Making A Jumpsuit With Simplicity 3011

I don’t make many jumpsuits, but I decided that making a jumpsuit with Simplicity 3011 would be the perfect challenge. Not only that, but after the first completion, I decided to “hack” the pattern into a two piece set!

The First Jumpsuit

The first jumpsuit was made as the pattern stated. There were some minor changes made to the pattern in order to try to get the fit right. My usual change for pants would be to raise the front crotch seam by about 1/2″, which is what was done here. But this pattern did offer some unique challenges.

woman wearing burgundy colored Simplicity 3011 jumpsuit

Originally the sleeves of this were very long and the cuffs made them even longer. I removed the cuffs, shortened the sleeves by about 2″, then reattached the cuffs. because I wanted the sleeve to have the blouson effect, I tightened the cuffs by increasing the seam allowance to 1-1/4″, basically doubling the standard 5/8″.

Back view of woman wearing Simplicity 3011

The only “problem” I had with this pattern (which really wasn’t much of a problem in the end) was putting the zipper in. Because I haven’t done many garments with zippers in knit fabrics, it would have been easier to add some additional interfacing along the opening.

The pants portion of the jumpsuit is lined with a knit tricot. This is a type of fabric that’s often used for lining lingerie. That lining gives the pants the coverage I wanted and the perfect amount of extra weight it needs.

Here are some ways that I styled this jumpsuit. All of these jackets are made by me.

The Second Jumpsuit

Since making a jumpsuit with Simplicity 3011 went so well once, I did it again. This time I made some modifications. My one piece became two pieces.

Woman wearing two-piece Simplicity 3011 jumpsuit

The zipper was shortened to about 12″. I then closed the rest of the seam that would have been a part of the zipper opening. Since jumpsuits are made in two pieces anyway, the actual separation was easy. I wanted the bottom (waist) of the top to have elastic to give it that look of a one piece.

Because the material was thicker, this two-piece was not lined. The fabric is a brushed two-tone sweater knit. It’s super soft and easy to sew. The top portion was lowered by 1-1/4″ while the waistline at the pants was raised 1-1/4″.

Front view of green 2 piece jumpsuit Simplicity 3011

Both of these were sewn primarily with the serger.

Let me know if you have any questions about this process. It was fairly easy and quick to do.

Here is the video I made about this project…

Minerva Fabrics Stretch Velvet Beauty

I used McCall’s 7186 to make this Minerva Fabrics stretch velvet beauty. Not to toot my own horn, but this dress is gorgeous! I attribute that not so much to my own skill, but to the fantastic fabric.

The Fabric

Minerva gifted me this fabric. I am a Minerva Brand Ambassador. This project featured a new exclusive fabric for them. It’s called a Crush Velvet Stretch Knit. It washes and dries beautifully (in the washer and dryer-cold water, low heat).

The Pattern

The drape of the dress is why I chose this. I made View D. There are gathers at the shoulder that create the drape in the front of the dress. This is the second time I’ve made it and this view. Although the pattern is OOP (out of print) it’s available on Etsy or Ebay.

This is a pattern designed for knit fabrics.

Alterations Made

Because I made this pattern some time ago, I needed a bit more room in this one. I am still able to wear the dress I previously made, but it was a little tight and I just want more breathing room. 1″ was added to the center back seam and 5/8″ added to the side seams.

Once I got the sizing the way I wanted, this was a very quick make. I love making things that look like I spent a lot of time on them. The reality is, the majority of the sewing was done on the serger, so this only took a few hours to make!

Helpful Hints

A walking foot is a terrific help in sewing stretch (or any) velvet. It will keep the layers of fabric feeding into the machine at the same rate so that your seams will line up properly.

Be sure to use a press cloth and/or an iron shoe. Velvet can easily “scorch” and you could end up leaving a mark on your garment.

Conclusion

This is a fantastic dress pattern that is perfect for a stunning fabric like this.

Brother walking foot

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Here’s my YouTube video I made about this dress and the sewing process:

Plaid Matching Using Butterick 4463

I decided to try plaid matching using Butterick 4463.

The Pattern

Butterick 4463 is an older pattern that’s out of print (OOP). It’s from 2005 but I think that these days, it would be called a shacket. I have made this multiple times before and it is one of my favorites. I believe it’s available on Ebay and Etsy.

The jacket is unlined. It features two inseam pockets, front and back yokes and collar. There are a couple of lengths and a belt pattern included.

My Jacket: Plaid Matching Using Butterick 4463

I used this fabric I was gifted from Minerva for this project. It is the perfect weight fabric for something like this. It’s medium to heavy weight suiting and is terrific for an unlined jacket.

Since this jacket doesn’t have a center back seam or gathers in the back, it was a bit easier to figure out how to match this plaid. I laid out the back piece first with the fabric folded and pinned so it wouldn’t shift or move around. Then I matched up the back yoke with fabric right-side up. After that, I used the notches in the pattern pieces to do the best I could to match up everything else. Luckily, that worked out.

It’s always nice when all the effort works out and things match the way you want. But I have also learned not to stress too much about it. Nothing is going to be perfect. I would proudly wear this jacket regardless.

Because I wanted the buttons to blend in, I made covered buttons using the dark part of the plaid fabric.

Doing the buttons this way also meant that I didn’t have to worry about matching the plaid on the covered buttons.

Conclusion

Overall, this is an easy pattern and fairly quick to put together. Of course, if you choose to use a plaid fabric, the layout and cutting phase will take a bit more time and patience.

As far as this Minerva polyester viscose suiting is concerned, it is fantastic to sew. As I stated, it is the perfect weight for an unlined Fall season jacket. Here is the post I wrote for Minerva featuring this project.