Silk Jumspuit : Vogue 1308

This week’s make is a silk jumpsuit. I have been wanting to make this silk jumpsuit for over a year now, and I finally did it!

Last year I got an incredible deal on some beautiful lightweight silk twill I bought in downtown LA for five dollars a yard. Eeek!!!

Being a graphic print, I wanted to make something modern with it. A jumpsuit would be fun! I used Vogue 1308 for it, and omitted the asymmetrical ruffle. I tried to Google the pattern to get some reviews on it, and could only find one version of it, made into a romper by the lovely Erica B. Being a fan of Erica B myself, I figured it was good to go! But frankly, I’m surprised I found only one version online, since I think this jumpsuit is pretty great, and jumpsuits have been hugely in fashion this past year. Maybe the ruffle turned people off?

Vogue 1308

I’ll admit, it does take a bit of confidence to wear a head to toe print like this in a jumpsuit. It helps to be standing next to a fabulous vintage airplane, as well.

I was inspired to use my graphic print for my jumpsuit by this Diane Von Furstenberg jumpsuit from Spring 2014. DVF is one of my favorite designers. And if she can pull of a head to toe print like this, I might as well try it, too.

But, I wanted a narrow leg as seen in this jumpsuit by Winter Kate.

So Vogue 1308 would be perfect. I would just need to remove the ruffle and lower the neckline a bit.

I cut a size 12 bodice from muslin, first. I always make a muslin of my bodices now, and I bought a bolt of muslin for just this purpose. I could tell the size 12 would fit, but I would have to do a Full Bust Adjustment. I didn’t make a muslin of the pants portion, and luckily they fit pretty well. They were a little small, so I took out the side seams 1/4 inch. I was lucky, because I would have lost my beautiful silk if they had been even A TINY smaller.

The pattern also has set in pockets and a casing at the waistline for a tie which is sewn to elastic . It’s been awhile since I sewed a Vogue pattern and I had forgotten how great they can be. The interior also has French seams, a nice finishing touch for silk. I used some vintage bias tape I bought at an estate sale for the neck and armhole bindings. It was really silky, and so much better in quality than the bias tapes they sell now. I think it was made of cotton voile. On examining the package closer, I realized it was probably from the thirties!

The pattern has an invisible zip. I just bought a new sewing machine, a ridiculously expensive Bernina 560, which is well………awesome, and practically sews for you. But now I need to buy an invisible zipper foot for it. Kaching!! Bummer, since I have invisible zipper feet for my vintage Bernina, my Janome, and my Viking already. Old Bernina feet don’t fit on the new ones. Now aren’t they clever to do that?

These photos were taken by my dad, Fred, photographer extraordinaire, at the Santa Paula Airport. It’s a well known airport for vintage airplane enthusiasts. Steve McQueen used to have a hanger when he lived nearby.

McQueen at his ranch down the street from ours. Photos courtesy of the LA Times.

And here is is, hanging at the airport back in the seventies with Lee majors from The Six Million Dollar man.

Some people though we were nuts when we moved out here from LA, but once we told them it was Steve McQueen’s hideaway they were like, ” Oh that actually sounds kind of cool! ” Funny how people can be!