Made by a Fabricista: My First Jumpsuit...Success!

I've always admired people that can pull off a jumpsuit. They look so stylish and for most, make them look taller. I've tried on jumpsuits before in the store but with unsuccessful outcomes. They made me look short and were not flattering at my tummy. So I decided that jumpsuits and rompers were not for me.

Then McCall's came out with M7577, a cross-body romper/jumpsuit. It looked so awesome on the model and in the fabric choice that I decided I was going to give it a try. I chose the jumpsuit length because I was afraid that the romper would make me look too short. At least the length of the legs *should* help me.

I used a 100% rayon challis crepe that was in our retail store selection. We only had about 15 yards of it, so I snatched up the rest just after someone else purchased a piece! I pre-wash all my fabric so any shrinkage that would have happened, happened. Rayon is well known for shrinking so this was a must. For the back insert I used a navy blue lace from Marc Jacobs. I got it from Fabric Mart a few years ago when we had an amazing selection of MJ's fabric! 

I'm a big fan of tissue fitting (if you haven't figured that out already) and I tissue fit the entire garment on me. Being that it is a loose fitting garment, I had some wiggle room, but let me tell you--even if something is loose fitting and you *think* you will fit, tissue fit it first (if that's your method of adjusting.) One too many times have I thought there would be enough room and some area always ended up being too small. Remember, with tissue fitting (the Palmer/Pletsch tissue fitting method) you select a size based off of your HIGH BUST measurement. Therefore, even if the finished garment size says one thing for the finished bust measurement, it doesn't mean it will just fit somewhere else. You have to try on the tissue and do the appropriate adjustments. 

I cut out a size 12 and adjusted from there. I did usual adjustments - forward shoulder, high round back, a full bust adjustment and lower the crotch curve.

I also moved the waistline. I find that garments with an obvious waist like a elastic waist maxi dress or a peplum top look better on me when hitting just above the narrowest part of my waist. I raised the waistline on the bodice about 1".

Overall, I'm really happy with the way it turned out. It doesn't make me look short and the fit is pretty good. I think the things I'm not happy with are similar to comments I have read from other bloggers, like Tiffany, one of our Fabricista bloggers. 

Here are a few things I'm a little unhappy with:

- The front wrap seems pretty loose. Yes, I did a full bust adjustment but I needed it to make sure the front didn't gap weirdly but still fit my shoulders. It doesn't gap and it does cover my bust, but it does droop as a move. I'd love to tack it in place but when I tried doing that I couldn't get the jumpsuit off---ooops!! Next option is to put a snap on it or wear a cami. We'll see what I decide.

- The back lace piece drooped creating pools. You don't see it in the photo below, but I did some major reworking at the shoulder seams to help with that. (I also helped a little with the front being too loose.) It could be that I needed to have a higher round back. 

- I added a little length to the pants hem because I always seem to have to hike up my pants for a flattering look. In the tissue I dropped the crotch curve about 1". (Typical adjustment.) When I do that, it usually shortens the pant hem and then I don't have enough for a hem! This also had to be done because I raised the waistline. 

For these photos, I chose to use the belt that came with the pattern. I could also see it worn with a chunky belt. I posted a photo on our Instagram page a few weeks ago with a chunky belt (I didn't have the other belt made yet) and it looked really good. The color wasn't quite right, but you get the idea. 

If you've been wanting to try this pattern, I'd definitely recommend it! With a little bit of fitting, you can get a great looking jumpsuit that will flatter your body.

I'll be wearing this on my vacation to Las Vegas in May, so I'll let you know how it wears in real life!

Happy Sewing!

~ Julie