Zaney Zadie

A few months ago I ran a Zadie Jumspuit workshop and with all workshops, I like to test out the patterns before running the classes to make sure they are suitable and the instructions are clear.

The Zadie Jumpsuit is a pattern by Paper Theory that I found through good old Instagram. I know people shun social media a lot but Instagram is made for creatives. You can search for hashtags and find so much inspiration.  The only downside is that we tend to put our best shots up so it can be a little bit like false advertising sometimes. But from what I saw of the Zadie, I liked and I wasn’t disappointed in the end result. Here is my review.

The best fabric choice for the Jumpsuit is Linen or a woven with similar drape as the instructions suggest.  The instructions also suggests denim or drill but I’m a bit wary of this as there is a lot of volume around the hips and I wouldn’t want my hips to look any bigger. (Cycling thighs). It could be really interesting to try in a lighter weight like satin for an evening look too. I chose a really brightly printed linen from Spotlight stores. It looks great in the solid linen colours but I like to be different!

The pattern is very suitable for an advanced beginner. The instructions are pretty clear although as a beginner be aware that the seam allowance is only 1cm, not the standard 1.5cm as in most patterns. On this subject, some of the new Indy companies are only adding a 1cm seam allowance to the patterns which I’m not a fan of. It doesn’t allow for alterations if you need to take out after your first toile. I’m guessing that the designers are from the fashion industry where smaller seam allowances are used to save fabric in mass production.  For home sewing patterns, I think 1.5cm should be the minimum seam allowance.

One thing that might be confusing for the beginner sewer is the instructions for basting the pleats. The pattern instructions ask you to stay stitch in place with a 5mm stitch. The term should be baste in place. Stay stitching is a smaller stitch used for stabilising necklines and armholes.

There is quite a lot of binding to attach. The instructions show you how to attach it as you would do in a commercial sewing room.  The instructions ask you to attach the binding by folding it in half, slipping it over the edges of the garment, pin and stitch in place all the way around. This would be difficult even for the advanced sewer as it’s really fiddly.  This technique is how binding is sewn in the fashion industry to save time and the sewers are extremely experienced.  For beginner sewers, I would take more time and stitch in the groove of your binding first, then fold it over the edges to the other side, pin and even hand baste in place first before edge stitching around the neckline.

The sizing is great. It has a fair bit of ease which gives it a lot of room around the hips, great for day to day wear. It’s super comfy!

Pricing $$$ 14 GBP or $27 AUD Yikes! Plus printing of the pattern on A0 ( 3 sheets at $4) an extra $12. Thats $39!!

Why are companies charging so much for PDF patterns? I went online to buy a pattern the other day but I couldn’t bring myself to do so as again they were asking $23 plus printing which would bring it up aground the $35 mark. To be honest, I’d rather go to Spotlight and buy a Big 4 company pattern when they have their 3 for $20 sales on. I’m not sure why the prices are so high for PDF’s. I get the printed patterns being expensive as the printing and minimums would drive the price up but a digital file that you have to print yourself should not have such a high price point.

Overall, I love this pattern and my jumpsuit. It was a delight to instruct with the Zadie Jumpsuit pattern as it is really a great pattern for a confident beginner. Huge kudos to Paper Theory for allowing me to purchase the patterns for my students at the wholesale price too!

It’s a great fit, easy to sew and looks fabulous.