A chic and comfortable jumpsuit that’s fun to sew and easy to wear

Good instructions?

Clear instructions and diagrams. I varied the construction order a little, and I saw no reason not to set the sleeves in flat and stitch them up along with the side seams.

Ease of sewing?

Easy to sew if you have some experience of working with knits. The hardest part may be ensuring the pleats and darts line up, and that’s not difficult, it just requires double checking how it looks from the right side.

I used the overlocker for a lot of the seams, but stitched the side seams on my sewing machine, pressed them open and overlocked the seams separately, so that if I needed to add an invisible zip it would be easier to unpick.

I’m a really slow sewist, often spending days on a pattern other people whip up in a few hours, but by my standards it was a very quick make, so I’m sure an actually speedy sewist would blitz through it.

Fit?

It’s stretch, so it’s very forgiving fit-wise. I cut my recommended size for bust and hips (I sized up for the waist) and it works well.

Any modifications?

Added 1 1/8 inches to bodice (and neck band), didn’t need to increase rise or lengthen legs. I’m about 5’10”, and I can still roll up the hems twice, so I think the legs would be long on many people.
I did a narrow shoulder adjustment of about 2cm, which is pretty standard for me.

Fabric?

I used a luxury double knit from Calico Laine in the colour Steel (70% polyester/25% viscose/5% elastane) with a lovely hand, subtle sheen and nice drape. It has over 60% stretch, which is essential for the no closures design. You get out of it by pulling it off your shoulders and down past your hips, so there needs to be enough stretch to accommodate this. The original pattern info and instructions specified 30-40% stretch, but that probably won’t cut it for most, and @deer_and_doe_patterns subsequently changed it to minimum 60% stretch. I think even this would depend on your proportions and the difference between your hip and waist measurements. Mine fall into the same size bracket but it’s something to consider if your waist is much smaller than your hips/thighs.

Make again?
Definitely. Quick, super comfy, fun to sew, easy to wear (and to visit the bathroom!)

Do anything differently?
I’d do a neater job of attaching the waistband to the bodice. I haven’t had an overlocker very long and my technique could be improved upon, as the line is wobblier than I would like.

I also want to try a dressier fabric, and I have some ideas for hacks that would be fun to try.

For more details and photos see my Instagram feed, @chloemontrose