Beachy Jumpsuit

I don't know why it has taken me so long to get on the jumpsuit bandwagon.  Possibly because this is the sort of clothing I used to wear in my teens / twenties...you know, not taking on the fads the second time around.  Anyway, I should have got there sooner because I love wearing this jumpsuit.

There are plenty of jumpsuit patterns to choose from, but non of them was quite what I wanted.  I thought it would be just as easy to start with a trouser patter that I already had, and make the required changes, as it would be to buy a new pattern and make alterations.  Both options would require a muslin.

I didn't want patch pockets, because they never seem to sit right once you fill them up.  I didn't want in-seam pockets, because they flap about.  I wanted curved inset pockets, which would necessitate a waist seam, at least in the front.  

I started with the Jalie 3676 Vanessa Pants, and made the following changes

- I added an inch to each side seam (ie total 4" added ease)

- I lowered the crotch by 3 cm (just watch me flit between metric and imperial)

- I added 5 cm to the waist height, which is the same height as the Jalie Vanessa waistband.  I kept the back darts, extending them up to the new waist seam.

- I increased the height of the pocket pieces 5 cm to match.  I also made the pockets a bit deeper, as the ones in my Vanessa pants are a bit shallow for my phone

- I created a bib shape for the front and back, with a bit of trial and error.  The side curves on the bibs are quite low.  They are actually are as high as I can make them without having to add a side opening, being pear shaped and all.

- the tops of the bibs are folded over.  The side edges are finished with self-made bias binding.

- the straps are just rectangular tubes.  They might have looked better a bit skinnier.  I went with ties instead of buttons, because I thought the button holes would drag with the weight of the jumpsuit in this linen.

- I cropped the leg length and sewed a deep double fold hem that can be turned up as a cuff.  Not that the cuffs stayed up on my walk to the beach.  I might have to stitch them up.

The fabric is a beautiful linen twill from Tessuti.  It has a thin white stripe running through at about 5 cm intervals, but that is not showing up in the photos.

It turns out that having a big red blob in the middle of your photo creates some fun filter effects, so here are some more photos for you.