustments here, mostly because of my height (or lack of). I try on as I go and in my first fitting the crotch was down at my knees … yikes! I took about 2″ out of the waist in front and back. In the front, I simply removed 2″ from the bib. In the back, I had to create a seam across the back waist that would meet up with the seam in the front. That was the adjustment I made out of necessity. For style purposes, I went a little further.

Before I even cut the pattern I tapered the leg to be closer to the width of my Chi Town Chinos  because I knew I would want a more tapered leg. Another adjustment I did before cutting it out was to remove the front pleat which I knew I didn’t want. A diagram of how I did that is included below.  After making the waist adjustments and trying it on I felt like the legs needed even more adjusting. So I took about 1″ out of the back rise, and then another 1″ out of the full rise front and back tapering down into the leg. Some of these adjustments were actually made after these pictures were taken! It doesn’t look like it that much but in the photo above you can kind of see a little bit of the weird bagginess in the inner thigh.

The fabric is a beautiful tencel twill from my stash. Originally I believe it came from one of those artist coops where supplies are donated and you pay by the pound. It was actually given to me by a friend who had access to that kind of situation (lucky). I wasn’t sure what I would make with it but I think these overalls are the perfect pairing. I had some extra jeans buttons that I used for the bib closures and then ordered some snaps to match for the side closure. I’m not a pro at installing snaps so they actually come open quite easily (like when I bend down lol) but for the most part they hold well enough.

Lastly I did a permanent cuff for the hem. As a petite person, I feel sloppy if i’m not showing my ankles! I just love the way a cuffed hem looks and I knew I’d be cuffing them all the time so I decided to just make it pretty. (ps. look for a tutorial on this soon!)

If you’ve been considering making the Roberts Collection… Just do it already! Keep in mind if you are a shorty like me you definitely might want to take some length out of the torso. If you do this in the flat pattern stage you can avoid having a seam across your back like I do. (Though I dont mind my back seam!)

See it in action:

 

SKIP TO THE END?
Pattern: Marilla Walker Roberts Collection
Size Sewn: 1
Fabric: Tencel Twill from stash
Notions: Denim buttons, metal snaps
Difficulty: Intermediate
Adjustments: Removed 2″ from waist, tapered leg, took up rise about 1.5″, remove front pleat
Finishes: Serged seams, cuffed hem
Time: Half a day
Sew it again? Yes I want them all! Maybe rust colored ones next?

Happy Sewing!