At the time of writing this post, I have been inside my apartment for one month. I have the immense luxury and privilege to be in that position.
And this change of pace has definitely led to some changes in my sewing queue. When each day involves juggling Mama and lawyer duties from within the safety of my own apartment, trying not to collapse from the weight of everything going on, I’ve been craving comfort, warmth, cosiness. Elastic!
But I still kind of want to look cute. Maybe even stylish?
Avenir Jumpsuit Dreams
Enter the Avenir Jumpsuit by Friday Pattern Company.
Although the pattern is designed for wovens, it can also be made in knits.
Which is exactly what I’ve done here.
I’ve had my eye on this pattern for a while. I’m a big fan of knit jumpsuits – I really liked my Sallie Jumpsuit but my rushed construction on that one means that it hasn’t stood the test of time. I’d been looking to replace it for a while and the Avenir was high on my list.
I love that it has sleeves – reminiscent of the wildly popular Adrienne blouse. I love that it can be worn off the shoulder or on. The blouse effect at the waist.
Fabric love from Meter Meter
Yet, although the Avenir Jumpsuit had been on my “maybe to do one day” list for a few months, it wasn’t until I saw this fabric that I knew it needed to graduate from general possibility to “in my closet already”!!!
This delightful fabric is soft lima knit from Meter Meter. It’s made from sustainably certified viscose fibres, which gives it an amazing drape and movement. It also has some weight to it, so it’s really warm and cosy. And as the name implies, it is soft as hell!
I have to say, in fact, that it is one of the most wonderful knit fabrics I have ever sewn with. It has a texture that feels almost like a sweater knit. It’s comfy, cosy but still classy looking!
In fact, as soon as I received this fabric, I actually ordered some more in another colour – it’s just that good!!!
Also, during these times of sewcial isolation, I’ve found it really useful the way that Meter Meter also sell matching thread – it’s kind of left me wondering why, in ordinary times, I keep dragging my butt into town to buy my thread in person! I think I will always order matching thread when available – one less thing to worry about!
My Avenir Jumpsuit
My Avenir Jumpsuit is a size L. My measurements had me in an XL at the waist and L for bust and hips. Given the elastic waist and the fact that I was using a knit fabric, rather than a woven, I figured I should be safe with the size L.
In terms of making my Avenir Jumpsuit, the construction and sewing was all very clear and straightforward. I experienced no issues.
Fitwise, the Avenir jumpsuit is a very forgiving pattern which I think could work on a variety of bodies. The use of elastic at the neck and waist provides flexibility. Wide legged pants pose no fitting issues. The crotch is very dropped, making it unlikely that you will experience crotch issues.
I’m long in the torso and often find that I need to add in extra room at the torso or crotch rise in jumpsuits, but no need here.
The Avenir Jumpsuit really seems designed to suit as many people as possible easily.
My only modification is that I liked the way the sleeve looked as an enormous bell-ish sleeve, so I left it as it was, rather than gathered the cuff with elastic as the pattern calls for. I like the way it looks but, word of warning – don’t try cooking with sleeves like these.
Ask me how I know!
The elastic at the sleeve cuff is definitely a safer option!
The one thing I would say about my fabric and pattern combination is that the fabric is rather heavy, which means that – between billowing wide legs and billowing sleeves, this Avenir jumpsuit is pretty darn heavy! When I wear it on its own, over the course of the day, the heaviness of the pants definitely pulls the waist down so that the elastic ends up sitting a little lower than is ideal.
It is absolutely fine for sewcial isolation wear. But once I get to wear this Avenir Jumpsuit out into the real world, I will probably wear it with the belt most often in order to keep the waist where it is supposed to be.
This totally reflects the weight of my fabric and it wouldn’t be a problem at all in most fabric choices.
Despite this, I still love this pattern and fabric combo.
It is perfect for while I’m stuck indoors and want to be warm enough (chilly apartment!) but with the effortlessness of wide-legged pants and elastic! Yet, when the sun pokes out, it’s breezy enough that I feel like I’m still absorbing vitamin D on my balcony while wearing this!
It’s definitely been my most worn garment this last month and I can’t see that changing anytime soon!!
So I guess this one is just rave reviews all around. What can I say, I really like both the pattern and fabric and had a very straightforward experience. I think that the Avenir Jumpsuit would be a good sewing palette cleanser between trickier projects.
And as for the end product, well, let’s just call this knit wonder like it is – my Avenir Jumpsuit is basically just the ultimate in loungewear.
And that’s just what I need right now!
I may be anxious, exhausted, overwhelmed. But at least I’m not wondering what to wear…
Oh and, finally, a little P.S! If you like to get your blog hits through Bloglovin’, feel free to follow me over there: you can find me here. And you can find me on Instagram here.