Made By a Fabricista: A Jumpsuit In A Classic Blue Chambray

Jumpsuits! They are so hot at the moment. I love the look of many of them but wasn't sure if they were too trendy for my casual, weekend wardrobe. So to make the look more classic I went for a blue with white chambray from Fabric Mart. I used Simplicity 1158, View A for my pattern. After looking at the finished measurements listed on the pattern I went down a whole size-- and actually smaller yet after sewing it up. I found this pattern runs really large especially in the bodice... like HUGE! I wish I started off by going down two sizes on top. All the gathering and the excessive design ease made it a tent on top, ugh! According to the envelope, I should have made a 16 bodice and a 20 hip. I would say I ended up with between a 12/14 bodice & waist with an 18 hip... with plenty of ease leftover.

I think this jumpsuit is a great alternative to a comfy summer dress. The fabric is so light and airy against the skin, it will be great this week as the temps hit the low 80s here in the city of Baltimore.

To get a better fit for my figure, I made a few alterations to the pattern prior to cutting my fabric. I'm 2" taller than what Simplicity drafts for, I ~~always~~ often need to add about 1" to my bodice length and another inch or two to my pants somewhere. My particular figure likes it when I scoop out the back crotch curve to accommodate my full backside. After sewing the whole shebang up, the bodice was a hot mess! It was so poofy in front and freakishly so in back. I took some impromptu selfies in my mirror so you can see the ridculousness some. It looked even worse in person. Blech! Actually the 'before' shot is after running a quick basting stitch to take in the bodice length about an inch in to see what that did for me. Not much. I looked like I was stowing a ham back there and ready to stuff another one in front.

So I ripped out the back waistline, removed over 2" from the bodice length and sewed it all back in place. This helped pull up some of that front poof as well. Check it out in the comparison pics below for reference. Even the way the hem of the shorts hung looked better.

So moral of this pattern's story, it runs really humongous. But on a good note, this is a really simple garment to sew up. It's very easy to slide on and off for needs in the ladies room-- just untie that back neck tie and I'm good to go. TMI? Likely not if your as obsessed with reading pattern reviews as I am.

There is a 1/4" elastic in the waist (hence the ease of getting this thing on). I like that the shorts are quite full and have an a-line skirt look to them, it's more flattering on my figure that happens to be fuller at the thighs/lower hip area. I forgot to add any length to hem so I just sewed up a super narrow hem.

And pockets! Functional pockets! Okay, now that I've made a jumpsuit that I feel I will actually wear, I'm now eyeing some other versions for me of this trend. I live in swishy, comfy dresses all summer long, this is a perfect stand in for one.

Happy Sewing!!

~Kathy
Kathy Sews

Made By A Fabricista: A Tipsy Martini Transitional Three Piece Look

Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Sharon with Sharon Sews with my latest Fabricista make – a three-piece set I can wear as the weather transitions to fall here in Texas. It may look like a summer outfit but there will days filled with sunshine and high temps well into November. At first glance it looks like a nice, lightweight jacket, top and pants. But look closer – it’s sewn from the designer Tipsy Martini cotton sateen that was originally used by the designer for a pajama set. Now I could have sewn myself a pair of pajamas using the Closet Core Carolyn Pajama pattern (available at Fabric Mart) and replicated the designer pajamas. But if I had gone that route the only ones who would have seen this adorable kitschy fabric would be my family. This print is much too cute to hide out at home. This Tipsy Martini cotton sateen fabric was lovely to sew. I used black thread, an 80/12 universal needle, and Palmer/Pletsch Perfect Fuse Medium interfacing (link here). Note that this is a rayon fu

Made By A Fabricista: Hooray for Cozy Fall Sews!

Greetings, all! I am in such high spirits with the best-of-all-seasons just beginning and change is finally in the air. I always rejoice when the sweatiest time of the year passes and we can all take a deep breath and gear up for cozier times. Neighborhood Patterns is a new-to-me designer, and I came across them on Instagram in late summer and fell in love with the Plain Jane Skirt. This is such a simple A-line skirt, but with nice details like large inseam pockets and an optional drawstring, and though I’m sure I could draft this style myself, the appeal of having it all done for me was too tempting to pass up. A sew such as this is a lovely palate-cleanser and this was the first project I sewed after returning from a cross-country trip. Perfect! The gorgeous plaid flannel is exactly what I want to be wearing in the fall. The fabric is SO soft and a pleasure to snuggle up in. Because flannel does not have much body and is prone to stretching or shifting with all its mechanical give,

Made By A Fabricista: Quilted Jacket Chronicle

What do you get when mixing the best things about apparel sewing and machine quilting? A quilted jacket! It's funny that I elected to sew myself a quilted jacket for this Fabricista blog because I don't consider myself much of a quilter. I can count on my hands the number of quilted projects I've made over the last few years. While I fully appreciate the end product of quilting, I don't normally gravitate toward starting quilting projects. That's why making a quilted jacket is a new and exciting project for me! It gives me the fun of making a quilt on a much smaller scale. If you are an avid apparel sewist and are new to quilting, this is the perfect project to take for a quilting test drive! For my quilted jacket, I used the Seamwork Easton Jacket pattern. I decided to stick with a solid-colored fabric for the jacket's exterior and ordered 4 yards of Dark Umber Brown Lycra Stretch Canvas Suiting from the Fabric Mart website. I wanted a contrasting color for the

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