Doctor T Designs

In a story that feels like an all-too-fitting way to start out 2022, let me tell you about the New Year’s Jumpsuit that was… wait for it… not actually worn to celebrate the New Year.

I know. What better way to start of 2022 than by doing the same thing we’ve been doing for the past 2 years – cancelling everything because #pandemiclife. I was naively hopeful that maybe even a relatively small gathering on New Year’s Eve would actually be a thing heading into 2022, but it was not to be. Though it was probably just as well because that was the week that the case rates exploded in my area, so of course it was better that we all did the responsible thing and stayed home.

In my naively hopeful state, however, I somehow landed on the idea of making something festive to wear because (1) I have no more party clothes and (2) I really wanted to celebrate something.

When I first saw this jumpsuit in issue 428 of Patrones magazine, it grabbed my attention, but I doubted my desire to wear something this daringly low-cut and with such a large bow. Of course, as New Year’s got closer (and before everyone’s adult rational brain cancelled everything due to COVID) I thought why not wear something daring and ostentatious to start the new year? I considered a lot of patterns, but this one had a lot of things going for it. Firstly, pockets. Secondly, it could easily sport a nice sparkly tank top underneath the jumpsuit to deal with the modesty issue. And thirdly, it could very easily work as extravagant pajamas if the whole New Year’s party thing was scrapped. Which it was. So I figured that either way, this pattern had a lot of versatility regardless of the circumstances in which it was to be worn.

Of course, I then ended up feeling quite sick to my stomach during my staying-at-home-New-Year’s-not-a-party, so I never really ended up wearing it as luxurious pajamas either, which is a bit of a shame. But for any potential upcoming fancy holiday-ish Zoom parties/Netflix nights, I am prepared.

The bow ended up being a detail that I had originally planned to leave off, but I’m happy I decided to include. It took a bit of hand sewing to attach it to the garment, but I think the effect is very much worth it.

Translated Instructions

Since this pattern is from Patrones magazine, I had to do a bit of Google translating and cleaning up of the instructions, and thought I would share that here.

26 V neckline jumpsuit: Supplement 3. Side 8. J, Fuchsia color stroke.

Sizes: 34-38-42-46

Number of pieces: 7

Necessary material:

• 2.60 m x 1.50 m wide polyester fantasy knit
• 0.55 m x 1.50m wide in velvet of cotton
• 1 m elastic 3.5 cm (1.25 inches) wide
• Sewing thread

Cut:

In polyester fantasy knit cut:

1. Front, once on fold.
2. Back, once on fold.
3. Sleeve, twice.
4. Trousers in front, twice.
5. Pocket side-bottom piece, twice.
6. & 6a Trousers behind, twice.
7. Waistband, twice on fold.
8. Two pocket linings according to pattern 4.
9. A rectangle of 2 cm x neckline contour according to size plus seams for cleavage.
10. A 2 cm x 1.50 m rectangle plus seams for the waist loop.

In cotton velvet cut:

1. A rectangle of 80 cm x 50 cm plus seams for the bow.
2. A 28 cm x 14 cm rectangle plus seams for a bow knot.

Construction:

1. Sew body side and shoulders, iron on.
2. Close sleeves and apply to armholes according to markings, sew.
3. Make pocket with side piece according to signs A-B, according to explanation model 12.
4. Sew trouser sides, crotches and center seam, iron on.
5. Make waistband with elastic and lacing:
   1. Embroider buttonholes on the outer waistband according to placement in patterns.
   2. Close waistband at center back seam.
   3. Gather the base of the body in front between the legs, leaving the same measurement as the waistband between the legs.
   4. Apply the waistbands to the body, placing one on the right and the other on the wrong side, leaving the body interspersed.
   5. Apply the upper waistband to the right trousers with the right side, sew and twist the lower one in the same seam on the wrong side, leaving a small opening to insert the elastic, pass it with the help of a safety pin, stretch it to the desired size, join the ends of the elastic and close the opening.
   6. Sew and return the loop, insert through the buttonholes with the help of a safety pin and leave the ends outside to tie.
6. Finish neckline with inner welt:
   1. Apply welt around the neckline right to right, sew with backstitch, turn welt inwards and secure with a few hand stitches or by stitching over the edge.
7. Make small hem at sleeves base and leg bases.
8. Make velvet bow:
   1. Fold bow in half at lengthwise, sew and return leaving the ends open, iron gently placing the seam in the center, fold and join the ends with a few hand stitches leaving one inside the another and gather the center of the bow until it is 7 cm wide.
   2. Sew and turn the knot strip, iron leaving the seam in the center, apply in the center of the loop and fix the ends with a few hand stitches.
   3. Apply bow in the center of the body in front at the end of the neckline, fasten firmly with a few hand stitches.

Pattern Review

Pattern Description: V-neck jumpsuit with pockets, waistband tie, and bow detail.

Pattern Sizing: Patrones sizes 32-38-42-46. I started with the 46 and then made several adjustments for fit.

Were the instructions easy to follow?  I translated the instructions from Spanish to English (primarily using Google Translate) and while I think some of the instructions don’t quite translate, the overall order of instructions seem pretty good. I did ignore some of the instructions or change up the construction order in a few places, but primarily to use a different finishing technique or to better manage my sewing time.

Did it look like the photo/drawing when you were done with it?  Overall I think it is pretty close. I think that my FBA modifications changed the depth of the front V a bit and added a bit of extra ease to the top, and using my own pants sloper probably made the trouser legs a bit wider than on the original pattern, but overall it’s pretty similar to the magazine image.

What did you particularly like/dislike about the pattern?  I really liked the relaxed sense of style, and I really like that it had some waist emphasis with the drawstring, and I also really love that it has pockets. I wasn’t a fan of the super deep V-neck, but ultimately decided I was too lazy to try and add an invisible zipper, so decided to just wear a tank top under the jumpsuit for modesty. I also wasn’t a fan of the bow detail and originally planned to leave it off, but have since decided it might actually be one of my favorite design elements, as it prevents the whole thing from looking too much like pajamas and adds a bit of fun detail.

Fabric used: I used a burgundy stretch velvet from Blue Moon Fabrics for the jumpsuit, and some leftover metallic mesh I found in the stash (probably also from Blue Moon) for the bow.

Pattern alterations or design changes you made:  For the top, I added approximately 2” of length to the back and 4” of length to the front as part of an FBA. I probably should have added 3” of length to the back to make the ease of the top more uniform back to front. It would have also made it easier to ease the FBA into the side seams. I also made the V-opening slightly less wide as part of the FBA. For the trouser portion, I used my self-drafted trouser block and modified it to match the pattern. I think my trouser legs are a bit wider than the original pattern draft, but I think it still looks pretty balanced and in proportion with the overall look. I also did a 2” full bicep adjustment. I think this resulted in the sleeve caps being a bit less smooth than ideal, but overall resulted in a much better relaxed fit on the sleeves. Plus, the slightly puffed sleeve cap seems to be “in” for 2022, so I’m going to roll with it.

Would you sew this again?  Would you recommend it to others?  I’m not sure how many velvet jumpsuits a person needs in their wardrobe? But I am pretty happy with how it turned out. It’s a style that I need to wear a tank-top under for modesty and it is also a design that requires stretch materials in order to get it on without any other closure (as drafted). In theory I could see myself making something casual and lightweight that might be good for summer, but as of now I don’t have any immediate plans to re-make this. I would recommend the pattern to anyone who likes the style and wants to make this sort of a jumpsuit.

Conclusion:  This jumpsuit has sort of become the holiday outfit that wasn’t. My friend group had originally planned a New Year’s get together that ended up being cancelled because of COVID. Even when that event was no longer happening, I thought I would have been able to finish this in time for the December Pattern Review Holiday Sewing Contest, and wear it on New Year’s Eve at home as a version of super fancy pajamas. That went out the window too since I ended up feeling unwell (not COVID related) and sort of lost any motivation to dress up at all. So, I guess at this point I have next year’s holiday outfit ready to go, as I don’t have a ton of places I’d be wanting to wear a fuzzy burgundy velvet jumpsuit otherwise.

Is this garment a “Triumph of Individual Style”? I think in a lot of ways this fits the style recommendations I’ve been trying to follow. The color is one of my favorites to wear because of the depth of color, and I think the style lines with relaxed fit and slight waist emphasis work well for me. I will always be a fan of wide-legged trouser styles, and pockets are always a great feature. I think the giant bow is a bit out of place for me, but it was a fun detail to add for a festive look, and actually looks better than I expected when I made the decision to include it on the garment. I’m not sure that this is exactly a “triumph” as this isn’t the sort of garment that I plan to wear all the time, but overall I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.