So I recently realised that it had been about two years since I had sewn a Zadie Jumpsuit and, well, that seemed to be a pause which warranted reconsideration.
The Zadie Jumpsuit by Paper Theory Patterns, is a much loved staple of the indie sewing world. In my opinion, it is also a delightful gateway into the world of jumpsuits, for those who may be reluctant to venture into jumpsuit land.
The Zadie Jumpsuit caters to a maximum hip measurement of 57.5″ (146cm) and max waist size of 47.5″ (121cm).
My Zadie Jumpsuit is a size 12, as I still use the version I first cut out more than three years ago. However, I cut an extra centimetre into the side seam from the waist down as I go. Still, even with my little addition, I definitely wear the Zadie Jumpsuit sized down from what would be recommended for my actual current body measurements. Based on my current body measurements, the size recommended for me by the designer is a 16, whereas with my little rough modifications, this version is probably about a 12 at the bust and a 14 elsewhere.
My only other small changes were to add a cuff to the sleeve and I also added some interfacing at the neckline, as I find that the Zadie Jumpsuit neckline can stretch out over time, especially if it’s made in linen or similar.
Now, I really haven’t made any changes to this Zadie Jumpsuit, so, in may ways, it may not really justify its own blog post.
But the reason I decided to write one anyway was because I wanted to comment on how I had forgotten just how easy to sew the Zadie Jumpsuit is.
And what lovely big pockets it has!
Sewing this Zadie Jumpsuit, just kind of felt like when you catch up with an old friend you haven’t seen for a few years. And you can just settle back into the vibe, pick up where you left off and be left with a glow of satisfaction, thinking “that just felt right!” afterwards.
Hmmm, I guess at this point, you may be wondering to yourself “does she really think of sewing patterns as being her friends?”. I think my husband often wonders the same thing…
Anyway, while the Zadie Jumpsuit is something of a star in its own right, I feel like the real star of this show is the very distinctive “Loom Night” linen viscose by Atelier Brunette. I love the geometric design, the colours. It is a linen-viscose blend, but it definitely has a nice crispness to it and feels more linen than viscose.
Whipping up a simple and easy project like this Zadie Jumpsuit always gives me that sense of “isn’t sewing so fucking awesome?”. Within a day, I can create something I adore, that fits me and that I could never find in a store!
Ooh I am absolutely giddy to see this post this morning. I have been wanting to see another Zadie badly but want to fix a couple issues I’m finding with the first version. First the inconvenient gap that happens at the crotch which prevents me from feeling able to wear it out in public. Do you have this issue? I was wondering if it was maybe because I sized down? I do love this jumpsuit and would love to feel confident wearing it in public.
I do have this issue, which was why I tried an alternative last year – the TAL wide legged jumpsuit, which was awful on me. There’s more about it in that blog post. I’ve now accepted just putting my hands on my lap when I sit down to make sure there’s no bulging when I wear it. Victory Patterns also recently released the Rowena jumpsuit which has some similar features to Zadie but has no actually wrapping in the crotch area. Maybe that could be an alternative?
Thanks for the response. Glad to know I’m not the only one this happens to. Was thinking about putting in a small snap or something. I’ll let you know if I find any potential solutions. 😉
Really appreciate and look forward to reading your posts. Hope you are having a lovely summer.
I’m all for blog posts about repeat projects. I saw a debate about this elsewhere on your blog (and I’m a random googler who stumbled upon it while researching a pattern). Some people won’t necessarily go through all the back posts and see every pattern, so it’s useful to see ones that have become favorites with repeat potential. And also, if you blog for yourself as much as your readership, why not document the thing you’ve sewn? I sometimes need to go back to my project notes to remind myself what changes I made, and even just to see old pictures to see if the fabric changed size or I did 🙂 I don’t think a project needs to pass a “notability threshold” to be blogged about. (And I’ve been enjoying your blog a lot so far!)
I agree with this.
Also, I much prefer blog posts to Instagram reels, even if they don’t have much text. I’m all for repeat-makes and -wears and -posts!
And seeing another nice zadie is always good 🙂