The Zadie Jumpsuit pattern was released by Paper Theory in March 2019 and has been a favourite in the sewing community ever since. When I was planning my #MakeNine2022 I had a little browse through the Fold Line’s ‘Top 10 Indie Sewing Patterns of 2021’ – I had already made 6 of the designs (Ogden, Heyday, Sagebrush, Marlo, Kielo and Wilder) but the Zadie was a pattern I hadn’t tried, so I added it to my list.
With over 11k posts on the #ZadieJumpsuit hashtag there was plenty of inspiration to be found when thinking about what fabric I would use for my version, but instead of buying something I opted to use a fabric I already had in my stash. I bought this bolt-end of medium weight linen from Sew By the Sea in Margate just before it closed last year and I thought it would work perfectly for the Zadie. As you probably know I don’t really do toiles, but as the fabric was heavily discounted I wasn’t worried about getting the perfect fit and could view this project as a wearable toile.
Guess what? I didn’t have enough fabric! That has never stopped me before, but I knew that cutting out would be an even bigger challenge than usual because Paper Theory are know for their single-layer, economic cutting lay-outs and very accurate fabric requirements. I needed 2.3m of 150cm wide fabric and had 2.3m of 140cm wide fabric. This doesn’t seem like a lot less, but it made a big difference. I did a lot of jiggling to make everything fit and it took me ages, but I managed – phew!
My body measurements best suited the size 10 according to the chart, but after reading the fitting notes in the pattern and several reviews I decided to size down and make the size 8. The only adjustment I made was to shorten the legs by 2″ as I am only 5’4″ and the pattern is drafted for someone who is 5’7″. I am really pleased with the fit – the wrap feels nice and secure and the bodice isn’t too oversized, there is plenty of room for my bottom and I love the width in the leg.
I’m sure there will be fitting aficionados out there that would suggest there is bunching just above my bottom which could be taken out by adjusting the rise or something, but there are two important things to consider here: 1. I do not care and 2. I would imagine this excess fabric is needed to be able to sit down without getting a wedgie and I’d rather not remove it and find that out the hard way!
I really enjoyed sewing my jumpsuit last week in the evenings and I had a couple of extra hours of sewing time on Good Friday to get it finished. The instructions are fantastic and even though it looks complicated, the construction is actually very straightforward and well-explained. I particularly like the attention to seam finishing throughout the sewing process, which leaves you with a very neat and tidy garment – my favourite!
Well I’m very pleased I finally jumped on the Zadie Jumpsuit bandwagon – I absolutely love the finished garment and I would imagine it is something I will wear a lot when it is warmer. I really felt like I was one of the last members of the sewing community to give the pattern a try but a quick poll on Instagram revealed that 74% of my followers are yet to make one, which really surprised me! Have you made a Zadie? Let me know in the comments!