This blogpost was originally posted on the Sew Me Sunshine blog on the 15th of July 2021. Sew Me Sunshine is an independent fabric and haberdashery shop in London. I received the pattern, fabric, and matching thread for free in exchange for the blogpost, as well as a £50 gift voucher.
Hello! My name is Barbara from RockingStitch and I want to tell you all about my latest – and new favourite – make: the Kielo Jumpsuit by Named. The wrap dress version of this pattern has been on my radar for years and years, but I never got round to making it. Then, last summer, Named re-released their Kielo pattern and included the Kielo Jumpsuit. I was SOLD and it immediately jumped to the top of my wish list!
When I first started my search for a suitable fabric I found this gorgeous deep green soft Lima knit fabric with LENZING™ ECOVERO™ viscose fibres from meetMILK, but Harriet advised me against it because of its heavier weight. Now, who am I to argue, she’s the expert! I continued my search, but I couldn’t really make my mind up until Harriet suggested I’d use this stretch jersey with TENCEL™ fibres also from meetMILK. It was love at first sight and knew this was ‘the one’.
The only concern I always have when working with a lightweight jersey is that the edges of the fabric often curl up (which can be a nightmare). However, after pre-washing it, cutting all my pattern pieces, and sewing it up, I’m glad to report that it doesn’t curl – at all. This fabric is a dream to work with and it has a beautiful drape, which is perfect for this pattern! Just keep in mind that when it’s draped closely around your body it will show every little hump, bump, and over locked seam, so seamless underwear is a must for this outfit.
Team Sew Me Sunshine matched my fabric with Gutermann sew-all rPET number 269, which is their recycled polyester thread. It was my first time using recycled thread and I can tell you that it sews exactly the same as Gutermann’s normal sew-all thread, so I highly recommend it!
About the pattern: my measurements put me in between a size 38 and 40 (bust: 88cm, waist: 74.5cm, hip: 99cm), but as I’m quite narrow at the top and I like things to be more fitted, I sized down to a 36. I am SO glad I did because I think the fit is spot on. I did add 3 cm to the length as I have a long torso, but that’s the only alteration I made.
The instructions don’t provide the type of hand-holding experience like I am used to from some other Indie pattern companies, but it was more than good enough for me. The only thing that bothered me was that the instructions tell you to stitch the center back seam and the facing with one continuous line of stitching. Same as for the side seams. I’m pretty sure that it’s impossible to do that and achieve a nice and neat finish. I found that step 9 & 12 are a bit rushed, and I ended up stitching it in two steps.
This jumpsuit already holds a special place in my heart because it’s the very first thing I made after I broke my wrist earlier this year. It was a fantastic feeling to be able to sew something again after months of recovery, and it got even better when it turned out exactly like I had hoped!
