Today I’m sharing the Mirri Jumpsuit by Papercut Patterns which I have made up in a colour block of two heavy weight linens from The Fabric Store.
The Mirri Jumpsuit only caters for a hip size of up to 124cm so it is not at all an inclusive size range.
Sizing and Muslining it up
My Mirri Jumpsuit is a size 5 at the bust, graded to a size 6 at the waist and hips, although there are some additional modifications described below to the bottom half of my version.
I started by sewing a muslin for the Mirri Jumpsuit as I was particularly concerned to ensure that the length of the torso would suit me well. For me, that’s generally the most crucial fitting step for a jumpsuit.
For my muslin, I used the straight size 6 of the Mirri Jumpsuit pattern. I found that the pattern was actually a good fit in terms of the length of the torso, but I definitely made a few other adjustments based on my muslin.
After the muslin, I decided to use the size 5 bodice and grade to a 6 at the waist. The size 6 bodice was way too roomy and looked sloppy, so I would say that the pattern runs a bit big in the bodice/bust area.
I also decided that I wasn’t a huge fan of the button back feature, so I modified the pattern a little, taking out some fabric at the centre back so that I could insert a simple zipper at the centre back seam, which would run all the way to the neckline.
My muslin showed me that I also found the pattern as drafted too tight around my thighs, so I modified the pattern to add an extra inch at the side seam of the leg for some extra room.
I haven’t quite done this as well as I could have. I really didn’t want to mess with the waistband (the bodice pieces are so strange with the ties, that I was a bit scared to touch the waist). So I had to grade quite significantly from the waist to the upper thigh to get the added room in there. It’s really a bit too much grading over too short a distance and I would have been better off perhaps also altering the waist to create a more natural line.
But, despite it not being perfect, I’m still very happy overall.
Sewing the Mirri Jumpsuit
The Mirri Jumpsuit was actually much quicker and easier to sew than I had expected. I experienced no issues and it all came together well.
The Mirri Jumpsuit comes with a sleeve or sleeveless option. I tend to prefer sleeves but in the end went for sleeveless as I wasn’t entirely confident the sleeve would fit well around the arm and I thought that this would be the kind of garment I might often wear with a cardigan or jacket on top. In that case, sleeveless can be a lot more comfortable.
I’m actually a tad confused by the fact that the pattern includes a sleeved and a sleeveless option because there is only a single bodice piece with a single cutting line at the arm. I had always kind of thought that the way the armsyce is drafted needs to be slightly different if you are making a garment with sleeves or without, for most types of sleeves. So it struck me as a bit odd that you can use the exact same bodice piece to also sew a version with sleeves.
But I’m not pattern drafter, so perhaps I’m wrong.
Sewing dilemmas
My only challenges with the Mirri Jumpsuit were practical and aesthetic in nature.
First of all, between the ties and the back zipper (plus a button if you sew it as designed), this isn’t a fast one to remove for bathroom breaks!
I know that for some people complex bathroom access is a deal-breaker but, as for myself, well, I’m willing (and, most fortunately, able) to endure quite a bit for the joy of the jumpsuit!
The other little thing to mention for entirely uncoordinated people like myself is that the wrap ties of the Mirri Jumpsuit are part of the bodice – it’s a really unique shape. And the end result is that you have a hollow tie which is actually part of the bodice, not an addition to it. This means that every time I try to put this on in the morning, I have a remarkable ability to accidentally put my foot into the waist tie instead of the pant leg!
I’ll let you imagine how that goes down, especially when I’m in groggy early morning mode!
The final dilemma I faced with this one is, due to my decision to colour block, whether to use a zipper colour which matched the bottom half or the top half of my jumpsuit?
I faced a similar dilemma when I sewed this colour block Vogue jumpsuit a few years ago. There I arrived at the basic position, which I maintain is a solid one, that since you really don’t want any odd flashes of colour in the bum area, it’s safer to go with matching the zipper to the bottom half of the jumpsuit.
However, as I was using white on the top half, the navy zipper against a white bodice was completely visible through the fabric for the entire length of the back seam.
So I decided to go with the white zipper instead.
In all honesty, my invisible zip installation wasn’t perfect and you can see an occasional flash of white zipper in the butt area of this one. I’ve tried to fix it once but it came undone so I am going to have to go back in there again!
Bugger!
In the meantime, I’m hoping that the ties hanging down over the butt will disguise a multitude of sins in this regard!
If you want to see more of my sewing adventures, you can find me on Instagram here.