No More Fussing: Zadie Jumpsuit in Burgundy Linen

I really, really want to love the Zadie by Paper Theory as much as the rest of the sewing blogosphere. 

I spent far more time on this than you can probably even believe. I made a muslin, and shortened the bodice by an inch or two. I drafted a facing, since I'm pretty sure bias tape on this wrinkle prone linen would be begging for a pressing every time I washed it, and that is a route to the very back of my closet. 

Then I made it up, wore it a couple of times, but the linen relaxed after a few hours of wear and the crotch was hanging halfway down my thighs and the backside was voluminously baggy. So I chopped off another 3 inches at the waist seam, which involved rather a lot of fussiness putting the facing and ties back together again. I think the back view is significantly improved, and it is still plenty loose in the crotch.

Sadly, I still don't really love it. I'm not sure exactly why. I chose burgundy because it I was hoping it would NOT look like a pair of scrubs, but I still sort of feel like it looks like a pair of scrubs. I find the waist seam has a tendency to wiggle out of alignment with the skinny ties, with really bugs me, and I spend the whole day fussing realigning the ties. I guess belt loops would help, but I feel like I'd need about 10 of them all the way around to make a proper guide for the belt. I also end up fussing quite a bit with the belt, since if it get too loose there is the danger of exposure, and it always seems to be either too tight or too loose.

There is nothing really wrong with it. It is plenty comfortable. Coverage is actually quite acceptable for a wrap. It doesn't even look half bad in these pics.

I keep trying to think of ways to alter it that would make me love it more, but I'm not sure it's worthwhile in this case. What do you do when you make something you just don't love?

Rayon Crepe "Zamy" (Zadie + Amy) Wrap jumpsuit

It's wedding season! Of course, nothing in my closet would do.  

The fabric is a rayon crepe that I picked up at Emmaonesock earlier this spring. I don't know whether to call this a border print or a panel, but I was immediately drawn to the layout and colors of the print. When I received it, the hand was even more luscious that I could have imagined... it has the most beautifully drapey, textured matte surface.

The basic pattern is the Zadie jumpsuit (Paper Theory), but highly modified. I've made one Zadie that I have yet to blog, since the fit is quite far from right. The crotch is miles too long, and possibly poorly shaped for my body. But I love the idea of a wrap jumpsuit, and I thought a wrap would be perfect for this print.

Also, to make the best use of this spectacular print, a waist seam was not desirable, and considerable swishy-ness on the legs certainly is desirable. 

Soooo.... I laid the Zadie on top of my beloved Amy jumpsuit pattern (Closet Case Patterns), and proceeded to trace out a hybrid. My love of the Amy jumpsuit is well documented! Let's just call this a Zamy, shall we? 

The hybridization went smashingly... I made a muslin and it was nearly spot on. It is difficult to say exactly where Zadie ends and Amy begins, but I took the wrap shape and pleats from the Zadie and the crotch curves and length mostly from the Amy, and retained all of the volume of the wide legs from the Amy. 

No waist seam. Pleats were retained, sewn to be open on both ends. I drafted facings, rather than use bias on the neckline, for a more elegant finish. Side seam pockets. Frenched seams. The sleeves are finished with self-fabric bias binding that is invisibly hand sewn down.

I also decided to add button closures (tabs sewn into the side seams) so that it can be worn with or without a belt, a technique borrowed from the Highland Wrap Dress (Allie Olson).

I made the belt twice as wide as the original Zadie ties, sewed the two ties together, and interfaced it so that it would lay flat (another thing I didn't like about my first Zadie is how the waist ties wrinkle up) and left it completely unattached. 

The wedding was lovely, the bride and the groom very sweetly exchanged handwritten vows on a perfect summer day. It is always such a beautiful thing to see two young people starting out together in their lives. As for my position as the recent wife of the father of the groom-- let's just say everyone has history. However, if one has to stand around smiling graciously, making small talk and feeling generally awkward, one might as well do so looking glamorous!