Refashioner 2016 - Denim

Y'all, taking pictures of oneself is hard. This is the first time I used my camera and remote to take remote pictures of myself and all I can say is thank goodness for that flip out screen! I have so much respect for all of the lovely bloggers who do this on any sort of regular basis. 

This project is my entry for the Refashioner 2016 Denim challenge. 

Originally I thought I would make a top a la Rachel Comey, but when I saw Carlolyn's scrappy denim dress I knew I wanted to attempt my own dress. 

Materials: 3 pairs deconstructed men's denim jeans 100% heavy cotton denim. On pair of light Levis 50ls that I had on hand, a pair of Wranglers and Polo Ralph Lauren that I purchased on sale at a local Goodwill. Jeans sewing thread and top-stitch thread.

Pattern: B5745 OOP. I had this in my pattern stash for a while and it actually lists denim as one of the suggested fabrics. It is a fit & flare dress with multiple panels and multi cup pattern pieces.

Cutting Notes: The challenge was to turn denim jeans into another garment, I had to fit the pattern pieces carefully onto the denim. Also, the denim is quite heavy and was to hang from rather narrow straps so I wanted to reduce the flare of the skirt. Therefore, I removed 1" from each panel seam at the hem (2 inches per seam, which is something like 18" total!!!) and blended through the hip. The only place I did not reduce was the CF seam, which are straight. 

I liked that the front was low but the cup shaping prevents it from gaping scandalously and the low back makes it very comfortable in hot weather, which was somewhat surprising given the heaviness of the fabric.

Construction Notes: The CF, CB and side seams are all over-locked before seaming, pressed open and then top-stitched 1/8" on each side of the seam. I used purchased navy single fold bias tape instead of self bias to face the neckline and armholes. My Bernina handled the heavy denim like a champ, but adding further bulk in those areas wouldn't have been a good idea. I installed a metal zipper instead of an invisible zipper and I applied it so that the teeth would be exposed.

To further use the denim material I added two of the jeans pockets to the sides where my hands fall. They feel a little awkward that far to my side, but I like the way the placement looks centered on the side seam. I thought about adding more of the pockets, but I haven't settled on any placement that I liked.

I'm delighted with the way this dress turned out. It's very comfortable, cute, and appropriate to wear as a transitional garment for fall. I've enjoyed wearing it this weekend as the weather cools off and I really enjoyed participating in the Refashioner challenge this year.

More in depth pattern details on patternreview.com