we back with another goodwill haul update!

To catch ya up to speed, a few weeks ago, I picked up a few linens from my local Goodwill. Link to my original haul post is here. Today, I’m sharing what I made from this heavy weight navy blue curtain. This fabric felt a little too thick for a dress, but lacked the stretch that I would want in jeans/pants. Consequently, I was looking for skirts/shorts/jumpers that would transition well from winter to spring.

Anyway, suspense over because my title gives away the surprise – the Cleo Pinafore + Dungaree Dress from Tilly and the Buttons, link to the pattern here! I chose the dungaree (aka overalls here in the US) style as I’d never worked with those buckles before and clearly I’m all about ~doing~ all the things.

Here’s le scoop:

This pattern gives you the option to sew up either a pinafore (without the buttons) or a dungaree dress (with the overall buckles), with 2 different lengths – knee length or mini length.

Difficulty: easy-peasy  –> you’ll need to know how to sew a straight seam, attach a facing, and probably the hardest part is topstitching the pockets on straight and evenly! Time from start to finish – 3 hours. For the buckles, you need a hammer to securely attach the button to the button tack.

Changes: The pattern calls for the dress to be split in half on the front and back – I thought this was unnecessary (and really only for style points), so I did the center seam for the front pattern piece and cut the back piece on the fold. If you choose to skip the back split, don’t forget to account for the extra seam allowance! I also chose to do the front larger pocket but skipped the back pockets because I couldn’t decide where I wanted to place it. Other than that, the sizing was perfect! I cut a size 5 which was perfectly loose.

Final Thoughts: Super easy, no changes necessary. It’s the perfect instant gratification pattern, a la York Pinafore. This is a little more of a structured silhouette than the York Pinafore (link to my review here! ) Check out the hashtag on insta for inspiration at #SewingCleo !! So many fun fabric options out there. I’d like to make this again and do some fun hand embroidery on the pockets to make it a little more unique.

However, the biggest surprise was how perfect this former curtain sheet was for this dress – the whole thing cost about $3 (apart from purchasing the PDF pattern), plus however much I paid for the buckles. I still have some leftover fabric from this curtain so I’m still on the hunt for more patterns that suit this heavier fabric.

Outfit Details: Beret from Marshall’s, Flannel from LL Bean, booties from Target

So what do you call this garment – overalls or dungarees? Is this an on-trend thing or a style that will last forever?

Cheers!

Danica

P.S. please ignore the wrinkles ugh I had to drive to take these pics and got all them creases even after I steamed the darn thing!!