I'm happy that jumpsuits still seem to be going strong as a trend. I've been thinking about sewing a fun and colorful jumpsuit for summer for the last few months, and now that the dog days have arrived in the NY area it moved to the top of the priority list.
I love how fun this jumpsuit is, even though I think there are some distinct improvements that could be made both to the pattern and to this awful camera angle.
First, I should tell you that when I compared the crotch curve of this pattern to my TNT trousers, they were very differently shaped. I'm not making a judgement about one or the other, but simply saying that my TNT pattern is "me shaped" and I was skeptical that this pattern would fit as well, given the degree of difference in the two crotches.
So, I melded the two patterns together, using the upper portion of my TNT pattern and the leg of the jumpsuit. Luckily, by simply not marking and sewing the darts of my TNT trousers, the two had very similar waist and hip shapes and measurements. I added additional seam allowance at the waist (where the waistband would attach) to accommodate the higher waistline of the jumpsuit.
What I didn't change was any part of the top of the jumpsuit. This is straight out of the envelope.
The changes that I would make for next time are relatively few and definitely easy to achieve. In looking at the photos and line drawings, I thought there was going to be enough blous-i-ness that I would be able to get the look I wanted from the pattern (slightly less blousy than drafted) without adding length to the top, which is a normal alteration for my 5'9", long-torsoed frame. I was wrong. The jumpsuit fits a bit high on the waist on me. Next time I will probably add an additional 1-2 inches to the top. Additionally, what I didn't notice in the photos is that the trousers are definitely NOT too long in the crotch. I should have added an additional inch of length above the crotch at the waist. Overall the jumpsuit just fits thru the torso length.
I compared this to a RTW jumpsuit that I own.
This is Very Easy Vogue V9116 sewn up in knit that I bought at Metro Textiles during Pattern Review Weekend last month. The pattern definitely delivers on being very easy to sew.
 |
I love how fun this jumpsuit is, even though I think there are some distinct improvements that could be made both to the pattern and to this awful camera angle.
First, I should tell you that when I compared the crotch curve of this pattern to my TNT trousers, they were very differently shaped. I'm not making a judgement about one or the other, but simply saying that my TNT pattern is "me shaped" and I was skeptical that this pattern would fit as well, given the degree of difference in the two crotches.
So, I melded the two patterns together, using the upper portion of my TNT pattern and the leg of the jumpsuit. Luckily, by simply not marking and sewing the darts of my TNT trousers, the two had very similar waist and hip shapes and measurements. I added additional seam allowance at the waist (where the waistband would attach) to accommodate the higher waistline of the jumpsuit.
What I didn't change was any part of the top of the jumpsuit. This is straight out of the envelope.
The changes that I would make for next time are relatively few and definitely easy to achieve. In looking at the photos and line drawings, I thought there was going to be enough blous-i-ness that I would be able to get the look I wanted from the pattern (slightly less blousy than drafted) without adding length to the top, which is a normal alteration for my 5'9", long-torsoed frame. I was wrong. The jumpsuit fits a bit high on the waist on me. Next time I will probably add an additional 1-2 inches to the top. Additionally, what I didn't notice in the photos is that the trousers are definitely NOT too long in the crotch. I should have added an additional inch of length above the crotch at the waist. Overall the jumpsuit just fits thru the torso length.
You can see that the top is low cut on both my front and back. I think this is also why you can just see a slight peek of the black strapless bra I am wearing, despite a strategic safety pin. I plan to sew a snap to keep things better in place on this version, but in the future I think extra length would help bring things up and let the crossed front sit a bit better. It seems well drafted.
My only quibble with the pattern is how the waist is constructed. Here are the instructions:
On this version of the pattern there is a lot of bulk at the waist. The two sides of the front bodice are self-lined and overlapped. The bodice is then sewn to the pants at the waist with two rows of stitching to make a casing for elastic. I elected to trim the overlap layers back as much as possible. Even so, the way the casing is sewn adds to the bulk. You end up with a 3/4" casing with 3/8" elastic threaded through it floating inside the jumpsuit waist area.
 |
| I serged the 1/4" seam allowance. |
I compared this to a RTW jumpsuit that I own.
On the RTW version, the waist is serged with 1/4" elastic stitched on the waist seam line. It works just as well and I don't feel like the waist is bulky at all. Again, this is an easily fixable quibble.
Overall, I am happy with this jumpsuit and will definitely get some wear out of it this summer and beyond. I've been wearing it a lot. Fun, too-loud patterns are perfect for summer, and this print incorporates all my favorite colors - orange, hot pink and turquoise. Honestly, this outfit seems incomplete without a Mojito in my hand.
Anyway, I hope you are having a great summer. And stay tuned for when I actually blog about the 3 trousers, 1 jumpsuit, 1 shorts, 3 rompers, 1 rash guard and jacket that I've also sewn. Oy. Photography is not our forte!
Overall, I am happy with this jumpsuit and will definitely get some wear out of it this summer and beyond. I've been wearing it a lot. Fun, too-loud patterns are perfect for summer, and this print incorporates all my favorite colors - orange, hot pink and turquoise. Honestly, this outfit seems incomplete without a Mojito in my hand.
Anyway, I hope you are having a great summer. And stay tuned for when I actually blog about the 3 trousers, 1 jumpsuit, 1 shorts, 3 rompers, 1 rash guard and jacket that I've also sewn. Oy. Photography is not our forte!
No comments:
Post a Comment