Curiosity Jumpsuit

I started a Jumpsuit Curiosity Pinterest Board off the back of Wardrobe Architect as a little side project on silhouette, fabric, colour and styling options without deciding whether I would definitely make a jumpsuit at all. I made comments on each pin, slowly gathering the individual components that might be blended together to build my perfect jumpsuit.  I guess this might be called my ‘Design Process’ but I’ve never considered myself artistic enough to have that as a skill. After a couple of months I had a plan and I’d found the perfect fabric for it too. Blowing my Stash Diet a third time (first and second fabric purchases of the year) to snap up this drapey, geometric printed cotton viscose blend. To redeem myself, the solid black lining, zip, thread and all patterns were all from my stash.This was a pattern hack of epic proportions so I made two toiles with a few alterations each to be confident enough to cut into my fashion fabric. I merged the bodice of Sewaholic Lonsdale, with the middle part of Burda Style 04/2014 #107A and blended from the hips into Simplicity 4044 trousers to achieve the silhouette I was aiming for. During my non-design process I realised that I had to show some back and shoulder so as not to drown my 5 foot 2″ frame. By the same methodology, wide-legs are much more flattering for a pear shaped figure as they balance out the hips. And finally some front pleats and pockets for the trousers elevate this from catsuit to more comfortable but still elegant jumpsuit.
I moved the zip (invisible, of course) to the side seam which meant I could do away with the front fly of the trousers and cut the bodice back on the fold. However, this meant that I had to have a perfectly fitting Lonsdale bodice – the beauty of the Lonsdale dress is that you can make some final fitting adjustments when you insert the centre back zip. Oh and I shook up the order of construction for the Lonsdale bodice so that the bodice lining is machine sewn to the zip – I really love the finish this method gives on the inside.The Lonsdale aspects were the easiest though, headaches were mostly induced in the Burda mid-section. First in the form of in-pleat pockets, how to add seam allowances to the funny-looking pattern piece and then how to attach the pocket pieces with typically minimal Burda magazine instructions. Next I realised the side seams on the trousers were really far forwards so I had to do some jiggery-pokery to slide them towards the back so that the trouser and bodice sides seams would align. I wasn’t going to settle for a shoddy finish even if it is almost impossible to see in this print with a waistband separating the side seams!I made the Lonsdale top into a halter style by eliminating the back loops and shortening the straps. This saved some fabric but not enough to self-line the bodice. At the same time I felt that a bit more structure around the bodice (particularly to hold it up above the bust) would be a good thing. Solid black lining from my stash worked well and I applied fusible interfacing along the top edge of both the shell and lining fabrics so avoid any stretching out. You get some small flashes of the lining on the front knot (depending on how you tie it) and in the back halter bow which I quite like.I think this is one of the hardest things I’ve created, stretching my pattern hacking abilities to the extreme, but I feel so glam wearing it and a huge sense of satisfaction that my vision is just as good as I imagined. What’s you’re most satisfyingly difficult make? Have you got a master piece vision taking shape on your sewing table at the moment?