Skirt Challenge Inspiration: A Skirt's Favorite Top!

When Julie first shared her idea of a summer Skirt Challenge I knew that I really wanted to participate, however a long, honest look into my closet revealed that, truthfully, I didn't need another skirt.  What really stood out to me was the lack of tops that I loved to wear with all my beautiful (mostly handmade) skirts.

This is where the Closet Case Patterns Nettie bodysuit enters the picture!  Knowing that I had plenty of skirts, I was curious to see how a few neutral bodysuits might fill out the gaps in my wardrobe.

I haven't worn a bodysuit since the 90's and I had several back in the day.  My favorite bodysuit was this awesome navy blue long sleeve suit with a white collar, button placket and fabulous over-sized cuffs!  I loved that thing!  I was sooooo excited to play with this bodysuit pattern and rediscover the versatility of the bodysuit.  So get ready for a Nettie/Skirt-apalooza!

First up is a black bodysuit made with this black rayon/spandex.  The fabric has good four way stretch and that is an absolute must for any garment that will be wrapped around your body both lengthwise and width wise.   

I was thrilled to discover that it pairs perfectly with two of the busiest print skirts in my closet. I love a busy print for a skirt but finding the perfect neutral shirt to pair it with has been a challenge in the past.

For my next bodysuit I used a JudyP Apparel knit.  Although this colorway is sold out you can find several others here.  I was very curious about how this fabric would behave, it's denser than the rayon/spandex I used on the black suit.  The resulting bodysuit is more snug than the others, it's just as comfortable, but sits closer to my body and almost has more of a shape wear feel.  I can tell that this fabric was made to be worn over and over, its a really nice quality fabric.

The smoothness of the fabric also helps the skirt sit so smoothly on my caboose too, I mention this because that's usually where my tucked in tops tend to bunch and aggravate me.

A few sewing and pattern details to consider...

The pattern is printed on tissue paper and includes a booklet of instructions.  Even if you are very new to sewing I think there are enough sewing details and thorough tips in the booklet to get you through this project.  And if you need even more details and photos there is a sew-along on the Closet Case blog. 

Maybe, like me, you are wondering just how difficult it is to sew a bodysuit.  If you have ever sewn a knit shirt you can handle this bodysuit.  It is not difficult at all and the only fiddly bit is the crotch closure.  

I must say that on the first try I used premade snap tape and I cannot recommend that method at all. It was pretty uncomfortable and I ended up ripping it out and using the other method which suggests using silk charmeuse and snaps.  

The included directions were a bit unclear on how to construct this snap closure (especially if you are very visual like me) so I referred to the coordinating sew-along on the Closet Case Patterns blog for clarity. 

The fit of the pattern was very good.  I have a little bit of a long torso, if you've ever tried on a one piece swimsuit and the straps seem to dig into your shoulders, I feel your pain because that's the length of torso I have as well.  I had absolutely no uncomfortable pulling with this suit, and only ended up taking the smallest wedge out of the center back of the pattern where I always have pooling fabric.

The neck band fit great and there was no gaping, however I will probably make the leg bands a little tighter next time since I noticed, while wearing them, that they felt a little loose.

My third bodysuit was made using a length I received in a craft bundle not long ago.  I believe it is a rayon/spandex which is very soft and so pretty.  I could not find it on the Fabric Mart site but this black and white rayon/spandex with a cute palm leaf print would work in a similar fashion.  I love a black and white print that acts like a neutral with a little something extra special.

I was so excited to show you just how many of my skirts worked so well with the bodysuits that I kept saying to my sweet photographer husband, "just one more skirt!"  He's an easy going guy, plus I think he had date nights on the mind with a few of these looks so he was happy to oblige all my skirt changing whims!

But in all seriousness I was really impressed with how many of my skirts now have a great top to pair up with.  I ended up rediscovering some neglected skirts and feel a new sense of excitement about wearing them.  If you are like me you probably want some sewing details on all the skirts, so I will post all of those details on my blog so as not to overwhelm this post.

I hope you enjoyed seeing how versatile the Nettie bodysuit is, and are feeling inspired to give a bodysuit a try or make a handmade skirt to enter into the sew-along.  There are some great gift certificates being given away.  All the details are posted here.

Thanks so much for reading and happy sewing!

Elizabeth

I Sew, You Sew 

Share your me-made skirts thru May 31st and be entered to win a $50 gift certificate to Fabric Mart! Share on Facebook or Instagram using #sewcoolskirts.