First, finish the raw edges of the pant hem allowances with your serger or your method of choice. Press the hem allowances to the side of the pant by 1 in (2.5 cm). Use a catchstitch to secure hems: Thread a hand-sewing needle and knot the end; come up through the hem allowance only, anchoring the thread. Holding the needle horizontally and with the needle’s point facing left, take a tiny stitch into the garment about 1/4 in (6.3 mm) to the right of where the thread exited, picking up just a thread or two. Continue working 1/4 in to the right, taking a tiny stitch into the hem allowance edge. Repeat in this manner, forming a zigzag shape. 

Alternatively, sew a hem using a twin needle on your sewing machine. 

Finally, you’ll make your strap(s). Fold strap pieces in half lengthwise, right sides together, and stitch the long edge. Trim the seam allowances and turn the strap right side out using a knitting needle or specialty turning tool. Press strap flat, making sure seamline is rolled to edge of strap. Finish the ends of your strap with serging or zigzagging.

Try the jumpsuit on and pin the straps in place to check the button and buttonhole marks. Make vertical buttonholes on the straps according to your placement test and then sew in corresponding buttons to the inside of the jumpsuit (check the placement marks on the pattern pieces and the instructions on page 34 of the booklet).

Your jumpsuit is finished! I can’t wait to show you my lime green and black pompom version. Check back for photos! Thank you all for another fabulous sew-along.

Start by sewing your front and back darts on the pants. Press toward center back and center front, respectively. And don’t forget to stabilize the center back above the zipper mark with 1.25″ wide fusible interfacing strips.

I decided to continue my Mexicali Rose pom pom fantasy on my pants, and placed trim down the pant seam allowance, as for the neckline band. This would be great with fringe or piping too!

Next, pin and stitch each Pants Front to Pants Back at inseam and outseam, RS together, matching notches. You’ll have created a tube for each leg. Press seam allowances open. A seam roll or sleeve board comes in handy here!

Next you’ll sew the crotch seam. Pin the pant legs together and stitch, starting at front waist edge and stopping at back zipper circle. It can be helpful to put one leg inside the other (right sides together) to sew this seam.

Press crotch seam open. You may wish to trim these seams to 3/8 in (1.0 cm) to remove bulk. Check out my pom pom pants!

Now it’s time to sew the bodice to the pants. Pin the bodice to the pants at waistline, matching darts and seams. Stitch. Trim seam allowances as one to about 3/8 in (1.0 cm), then finish as desired. If serging, trim and finish simultaneously. Press seam allowances toward bodice.

It’s zipper time! We’ll be inserting a lapped zipper. With jumpsuit right side out, on right half of center back opening (the underlap), press stabilized zipper opening seam allowance to wrong side 1/2 in (1.3 cm). 

Grab your 18″ regular (not invisible) zipper. Place metal zipper stop just below turned-under elastic neckline facing and pin the zipper under the pressed seam allowance, placing zipper teeth just left of fabric fold.

Open the zipper halfway. Using a zipper foot, stitch from top to bottom next to zipper teeth, just on fold. As your needle approaches the zipper pull, stop stitching with your needle down and presser foot up and close the zipper; resume stitching until you get to the base of the zipper. 

Next we’ll pin and sew the overlap (left) side of the zipper. On left half of zipper opening, press seam allowance under 5/8 in (1.5 cm). With zipper closed, position overlap over zipper teeth so fabric fold just covers stitching on underlap; make sure waistline seam matches on either half of opening. Pin the overlap to zipper tape.

Open the zipper all the way and topstitch overlap 3/8 in (1.0 cm) from fold, closing zipper when you reach the pull; finish stitching to base. Pivot and stitch across base of zipper opening. 

Your zipper is in!

Finally, you’re going to sew two bar tacks, one on either side of the zipper. I took this detail from a Ceeb of Miami vintage jumpsuit, and it’s great for stabilizing the upper zipper opening in such a stretchy garment, and keeping it from gaping open at the top.

To make the bar tacks, fold down zipper tape ends and use a narrow zigzag (around 1.0 mm to 1.5 mm wide), with a short stitch length (approximately 0.5 mm long). Position needle 1/4 in (6.3 mm) to left of overlap’s topstitching, and 1/4 in below back neckline edge. Stitch for 3/8 in, creating a bar tack. Repeat on underlap side, 1/4 in to right of zipper stitching. Here’s an illustration to give you a clear idea of what this should look like.

And here’s what it looks like on the jumpsuit.

That’s it for this installment. In the next post, we’ll be sewing the straps and hemming the pants and then we’re done!

Construct Your Bra

Make sure you’ve applied your interfacing to your bra pieces before doing any of these steps. You’ll construct the bra the exact same way you did the front bodice: center darts, center front seam, and then princess seams. Trim the princess seams to 1/4″ wide and press them open.

Cut bone channeling so that it is 3/4″ shorter than the princess seam and pin to the open seam, ending casing 3/4 in (1.9 cm) from bra’s upper edge. Edgestitch along sides of casing, stitching through the layers of casing, seam allowances, and bra. 

Next, you’ll apply picot elastic to the bottom edge of the bra. Make sure to cut your elastic so that it’s about 1″ shorter than the length of the lower edge of the bra. Stretching the elastic to fit, overlap the picot with the bra edge by about 1/4″. Use a medium width zigzag to stitch on the picot, stretching the elastic to fit.

Tip: you can use a wider elastic and cut it a bit shorter and stretch it more to give more bust support! Here’s what a 3/4″ elastic looks like.

Bone the Bra

Now it’s time to bone the bra! I made a video to help you with the process.

Attach the Bra

Now that the bra is constructed, it’s time to sew the bra to the bodice front. Pin the two together at the neckline edge, right sides together.

Stitch the two together using a zipper foot (so you don’t stitch over your boning a break a needle!), pivoting at the center front seam. Grade seam allowances so bodice’s seam allowance is widest and bra’s allowance is narrower. Notch seam allowances on the front neckline curves.

Understitch your neckline and press the edge, rolling the bra inside the bodice.

Sew the Bodice Back

Next, sew your back princess seams: Pin the bodice backs to the bodice side backs. Stitch with a 5/8 in (1.5 cm) seam allowance. Stitch again with a 1/4 in (6.3 mm) seam allowance, forming 3/8-in-wide (1.0 cm) channel for a bone. Finish seam allowance raw edge with narrow zigzag stitch or serged overlock stitch. Press joined seam allowances toward center back. 

Now, cut your 3/4″ elastic so that it clears the seam allowances on each side of the back pieces. It will look like this when pinned in place. See how the elastic doesn’t extend into the seam allowances at the side seams or the center back?

Next you’ll serge or zigzag the elastic on, not stretching it at all. Just serge along the edge, stitching the elastic to the fabric, without trimming anything away.

Fold and press the elastic in, forming a “facing” at the top of your bodice back.

Sew the Side Seams

Next we sew our side seams. Pin bodice back units to bodice front at side seams, right sides together (keep bra separate at this point). Be sure that the back elastic facing’s folded edge ends at the same point as the front neckline’s finished edge. Flip bra to bodice RS, sandwiching bodice backs between bodice front and bra. Pin and stitch all layers with a 5/8 in seam allowance. Stitch again with a 1/4 in seam allowance, forming 3/8-in-wide channel for a bone. Finish seam allowances with narrow zigzag stitch or serged overlock stitch. 

Turn bra back to wrong side, and push out corners of side seam. Press seam allowances toward bodice front. 

Bone the Seams

Last step for today! Cut spiral steel boning lengths about 3/4 in shorter than lengths of bone channels on the side seams and back princess seams. Apply caps to boning ends with pliers or wrap ends with Teflon tape and insert them into bone channels.

Close bone channels by stitching across the lower edges. 

Doesn’t the finishing on your bodice look lovely?

That’s it for now! We’ll be back with constructing our pants next week.

Front Bodice

First, pin and sew your darts in the bodice front pieces. Press the darts down and sew your center front seam. This part can be tricky because you need the darts to align perfectly. It’s always a good idea to pin and baste that section of the seam first and then check your matching.

Finish your center front seam allowances by serging or the method of your choice,

Next, sew your front princess seams: Staystitch Bodice Center Front (1) between princess seam notches, then clip every 1/2 in (1.3 cm) between notches. Spread those clips when pinning the bodice front to the side bodice, so that the curves match.

Press the princess seams open and then to center front. Trim seam allowances as one to about 3/8 in (1.0 cm), then finish as desired. If serging, trim and finish simultaneously. 

Neckline Band

If you’re making a neckline band, now’s the time to construct it. (If you’re leaving the band off, you’re done for this post!) Start by sewing the center front seam on the interfaced band pair and the uninterfaced band pair. Press seams open.

Want to add trim to your band? This is a great place to insert trim like fringe or pompoms! If you’d like to add trim, start by drawing in the 5/8″ seam line on your interfaced band. (If not, just skip the next few steps and sew the two band layers together below.)

Next, place your trim with the flat tape part in the seam allowance and the dangly part in the body of the band (facing the neckline). Baste in place by hand. Look how cute my pom poms look already!

Pin and stitch the uninterfaced band on top to the interfaced band at the lower edge, sandwiching the trim in between. Grade the seam allowances so that the uninterfaced seam allowance is narrower.

Trim away as much bulk as possible at the band’s point.

Open out the band layers and understitch the uninterfaced band about 1/8″ from seamline.

Turn the band right side out and press flat. Baste the band’s raw edges together along the long upper edge and the two short sides.

Pin and baste the band to the front bodice, using a long machines stitch.

That’s it for now! In the next post, we’ll talk about constructing the inner bra–complete with video.

Cutting Your Fabric and Interfacing

For the jumpsuit version, you’ll need pattern pieces 1-6, 9-10, and the strap of your choice. Also add piece 8 if you’d like a neckline band.

First, note the direction of greatest stretch in your fabric. If it goes selvage to selvage, then you can use the cutting layouts as shown on pages 8-11 in the booklet. If the stretch runs parallel to the selvage, then you’ll need to do a different cutting layout, as shown below. Just remember that you want the stretch going around your body, and position the pattern pieces on the fabric accordingly.

(Note: if using the Shoulder/V-Neck Strap, there is an error with the dimensions of the pattern piece! You’ll need to trim it down to 2.75″ wide if you’d like it to be the width shown in the photos.)

The bra and neckline band pieces also need to be cut in out in interfacing. Make sure you’re using stretch or knit interfacing.

Snip Notches and Transfer Pattern Marks

After cutting out each pattern piece, you’ll want to snip into your notches and the ends of the darts.

Also mark your darts with dressmakers tracing paper. Alternatively, you can place a pin in the point of the dart and draw a line between the point and the legs with a chalk pen.

Also mark the zipper opening and any strap placement marks.

Stabilize Zipper Opening

Before sewing, I also strongly recommend stabilizing the zipper opening of your garment with strips of fusible interfacing. Fuse strips of 1 1/4-inch-wide (3.2 cm) interfacing along the center-back opening edge of the Bodice Center Back (4) and above the zipper circle on the Pants Back (10). I use this fusible tape but you can also just cut strips of interfacing.

Finishing Seams

If using a serger or your sewing machine’s overlock stitch to finish your raw edges, you can finish some of them flat (before we start construction). Finish the vertical sides of the pant pieces, the crotch curve of the pants, and the center back bodice edge. Be sure not to trim off any fabric while serging!

In the next post, we’ll start bodice construction!

If you have any questions about adjustments, definitely make use of the Facebook group! It’s a great place to get feedback on fit issues.

After you’ve made any fit adjustments, you’ll want to make a muslin. The most important thing to remember is to make your muslin out of a fabric with the same amount of stretch as your outer fabric. When constructing your muslin, use a long machine stitch. The bra may be omitted for your test version. Baste in a 14-inch zipper and pin on ribbon to mimic straps and test strap length.

Try on your muslin to assess the fit. There’s a list of common fit questions in the Jane booklet. And definitely take pictures of your muslin to share in the Facebook group if you’d like fit feedback!

Choosing Your Charm Patterns Size

Remember the order:

1. Take your upper bust measurement and find it in the size chart on the envelope. That is your dress size.
2. Scan down the column for that dress size until you find your full bust measurement. That is your cup size.
3. Check the waist and hip measurement for the dress size you’ve chosen and see if you need to adapt the pattern.

Next, let’s talk about finished measurements and hip and crotch measurements for jumpsuits.

Finished Measurements and Crotch/Hip Measurements

The most important takeaway here is:

1. Don’t be afraid of the negative ease! The garment measurements are smaller than your body. Don’t size up, as this garment is meant to be stretchy and snugly fitted.
2. Take your crotch length measurement to see if you need to make pant adjustments (we’ll be talking about that in the next post). You do need a little ease in your crotch length, as the stretch only goes around your body horizontally, not vertically.

Please let me know if you have any questions! I’ll be back later this week with more info on pattern adjustments and making a muslin.

The Pattern

First grab your pattern. You can see the list of supplies on the back envelope. If you ordered the PDF version, this info is all the first few pages of your file. (You can also find most of this information on the Charm Patterns website.) Don’t forget to use the code JANESEWALONG to get 15% off your pattern until Tuesday, March 18th!

Supplies

Here’s the official supply list, with some info added.

• About 1/2 yard (0.5 m)  stretch knit/tricot fusible interfacing. You can get tricot at most chain fabric stores. I also really love this knit interfacing.
• Thread. All-purpose poly thread is perfect for this project.
• 3/8-inch-wide (1.0 cm) lingerie elastic (also called picot edge elastic or lace elastic). This is the kind with the scalloped edge.
• 1/2 yard (0.4 m) of 1/2-inch-wide (1.3 cm) bone casing or bias tape. I use this bone casing. You can also substitute 1/2″ wide bias tape.
• 1-1/2 yards (1.3 m) of 1/4-inch-wide (6.3 mm) spiral steel boning. Please check out my super handy list of resources on where to buy spiral steel boning, categorized by country.
• Metal cutters. These are my favorite; they cut steel boning super easily and smoothly.
• Boning tips or Teflon tape. Teflon tape (aka plumbing tape, available at any hardware supply store) is my favorite supply for covering the cut ends of steel boning.
• Pliers (if using boning tips)
• 3/4-inch-wide (1.9 cm) elastic for the back neckline.
• 14-inch (35.5 cm) zipper
• Two 5/8-inch buttons for halter strap
• Four 1/2-inch buttons for shoulder straps
• Three 1/2-inch buttons for V-neck straps

Please let me know if you have any questions about supplies! And don’t forget to check out the fabric recommendations post I made on Monday. And hey, why not share your fabric choices on the Facebook Group? I can’t wait to see what you’ve chosen for your Jane Set!

I know one of the trickiest parts of starting a sewing project is knowing what kind of fabric to use. The Jane Set requires very careful planning with fabric because of the fit of the pattern, and the type of fabric it was designed for. This pattern has negative ease, and is designed for stretch woven fabrics. That means that the garment is smaller than your body measurements, and the fabric stretches to provide a curve-hugging fit. Fun fact: we may think of spandex as a recent invention, but 50s jumpsuits and swimwear were often made from a fabric called Lastex, which was precursor to Spandex fabrics. Elastane was a very stretchy woven fabric with a slight ribbed texture to it, like a stretch faille. I’ve spent a lot of time looking for a good substitute for Lastex; see my recommendations below.

Fabric Types and the Stretch Test

The Jane Set pattern was designed for light to medium weight stretch woven fabrics, like stretch twill, denim, sateen, bengaline, and gabardine. Rayon/poly/lycra (RPL) blends are a good option, as are wool/spandex blends and suiting.

Shop specifically for fabrics blended with Lycra/spandex. I recommend fabrics with at least 25% stretch, meaning you can take a 4-inch piece of relaxed fabric and stretch it to 5 inches. Note that this is different from the composition of the fabric! A fabric may be labeled 3-4% lycra but still stretch 25%.

I know this can all be really overwhelming, and sometimes it’s nice to have specific, tried and true recommendations. So here are some great fabrics that I personally have used for the Jane Set:

Recommended Fabrics

Sew Classics Bengaline Suiting at Joann

Stretch bengaline is the closest thing, texture-wise, to a vintage Ceeb jumpsuit. It has little faille-like ribs in the fabric and lots of stretch. I made every single test version of the Jane in this particular fabric. It’s economical and a great option for your first version. Buy extra so you can test the pattern first! Also, the purple is a really pretty eggplant color. Note: the stretch in this fabric goes parallel to the selvage (which is unusual) so you will need to cut the pieces the opposite way to the layouts, so that the stretch goes around the body rather than lengthwise.

Stretch Bengaline Suiting from Fabricgenie on Etsy

Another stretch bengaline option with lots of color options! I made the orange romper below with this fabric. I like this fabric as a super cheap option ($5.99 a yard!), but it does require some special handling to sew. It’s 70% polyester, so it will melt if your iron is too hot. Use a press cloth, as this fabric does look best when properly pressed.

Stretch Poplin Fabric/Rayon Blend Poplin from Fabricgenie on Etsy

This fabric has a lighter drape than the bengaline, and I ended up using it for the aqua playsuit shown below (color: Blue Sheer). It’s much thinner than bengaline, and I like how it looked for the fuller shorts option. It has a more “natural” feel to it than the bengaline.

Techno Stretch from B&J fabrics

I hesitate to mention this fabric, as it is shockingly expensive for the average fabric budget ($52.95-82.95 per yard). This is a wool/lycra blend with four-way stretch (lots of crosswise stretch and just a little lengthwise stretch), and it is truly a dream to sew and wear. The natural fiber content means it’s more breathable, the wool isn’t itchy, it’s overall very flattering on the body. If you’ve already tested the Jane in a cheaper fabric and want a spectacular special version, I can’t recommend this fabric enough. (If you need to justify it to yourself, remember that an original Ceeb jumpsuit can go for upwards of $1,000 and you only need a maximum of 2 yards to sew the jumpsuit.)

All three jumpsuits below were made with the Four-Way Wool and Viscose Blend Techno Stretch fabric:

Other Options

If you’re looking for other types of fabric, head to the regular woven section of your fabric store and look for anything labeled “stretch” or lycra/spandex blends. Stretch sateens, denims, and twills are fairly common, are on the inexpensive side, and generally are made from primarily natural fibers. Just make sure to do the stretch test!

Fabrics to Avoid

• Knits, jerseys, swimwear fabrics, etc. Knits are made differently from stretch wovens, and usually have less structure and more stretch.
• Non-stretch wovens. You must use a fabric with stretch, otherwise the jumpsuit will not fit correctly. (The exception in this pattern is the bustier, which has elastic shirring in the back, so may be made with a non-stretch woven fabric.)

I hope this is helpful in choosing your fabric for the Jane Sew-Along! Check back in a couple days for the supplies post.

To join the sew-along, you can either just follow along here or you can join the special Facebook Group. Joining the Facebook Group is certainly not necessary, but I will say that the community that flourishes in these groups is astounding. The benefit of having the group is that you can post your own pictures, ask for fitting advice, and show off your finished results! But don’t sweat it if Facebook isn’t your thing. (I will also be updating Instagram regularly as usual, so that’s another way to get connected.)

Sew-Along Schedule

Please note that this is a rough schedule!

Week of March 11th: Fabric Recommendations and Supplies

Week of March 18th: Prep, Making a Bodice Muslin, Common Fit Adjustments

Week of March 25: Cutting out, Bodice Front

Week of April 1: Bodice Back

Week of April 8: Pants, Waist Seam, Zipper

Week of April 15: Hemming and straps

Please keep in mind that you can sew ahead if you like, or take your time and catch up on posts later. Go at your own pace!

I really hope you’ll join in the jumpsuit fun. For now, all you need to do is make sure you have your pattern and join the Facebook group if you like.

FAQ about Sew-Alongs and the Jane Set

• What’s a sew-along? A sew-along is a social media event involving a group of people sewing the same pattern, design, or working within a specific design theme. The sew-along leader provides written content, photos, social media posts, and/or video to help you participate. In my sew-alongs, I post step-by-step details to help you successfully sew one of my patterns.
• How do I join? Join the Facebook group, follow on Instagram, or just read the posts here.
• What sewing level do I need to be? This pattern is intermediate and uses specialty materials like spiral steel boning. It may be overwhelming for a beginner–but if you’re adventurous, it may be just the kind of support you need to further your skills!
• Will I get fitting help? There will be posts devoted to tricky fitting topics, and we try to address questions when we can. The best way to get fast, personal fitting advice is to join the private Facebook group and post your question there.
• Do I have to use this pattern? The steps and construction are specific to this pattern, so it is recommended that you do. Please do not post other patterns in the Facebook group, as it can get confusing when several designs are used.
• What fabric should I use? Where do I get a certain supply? Please see the fabric and supplies post, coming Monday 3/11. Please also read “Fabric Notes” (page 8 in the Jane Set instruction booklet). If you have questions about where to get a specific fabric or supply in your country, the Facebook group is a great resource.
• Do I have to use stretch fabric? Yes! This pattern will not fit correctly without stretch.
• Can I use a knit fabric? Knits are not recommended. Use a stretch woven with at least 25% stretch, meaning that you can take a 4-inch piece of fabric and stretch it to 5 inches.
• Do I have to use steel boning? It is recommended that you do if possible. I will post a list of sources.
• I’m an A cup, can I use this pattern? Yes! You will probably need to take in the princess seams, so be prepared to make some pattern changes.
• I’m an H cup, can I use this pattern? Yes! The DD can fit up to an H cup bra, so you may not need to do any fitting changes. Keep in mind that you may need to do a princess seam FBA depending on your shape and size.