Completed: Mom Goes to an "All White Party"

Now you all know I am a sucker for last minute projects, especially when the request comes from my Mom.  So, this is how it went last week (Wednesday) on a visit to her house.  She informed me that she couldn't find anything to wear to an "All White" party, that's in two days.  Yep!!! Two days. I would only have Wednesday night and all day Thursday to complete the challenge.  At this particular point she knew there would be no way I'd let her look anything but FABULOUS!!!

We decided to peruse the internet in search of something she might like.   Considering, she loves the 70s style and she definitely wanted a jumpsuit, that was already confirmed.  All we had to do at this point is find a jumpsuit that was her style and also fabulous.  We did find quite a few ideas online,  more than we could count, but we just didn’t have time to order one. Mom always gets what she wants!  After determining the design, I looked for a pattern comparable to her desired design in order to save valuable time.

Fabric Details:
I called Roz, with Sew Much Fabric, with the hopes she would accommodate me and allow me to pickup some 11oz Rayon Knit , which I had used before, for my pattern, the Misty Top.

YAYYY... Roz agreed, and you know I was quickly on the road to pickup the fabric at almost 9pm, which was an hour away from my home.  I was desperate.  THANK YOU ROZ!!

The fabric was extremely handled very well.  But of course, I did take the time to test several stitches in order to create the optimum seam finishes for this project.

• I used my walking foot, and a 75/11 Stretch needle by schmetz, 
• a stitch length of 2.8-3.5 was used for construction and hemming
• Wooly Nylon stretch thread was used in the bobbin, I use this one because of its strength.
• I finished the seams with the overlocker.  The setting will be different for your machine. 

For the pants I had to consider the strength and drape of the fabric.  Although, the pattern description suggested both a woven/non stretch fabric as well as a knit jersey, I felt like this 11 oz jersey handled like a champ, even with a zipper sewn into the center back seam of the pants.

Pattern Details:
McCalls M7716: view C top and view D pants:  I wouldn't say this pattern was actually meant for knit as listed on the envelope...I just don't believe and I know a pattern cannot be used for both without some major pattern redrafting or manipulation for it to work for a knit of any stretch ratio.  This one point seems to me to be very misleading, especially for a new sewer.  Just cutting a smaller size doesn't compute well in "My World"

Pattern Manipulation & Fitting Details:  
First of all I had to determine the ratio of the fabrics stretch before deciding how I would proceed with my changes. These are the changes I made:

1. Raised the section of the armseye 2" where the cutaway sleeve attached.
2. Raised the upper chest at the armseye by half an inch
3. Removed 4" from the flair of the pants.... they were just too wide for a knit this beefy.
4. For the tucks, I added a dart inside of the front tucks to make them appear smaller and give the top a closer fit as requested.  Without these darts, it made the bodice look droopy under the bust. 

(Here is a Full Video that Explains All pattern details)

Construction Details: 

1. A Waist Stay using "petersham" was added as additional support of the lower section of the jumpsuit.  I wanted to give her the feeling of having a built-in belt type support.
2. For the zipper you can see that considering it is an 11oz rayon jersey which is a nice beefy jersey. I think this fabric weight helped me to be able to insert an invisible zipper in the back.  Especially the part that tends to grow with the curve and weight of the knit.  Another reason I took some flair out of the pants pattern.
3. Of course I made sure that I supported the crotch area using a seam tape made from strips of knit interfacing.
4. I fully lined the jumpsuit with a tricot knit from Sew Much Fabric.  The pant lining stopped about 3 inches above the hem.

The hems on the sleeves and the pant, were topstitched.  I made sure to hand stitch the necklines and bindings.  As well as add a button over the back hook and eye.

Wouldn't you agree that Mom looks Stunning!!  She was very happy, wouldn't you agree?  Isn't it obvious on her face?

I am very happy with how the jumpsuit tuned out.  I’m happy with how the pants draped so gracefully. I especially am happy with my hand sewing, since I avoid it like the plague. Oh, and that zipper in the pants!

Love you Mom!!! It is always my pleasure see a smile like that on your face, showing how proud you are to wear my custom work!