As the jumpsuit trend continues in ready to wear, more jumpsuit sewing patterns are springing up on the market, but with so much choice, it’s difficult to know which one to buy.
The good news is, I’m a ‘jumpsuit-a-holic’ and I’ve done a lot of the researching leg-work for you. Here’s my roundup of three of the best sleeveless jumpsuit patterns available at the moment, I hope they give you some jumpsuit ‘food for thought’!
The Patterns:
You’ll notice that Simplicity 1325 isn’t strictly a jumpsuit pattern, at least Simplicity doesn’t market it as one, but, trust me, it has the ‘bones’ of a jumpsuit. (Skip to the end of this post to find out how to make this).
Now grab yourself a cuppa’, get yourself comfy and let’s get on with this ‘jumpsuit-athon’.
Pattern Similarities
1. Style – all make a sleeveless v-necked jumpsuit and produce a similar looking silhouette.
2. Fabric – all can be made in a variety of fabrics.
3. Sizing – all available in a variety of sizes.
4. All are fairly easy to make.
Pattern Differences
1. Paper vs. Digital Download patterns – Simplicity 1325 and McCall’s M6083 are traditional paper patterns, by established pattern companies, that need cutting out or tracing and both include 1.5cm seam allowances.
Ralph Pink RP070 is by an independent pattern designer, that’s available as a digital download PDF that needs printing out, taping together and cutting out or tracing. Or you can pay a professional printer to print out the ‘copy shop’ version of the pattern for you. This pattern includes one centimetre seam allowances.
2. Price – McCall’s M6083 $11.95 plus postage;
Simplicity 1325 $10.75 plus postage;
Ralph Pink RP070 9.99 British pounds.
3. Pattern Instruction Languages – Simplicity 1325 and McCall’s M6083 pattern instructions are available in various languages whereas RP070 is only available in English.
4. Pattern Construction – Simplicity 1325 and M6083 have separate bodice and pants pieces whereas RP070 consists of four long main jumpsuit pieces – two front and two back. The upper back yoke is faced.
The separate bodice and pants pieces of the Simplicity 1325 and M6083 offer you more flexibility and freedom to design because for example you can use different fabrics for the bodice and the pants.
With RP070 on the other hand, the options to use contrasting fabric are limited to just the neck band, back bodice yoke and belt which limits the design possibilities.
5. Pockets – McCall’s M6083 has side front pockets in the pants, whereas Simplicity 1325 and RP070 don’t have any pockets.
6. Bodice Finishings – Simplicity 1325 has a lined, fitted bodice with a neck facing.
I also lined the pants by cutting the bodice and pants pieces out of my lining fabric and sewed them together in the same way as I did with the main wool fabric pieces. I then sewed the lining jumpsuit and the wool jumpsuit together, with right sides facing at the neck and arm openings. Then I turned the lining to the inside and under stitched it. I then treated the two layers as one and sewed the zip on top of the lining on the inside of the back of the bodice.
M6083 has an unlined bodice with neck facings and narrow hemmed armholes. RP070 isn’t lined and has a neck band (tutorial for how to make this neck band in a fabric with a directional print – coming soon) and armhole facings.
7. Waistlines – Simplicity 1325 has a fitted high waist where the bodice joins the pants. The bodice and pants have darts front and back. This makes a fitted bodice so I suggest making a muslim to check the fit before you cut into your fashion fabric. I had to reduce the seam allowances on the side seams slightly at this point to get a good fit.
McCall’s has an elastic casing along the seam where the bodice joins the pants at the high waist point. I omitted this elastic casing and use the self fabric belt instead to highlight the waist. Next time I make this, I’ll also lengthen the bodice pieces by a couple of centimetres to allow a more relaxed blouson effect of the mock-wrap front bodice.
RP070 drapes and gapes open at the front and is closed with a button fly (I used press studs instead) and a belt but the pattern has no waistline seam. The pattern pieces do narrow at the waist though which gives some waistline shaping.
8. Suitable fabrics – RP070 and McCall’s M6083 are designed for lightweight fabrics – I used shirt-weight cotton for both and a linen/cotton mix fabric for my second RP070.
Simplicity 1325 is more suitable for medium weight fabrics – I used a trouser-weight wool with a viscose lining.
9. Style – RP070 and Simplicity 1325 produce jumpsuits with deep v-necks that need something worn underneath.
McCall’s M6083 has a high cut v-neck which I can get away with wearing on its own.
All of the jumpsuits have fairly wide legs although RP070 has possibly the slimmest leg width of the three patterns.
10. Sizing – Simplicity 1325 and McCall’s M6083 have multi-sized tiled patterns, meaning all the sizes are on one pattern sheet, which makes grading between sizes easier. Plus the more generous 1.5cm seam allowances give you a bit more freedom to let out or take in seams to improve fit.
RP070 is also multisized but once you’ve chosen which pattern most closely fits your measurements, you print out the corresponding sized pattern and you only have one size on each pattern printout. This makes grading between sizes more difficult with RP070 and the smaller 1cm seam allowances don’t give you much room to make fit adjustments either.
I chose the pattern sizes which most closely matched my body measurements for all of the jumpsuits and found them to be fairly true to size.
Conclusion
I recommend all of these patterns and have happily worn my versions of all of them – a lot!
McCall’s M6083 is a good summer jumpsuit because it can be worn as a stand alone piece and can also be made from jersey – the only pattern of the three which can. The pockets are useful and the design is flattering.
Simplicity 1325 offers the best value for money because you get almost a whole wardrobe of pattern possibilities in one package – a jacket, pants, skirt, dress, long-sleeved top and an unofficial jumpsuit.
The deep v-necked front bodice is flattering and the design is closest to one of my favourite designer jumpsuits – this Luciano Soprani one below. It’s a pity Simplicity 1325 doesn’t have pockets though!
I’ve made RP070 three times and worn them year round. The layering possibilities of Simplicity 1325 and RP070 offer good year round wearing options.
The Simplicity 1325 jumpsuit is simple to make. Here’s how:- Sew the bodice and pants pieces together following the pattern instructions for the jumper/dress C/D by substituting the skirt pieces for the pants pieces. Then put a zip in the back of the bodice long enough to extend from the neck edge of the bodice down into the pants (for me the zip extends 17cm into the pants. Measure your back bodice piece and add on 15cm or so to calculate the length of zip you’ll need). Then hey presto, you have a jumpsuit!
If you’ve made any of these jumpsuits or if you make the Simplicity 1325 jumpsuit Franken-pattern, please leave a link in the comments below, I’d love to see them.
Happy sewing,
Christine
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Disclaimer: The unbiased views expressed in these reviews are my own. I didn’t receive any of these patterns for free and have no affiliation to any of these pattern companies nor to John Smedley Knitwear (although John Smedley, if you happen to read this, I’d happily wax lyrical about your knits in exchange for a few pullis because I LOVE your knitwear!)
Ok, first up, how great is it that you made a jumpsuit out of the tiny dancer fabric!! So so cool. I have a dress in it but it pales compared to the jumpsuit! I love the McCalls jumpsuit on you – it is just so effortlessly stylish!
Thanks Kirsty, the tiny dancer fabric is lovely isn’t it. I just checked your dress in it and it’s lovely, it definitely doesn’t pale compared to anything. The McCall’s is a nice jumpsuit and seems to have been a hit with many makers, I’d definitely recommend that one.
I absolutely love the McCall’s one. But I’ve loved it since I first saw it because of the legs and the fact that it would fit me best. 🙂 I’m making an Alder Shirt Dress with shirt weight cotton and a Ponte back and yoke because I didn’t have enough cotton. It looks really good. And I’m interfacing it with canvas because I couldn’t be bothered to run to the store for interfacing and have a TON of canvas from a bag making project.
Thanks Brynn, you should give the McCall’s pattern a go. Can’t wait to see your Alder, it sounds really interesting! Let me know when it’s finished. I’ve got the Alder cut out and ready to go but haven’t started sewing it yet. Have you had any issues with it?
I love jumpsuits but there is one things which puts me off them (although I’ve made one in the past): going to the loo. It’s a real nightmare! Does it ever bother you? Especially, when you wear a jumpsuit in the wintertime?
Hi Thewallinna, this is a bit of an issue! I put an extra long zip pull on the tartan one because the zip is at the back but I did get caught a bit short during a dog walk in the forest when it was snowing – I’ll spare you the details but it may’ve involved some alfresco stripping LOL! My family made me promise to never wear it again when we’re hiking! It hasn’t put me off jumpsuits though!
🙂 I like it! I think about adding a zipper in the … crotch area.