I’m over on the Felicity Fabrics blog today, discussing my newest fancy jumpsuit — I was very kindly gifted 2.5m of this beautiful viscose twill that had me smitten the moment it landed on their website! I wanted to make something that showed off the billowy drape of this fabric and man, do these culottes deliver 😉Head over to Felicity Fabrics to see my blog post or scroll down for more details and photos!
This viscose twill has an abstract design of pale pink and white irregular shapes on a black background, like jagged shards of glass; as much as I love a retro polka-dot print (and I really do!), this different design feels very fresh and modern. The drape is very fluid and the fabric feels smooth to the touch. While this fabric is 100% viscose and fairly floaty, the twill weave gives the fabric some structure and made it easier to handle during cutting and pinning! I made sure to use my walking foot to prevent any shifting and a 70-sized microtex needle to avoid any snagging. Unfortunately this ‘Shards’ viscose twill is currently sold out, but I am definitely going to keep my eye on getting some more at some point!
I hunted in my pattern stash to find a garment that would suit the modern shard pattern and the fluid drape of the viscose and landed on Vogue 9075, a pattern for either a dress or jumpsuit. Vogue 9075 has a classic princess-seamed bodice with optional short sleeves and a choice between a full gathered skirt or wide-legged, pleated culottes — importantly, both bottom options feature pockets! I have a certain weakness for skater dresses but I fancied making something a little different, so I decided to go for the chic jumpsuit. The finished garment measurements are printed on the pattern tissue, so using that as my guideline, I cut a size 10 at the shoulders and blended to a 12 at the waist. I also made a full-bust adjustment on the princess seams, which is a fairly usual adjustment I make, and I also lowered the neckline by a touch. I have to admit, I am pretty chuffed with how well the bodice fits me after all those tweaks!
This jumpsuit came together fairly quickly, but like other sewists of this pattern, I have a couple of quibbles! V9075 is part of the ‘Very Easy Vogue’ subline, yet while the instructions are fairly detailed, they neglect to mention finishing any seams and understitching the pockets. I overlocked all of my seams, as this material was prone to fraying, but maybe next time I would try French seams to keep everything neater. Also, you are instructed to baste the pleats in place, but there is no mention of removing the basting and/or topstitching the pleats down — I went ahead and unpicked my basting, as I liked the look of flowing, unstructured pleats. I also took my time inserting the invisible zip and making sure the waistline matched on either side.
The bodice is fully lined, so I used some leftover cotton lawn from my Galentine’s Day Myosotis dress. I alway opt to add a fun printed lining if I am sewing something that isn’t too sheer — it feels opulent and is like a secret little love-letter to myself! I overlocked the fabric and lining together at the armhole seam, before slip-stitching the lining in place along the invisible zip and waistline.
I love my finished jumpsuit, it is the perfect amount of swishy and stylish! I would say this pattern is ideal for an adventurous beginner who already has completed a few projects and wants to push themselves — this garment can be made up in a variety of fabrics, including denim, crepe and linen. I am definitely planning on making another version and want to give the dress a try too 😊
Thanks again so much to Felicity Fabrics for providing me with this beautiful fabric!
