Megan Nielsen Durban Jumpsuit

The Megan Nielsen Durban jumpsuit has been on my "to make" list for some time now, and I'm pleased that it finally reached my sewing table and now has a firm place in my wardrobe.

The Durban jumpsuit has lots of mix and match options so you can make quite a few different versions, giving you good value from the pattern. 

You can choose from a round or V neckline, short or long sleeves or a sleeveless bodice, patch and/or in-seam pockets, tapered or wide full-length legs or shorts, and optional belt loops with a tie belt or D-ring belt. That's definitely a lot of scope for creating variations!

The pattern also comes in a good range of sizes, with the regular version of the pattern covering hip measurements from 34" to 48", and the curve range going from 42" to 62" hip. As someone who is slightly taller than average, I also appreciated the fact that the trousers are marked for regular and tall in-seam lengths.

For my version, I used the V neckline, sleeveless bodice, tapered legs, in-seam pockets, patch pockets on the back (there is also an option to put the patch pockets on the front of the jumpsuit instead), belt loops and the tie belt.

The instructions were very detailed and easy to follow, with nice clear diagrams. The skill level is rated as 3 out of 5, and I think that's fair. There's nothing that's very tricky, but there are quite a few steps so it might feel a little overwhelming for a beginner. You do also need to be quite accurate to get a nice finish at some points. 

I took my time working through the project and really enjoyed the sewing process. I thought that sewing the bottom of the front button placket might be a bit fiddly, but the instructions made it nice and simple. 

In terms of sizing, I made a 14 at the bust blending out to a 16 at the waist and hips as recommended for my current body measurements. I also used the tall in-seam length. 

The instructions include advice about how to measure yourself to see if you're going to need to lengthen the pattern, which is helpful. I definitely needed to lengthen mine - this is an adjustment I almost always have to make. 

I added 2" to the bodice for my toile and that got the waist to the right place, but I felt like I needed a little extra length in the rise of the trousers so I also added 1" there for my final version. As I'd added extra length, I also used more buttons than the pattern calls for - I think I ended up with eight instead of six.

I'm pretty happy with how the fit turned out. There's enough room for the jumpsuit to be really comfortable to wear, but it's not baggy. 

The fabric that I used is a printed chambray/lightweight denim from Croft Mill. It was a really easy fabric to work with and I like the sweet and simple floral print. I've used other printed chambrays from Croft Mill before (in my Lyra dress last year and my Cassie dress a few months ago) and they've worn really well so I'm hoping the same will be true for this one too!

All in all, I'm really happy with my Durban jumpsuit - the instructions were great so it was a pleasure to sew, and the finished jumpsuit is just what I wanted. I think it'll also work layered with t-shirts underneath, so hopefully I'll still get a bit more wear out of it as the temperatures start to drop - I hope I do anyway because I don't want to leave it sitting in my wardrobe until spring!

New Look 6381 Skirt

People who don't sew sometimes seem to think that making your own clothes is cheaper than buying them. Sewing fans know all too well that these days that's rarely the case. The skirt I have to share with you today is an exception to that rule - largely because I found both the fabric and pattern in charity shops so the whole project cost less than £5. Bargain!

The pattern is New Look 6381. It's a pattern for maxi skirts (with the option of a high-low hem), wide leg trousers and shorts, all with an elastic waistband. I made the straight hemmed skirt, but shortened the pattern by 12 inches because I didn't have enough fabric to make the full length.

The size range is somewhat limited with hip sizes from 33.5" to 44" - although if you're slightly above the upper end of that range it might still work because there's a fair bit of ease in the pattern.

The skirt that I made is a really simple pattern. So simple in fact that I wondered if it was even worth writing a blog post about it. It's literally just a front and back piece and a waistband. But I like to document my projects, and hopefully this post may be helpful to someone thinking about making the pattern.

Sewing the skirt was no problem at all. As I mentioned before, it's a really simple pattern so you can't go far wrong. The instructions were clear, although if I make the pattern again I'd probably use a slightly different approach to sewing the waistband/inserting the elastic to avoid hand-sewing. 

If you're thinking of making this pattern, I'd recommend using the finished garment measurements on the pattern paper or measuring the pattern pieces to decide which size to make rather than using the sizing measurements. There's quite a lot of ease in this pattern, especially considering that it's intended for knit fabrics (which obviously stretch as you wear them). 

I ended up making a size 16, which is two sizes smaller than recommended for my current measurements and it's still plenty big enough.

It would also be worth checking the length of the skirt/trousers because the skirt at least is very long. As I mentioned above, I shortened the pattern because of lack of fabric, but if I'd made the full length it would have been pooling on the floor (I shortened the pattern by 12" and my skirt hem is about 10" from the floor). I'm 5'9", so if you're shorter than that it's probably worth thinking about the length of the skirt before cutting out. 

The pattern also says to cut the elastic to your waist measurement plus one inch, whereas I usually find it's better to cut elastic slightly smaller than your waist if you want the garment to sit nicely because obviously elastic stretches. I also find that different elastics have slightly different levels of stretch so I generally do a rough measurement and then see how the elastic feels around my waist before cutting.

The fabric I used is a light to medium weight jersey with good drape. It feels like viscose jersey to me, but as it came from a charity shop that's really just a guess. It works really well for this skirt though, and swishes above beautifully as I walk.

Orange isn't a colour I'd usually go for, but at £3 for just under 2 metres it was too good to resist! I'm happy I took a chance on it because it's a fun print. Although my camera obviously didn't agree as it seemed to have a hard time focussing on it, so I'm sorry if it's a little blurry in some of the photos.

All in all, I really like my finished skirt - even more so considering it was such a bargain project! If you're thinking of making New Look 6381, I'd say it comes together easily and is a nice skirt to wear but it's definitely worth giving some thought to what size to use before you start.