Striped Cotton Zadie Jumpsuit

Do you ever see a new pattern release and feel like it was just made for you? When I first spotted the Zadie Jumpsuit (the latest design from Paper Theory) I felt like it was a garment that should already be in my wardrobe. I love that it has got buckets of style, lovely unique design features, is effortlessly wearable and practical for my lifestyle too. I know jumpsuits aren't for everyone but I am a HUGE fan and they are genuinely amongst some of the most worn garments in my wardrobe (see evidence here, here, here, here and here). So much so that I am more than happy to put up with the hassle of using the toilet!

The fabric is this Hairline Stripe Cotton Twill in Indigo from The Fabric Store. It is completely dreamy fabric to work with and wear. I adore the workwear vibe of this fabric with the combination of deep inky blue and fine stripe. adore the workwear vibe inky blue and hairline stripe. When I first saw this fabric online I instantly saw it as a traditional French workwear jacket like the Julien Chore Jacket from Ready To Sew but had to admit to myself that there probably isn't a place for one of those in my wardrobe. I was very excited when I realised I could use it for this jumpsuit instead! It was a pattern and fabric match made in heaven. When the fabric arrived it was a lighter weight of twill than I imagined which is great as it gives a bit of movement to the jumpsuit and despite it's soft hand it retains a bit of crispness which works well to emphasise the lovely cut of those legs. I would never have worn this cut of clothing a few years ago but now it is absolutely what I feel happiest in. A wide leg and semi fitted bodice...with pockets of course.

Since I first saw it the online sewing community seems to have fallen for this pattern big time. Every new version I've seen has made me like it even more. I was frustrated not to have the time to sew this up straight after the pattern releases but actually having to wait and read some reviews has paid off and saved me making a muslin! A lesson in patience and not diving head first into a new project perhaps. Quite a few people have mentioned feeling like the suit was too long through the crotch. Being fairly short at 5ft 3" and with a short body I took a gamble after measuring the pattern pieces and shortened both the bodice and crotch by 3/4" each at the lengthen shorten line. I'm so pleased I did. The waistline and those wrap ties now sit just at the point I want. I think I could actually stand to loose a little more length form the crotch as there is some room in the rear but I do like a bit a freedom to move around!

This style is designed to be worn oversized and while I like the look I was wary of my petite frame being overwhelmed in fabric, preferring a slightly neater fit at least on the top half. After analysing the finished garment measurements which are helpfully thorough in these instructions I opted to cut one size down from my measurements, the size 8. I deliberated going down to a 6 but I'm glad I didn't in the end as I wouldn't want this style to look fitted. I've had a bit of trouble fitting wrap fronts in the past and feeling exposed but this feels incredibly secure and modest without being overtly so. I think the key in a wrap is getting the bodice length right.

I've seen a few people on social media asking for fit help on this garment because of creasing around the armholes. For me, this is just the way this grown-on style of sleeve sits and in a fabric with a bit of body and crispness like this cotton it is always going to happen. It doesn't bother me one bit! I've always had a pretty relaxed attitude to fitting and my general attitude is that if it looks as good as something you'd buy in the shops (both in terms of fit and finish, and to be honest it is usually better) that is plenty good enough.

For a jumpsuit it is a pretty speedy and straightforward project. I had it sewn up in about 4 hours at the weekend without rushing. The construction is remarkably straightforward, the most fiddly element being applying the binding to the curvy front edge. My life was made considerably easier by the fact that I was using a sturdy cotton which pressed well. A nice steamy press is certainly your friend in getting this to look neat and tidy! If you're struggling in a trickier fabric I would recommend breaking down the application of the binding into smaller steps. The pattern instructions have you assemble and press the bias strip and then simply slide it over your raw edge before stitching through the whole thing in one fell swoop. You could if you liked open up the binding and stitch it to the wrong side of the fabric first, before folding it over and stitching it in place. That might give you more control around the curves and is the method I am most used to seeing in pattern instructions.

The only part of the instructions I got a little confused about was basting the ties in place before attaching the binding. Now I've done it once I understand but it made no sense to me to begin with and I felt this step could have used a better diagram, additional notch or more explanation. On first try my ties ended up basted on to point upwards instead of towards the sides! When you first sew them on it looks like they are pointing in the wrong direction but once the binding is applied you fold them back over the binding and secure in place.

I absolutely love the construction of this jumpsuit; the way it is put together and finished. It is really unique which makes it both fun to make and wear. The slit in the side seam for the tie to pass through is easy to finish in a clean and sturdy fashion and I don't feel like I've got a big hole exposing my side once done up. Throughout the process I was questioning how the area below the waist and the bound edges could possibly be finished neatly without risk of exposure but it sort of came together well without me really having to think about it. If you're not using an overlocker to finish your seams you'll probably want to go back in and extend your crotch seam stitching up to the top edge of the binding once you've applied it as that will help that area sit right. It is a little unusual to have that volume of fabric in that area but I got used to wearing it very quickly. I love the effect of the fold here. It reminds me of wrap front fisherman's trousers or a pattern from the Japanese Pattern Magic books!

The weather here in London seems to have taken a turn back to the chiller and damper side of things which is frustrating as this is about all I want to wear right now. That combination of feeling so comfortable you forget you've even got clothes on yet wearing clothes so cool you get compliments at every turn is a rare one. If you follow along with my Me-Made-May on Instagram you might get bored of seeing this soon! Speaking of Me-Made-May, I now wear mainly handmade most days so my goal for the month is to actually whittle down my wardrobe to garments I really love and get a lot of wear out of. It is hard to admit sometimes that a sewing project hasn't turned out quite the way you hoped after all the time, energy and expense put into it and even harder to part with them. I'd like to spend some time this month refashioning, repairing and altering pieces in my handmade wardrobe to give them a new lease of life. I'm also going to try and get rid of the things I'm genuinely not going to wear anymore and need ideas of how to do this in a way that feels good! I'm considering giving some away to family and friends, donating to charity, possibly a little Instagram de-stash/sale and making use of H&M's textile recycling scheme.

Are you choosing to join in with the Me-Made fun this month? And if so how?