Aren’t festivals just so fun? Sydney has way too many of them to be honest (we have everything from coffee festivals to tomato festivals) but occasionally there is one with great vibes and good company. And food. Always good food. I went along to the So Frenchy So Chic festival in Sydney last week – an unabashed, romanticised celebration of French culture. I went last year with my friend and we enjoyed ourselves enough to want to go again. As a francophile, it’s hard to resist a day of picnicking in the sun with some tunes from French artists.
I wanted to make an outfit that would suit an outdoor event that goes from day to night. I thought the Marigold jumpsuit would work perfectly, being light enough to wear in the sun in the day (and provide a bit of sun protection), while giving some coverage at night when it gets chilly. It was a bit of a risk for me since I’d never worn a jumpsuit but you never know until you try, right?
I decided on this rayon print at The Fabric Store. Again, it’s a little bit different for me. I usually go for florals or spots or stripes or cats. But I could see how this could work as a casual or dressy jumpsuit depending on the accessories. It also gave me an excuse to go to Sephora to buy matching hot pink lipstick.
I was under the pump for this project and only had a week to make it in time for the festival. As a result, I cut it out quickly and didn’t make any fit alterations to the bodice. The pattern suggested to go with your hip size and not grade the pattern unless there is more than one size in difference. I cut the size four but the bodice really was too big. My late night sewing sessions showed in this project! It was still wearable on the day but next time I would:
- Take length out of the bodice
- Grade bodice down a size from the waist to bust
- Shorten straps at least 2cm
- Make a toile of the bodice to test the above
- Take more care cutting
After a day out in the sun, the jumpsuit was showing some wear and tear. I caught the fabric on the velcro of my picnic rug and it pulled a little. Then at some point I realised the seam where the bodice meets the waistband was coming apart at the back. This fabric was quite tricky to work with- very hard to get straight when cutting out and frayed like crazy! If you have any tips for working with this type of drapey rayon I’d like to hear them.
Back at home I realised that the alterations needed on the bodice weren’t worth the time or effort, plus the fabric was probably too delicate to handle me ripping apart the seams and topstitching. So I carefully cut off the bodice from the waistband and voila! I now have comfy, wearable Marigold trousers. I can see these being on high rotation in early autumn paired with a black or white top. And hot pink lipstick.
Craftily Handmade 