July Jumpsuit Trio

I’ve had a bit of a thing for making jumpsuits lately.  In fact, I’ve already made three!  What can I say other than -I like them – you get the fun of a dress with the practicality of trousers.

This blue one below, made up in a Liberty print tana lawn cotton, was inspired by a Liberty cotton jumpsuit I saw on the A.P.C. online shop earlier this year which unfortunately I don’t have a link to.  The A.P.C. one was retailing for nearly 300 euros!  Needless to say, mine cost a fraction of this price to make!

I found the pattern in this Japanese pattern book ‘Dressmaking at Home’ by Machiko Kayaki ISBN 978-4-579-11393-4.

It was really straightforward to make.  It consists of a top with an elasticated neck and wide leg pants which are then joined together in the middle with an elasticated waist and a drawstring with silver beads on the end – from La Droguerie in Strasbourg and in-seam side pockets. You get the whole thing on through the neck – this is the only opening so before I joined the top to the pants I checked that I could get my shoulders and hips through the neck opening.

The A.P.C. version had almost an identical looking neckline but it had a button opening on the front of the top from the neck down to the waist, which would make it a lot easier to get on and off.  I did toy with the idea of trying to copy this by altering my pattern and cutting the front top piece into two and adding a button placket.  But finally I decided against it.  I thought I’d make it up as it is first to see how it turned out.  Maybe I’ll make another with buttons next time.

In the book the pattern had been made up in viscose and was a bit wider and had more drape than mine in the tana lawn cotton.  So I took mine in a few centimeteres at the side seams and a bit in from the leg width because I was worried that it would be a bit too wide. Now that it’s made up though, I think a bit of extra width at the sides would have been ok.

The next two jumpsuits of the trio are two versions of the same pattern from this Japanese book – ‘Lots of Liberty print! Dresses and tunics’ ISBN 978-4-07-277210-2.

 

This is another easy pattern that has patch pockets at the sides and separate belt at the elasticated waist and a tie halter neck top, which I also added beads from La Droguerie on.  This green one is another Liberty print tana lawn cotton lined with a very fine cotton batiste.

 

The final version is made up in a lightweight denim bought at the Hollander Stoff Markt in Karlsruhe, with a belt with a contrast side in Liberty print tana lawn – which can just be seen in the above photo.

I made them all using French seams and I would recommend adding a few centimetres to the leg length because I always find the Japanese patterns to have short legs – and I’m not tall at 162cm!

All three have been really easy and comfortable to wear and I’m really happy with them.  I’ve got a bold print drapey viscose that I would like to make a drapey neck version of the jumpsuit in.  All I need now is a few more hours in the day!

Have you made any jumpsuits?  Which patterns did you use?  I’d love to hear about them.