My first idea for this jumpsuit was pretty ambitious- I had just purchased two earthy tones of satin twill from The Fabric Store in copper and pink, and I thought they would make a really dynamic version of this Mimi G Style for Simplicity 8426 pattern, which had been on my list of to-makes since the moment it was revealed on Mimi’s IG. I loved the design so much because it looked gorgeous in a head-to-toe solid but it also allowed room for playing around with texture and color blocking. Although silk is notoriously tricky to work with, I didn’t have too much trouble sewing this pattern in it- at this point in my sewing career I know what I am getting into when I work with finicky fabrics so I can plan accordingly. The issue was that the bodice ended up just being too flimsy in the soft, drapey silk!
Off the bolt the fabric was incredibly smooth and supple and it had a surprising amount of body to it- it held its’ shape pretty well for something so soft and silky. But once I pre-washed it, it got much drapier and didn’t hold the shape of the bodice nearly as well as I hoped it would. I got really close to the end of the project and then abandoned ship because it was looking wrinkly and pitiful and dull. Full disclosure, I should have at least muslined the bodice top before I cut into my beautiful silk, but even if I had I wouldn’t have liked the way the silk looked with the bodice of this pattern. But surprisingly the pants look pretty great in the silk! They have a lux pajamas vibe to them, and even though the fabric for the bodice was sacrificed in the process, all is not lost- I plan on adding a black velvet strapless bodice to the pants which will provide a lot more structure to the garment but will also keep that vintage flair to the look that I was aiming for with my head-to-toe silk version.
OK, so that version didn’t work, but this sturdy purple one definitely did! I got this jewel toned crepe (I think it’s polyester) from The Fabric Store, and it’s got all the body and stability that my silk didn’t have, which is a perfect pairing with this jumpsuit.
Mimi G’s patterns are the only versions of Big 4 I have found that don’t require sizing down several sizes so I graded from a 10 in the bodice to a 12 in the hips which matched my measurements and it was great- I always have to take in the waist and back of pretty much every pattern I make, but everything else was drafted as a good fit for me, with the exception of the back yoke. Again, I didn’t make a muslin of the bodice first because I tissue fit it and it seemed perfect. It was only after finishing the entire garment and trying to it on that I saw how poorly the back yoke fit. It’s a pretty strange adjustment that I need to make- essentially I need to take in the seam where the back yoke hits the top of the back bodice on either side of the zipper, about 3/8 inch, and then grade out to nothing at the side seams. I should be able to make this adjustment without having to take the entire bodice apart so I feel confident that I can get it done fairly quickly, but still, what a bizzare fix! I have never had a garment that needed horizontal pinching at my upper back before!
Aside from that area, which Claire says is barely noticeable, everything else fits great. The pants are gathered at the waistline and very roomy (I actually would have been fine without grading to the next size up since there is so much room down there) which means that the slant pockets look terrific and don’t bulge out on me. I LOVE that this garment has pockets. They don’t take away from the silhouette at all but they do give me a place to put my hands and my chapstick, yay! I had a lot of trouble with my back zipper at the waistline because the fabric is pretty squishy and therefore thick at the zipper closure. It kept getting stuck either right above or below the “belt”, which I knew would be a problem when I tried to go to the bathroom and couldn’t get myself in or out, so I had to widen my line of stitch in this area to allow for more space around the zipper teeth. This means that you can see the zipper tape a bit more clearly than when it was sewn more tightly, but hey, I can handle a glimpse of dark purple zipper tape if it means I wont pee on myself trying to get out of this thing.
The construction for this was a little different than I anticipated- I am used to completing the pants and bodice separately, then stitching at the waist line, inserting the zipper, and slip stitching the lining closed around the zipper. The method the pattern used was fairly similar, but the lining of the bodice isn’t put in until after the zipper is inserted. I have no idea if it was better or worse than the other methods I have am used to but it was fun to change up the routine a bit!
I love the way the “belt” is drafted onto this pattern, it provides some visual interest without being a separate detachable piece, and it’s not tacked down on the top so it gives a bit of depth to the look. I blind stitched the hems of the legs closed instead of sewing them with my machine because, again, this fabric is pretty thick and has a tendency to show lines of stitching very well.
As much as I love jumpsuits, I don’t make them very often because I am always overwhelmed by how much additional fitting I will likely have to do for them, so you can imagine that this pattern was a pure joy. It required minimal adjustments, and the wide legs, though stylistically not for everyone, give you a lot of flexibility and comfort with the relaxed fit. I am usually pretty iffy on wide legs like these but the pairing with the bodice is just perfection- a streamlined, close-fitting top with these gigantic pant legs is just so fun and chic, even on my short frame. I am becoming a bigger and bigger fan of the Mimi G Style patterns for Simplicity- I’ve only made a few (separate from the Sew Sew Def catalogue) but so far each pattern has been such joy to make and to wear and I love having another line of designs to add to my No-Fail List.
As much as I love this garment, I do feel like it’s still a bit on the safe side, and I will probably try it again with some more exciting elements on the top. I love Mimi’s leather version shown on the pattern envelope, and I have a few gorgeous leathers in my stash that would make a great pairing with this design, so stay tuned for Dynamic Jumpsuit Take 3!
Having weird technical difficulties with these photos for some reason, which is why my face is blurry in all of them, but I figure as long as the garment is in focus, who cares about the face LOL. Thanks as always to Claire for helping me capture the clothing!
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