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: Bold Aspen Dress for Spring

As I write this in mid-April, central New Jersey weather is showing small signs of spring. My neighbor’s daffodils are blooming and our magnolia tree is trying to unfold its vibrant magenta petals. I am in the midst of preparing my wardrobe for the warmer months, even if we are still huddling against windy 30 degree days. For me, warm weather means linen. I love breathable, floaty linen sundresses and drapey, loose linen wide-leg pants. My vision for a spring piece was something bold and bright, inspired by the natural colors of blooming flowers, but also something that could transition well between the warmer and cooler months. When I saw Fabric Godmother’s Apsen Dress, I knew that it had the sensible transitional opportunities I was looking for while also providing a blank canvas for fun prints, patterns and colors. With the pattern in mind, I then turned to the stunning linen collection that Fabric Mart always has on hand to see what colors or patterns would best suit my visio...

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Made By A Fabricista: Stripes For Spring

Hi everyone! It’s finally warming up here in southeastern Pennsylvania and I wanted to make a light, flowy dress for springtime. I snagged a vintage Laura Ashley pattern from Joanns on one of my last trips there. I somehow didn’t have anything in my pattern stash with a sweetheart neckline, so I thought it would be a good addition. The pattern calls for a giant gathered skirt, so I knew I would need something lightweight and drapey for it. Something like a pink striped cotton fine seersucker. The fabric is light and has a really nice drape, almost like a challis . I knew it would gather beautifully. I got to work cutting everything out, with help from my assistant. When I say the skirt is massive I mean it. I ran into an issue right away where my fabric isn't wide enough to cut the back panel without opening the fabric out. And my three yards of fabric wasn’t enough to cut two back panels. I ran into this issue last year when making my pinafore dress . In ...

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