Two Cleo Dungaree Dresses

So, I've made not one but two Tilly and the Buttons Cleo Dungaree Dresses recently. I wasn't blown away when this pattern was first released but slowly fell in love with it. After making my first one in corduroy I quickly made a second one. 

Cleo 1: Burgundy Corduroy

For my first Cleo I used some Burgundy Corduroy I had in my stash, which was leftover from making a Hollyburn skirt years ago. Luckily, there was plenty left over and I knew straight away that I needed to make a dungarees dress.

There are only 4 pieces to the pattern so cutting out was quick. It was also fast to sew together, although I have to do this over several sessions. It became apparent once I had finished sewing the side seams that it was going to be too baggy for me. I cut a straight size 6 according to my hip measurements. Whilst it fitted nicely in the hips it was massive around my waist. 

The dress then languished for a couple of weeks after just one wear. I realised that I just needed to take it in a few inches at both sides and managed to improve the fit. It is a lot better now and gets regular wear (I'm wearing this as I type!) despite still being a bit on the baggy side.

I really love the details on this dress, including the pockets and the topstitching. I used gold and tortoiseshell buttons, which I found at a vintage haberdashery shop on holiday in Bruges a few yeas ago. Unfortunately I used normal thread for topstitching which hasn't really shown up like I wanted it to.  

Cleo 2: Black Denim

My second Cleo came together much quicker than the first and only took me a couple of weeks to cut and sew. For my previous Cleo I cut a straight size 6 but found that it didn't fit around the waist. So, for this version I cut a size 6 skirt grading to a size 5 top using my previous version as a guide. 

The fabric is a black stretch denim from Fabricland online. I'm not sure how much I originally bought but there is quite a bit left over - I'm hoping to make some denim shorts for the summer! It was much faster sewing this cleo than my previous one and the fabric was lovely to work with.

Another change I made with this Cleo is to make it slightly longer, to enable me to wear it in the summer without tights as my corduroy one is slightly too short for my liking!

I also used proper topstitching thread for this Cleo, choosing a traditional gold thread which contrast nicely against the black denim. I'm pleased with the majority of my topstitching (just don't look at the back!). I chose mustard coloured buttons with an embossed flower detail from Minerva crafts.  

I'm so pleased with these two dungaree dresses and they are a great addition to my wardrobe. I'm already having fun combing these with different t-shirts and blouses but am excited to sew up some me-made t-shirts to wear under these this winter. 

What are you sewing at the moment?