Last week I shared a post on all the fun ways to hack the Winslow Culottes!  Since the very beginning of designing this pattern I have been excited about the idea of adding various bodices to the different lengths of the Winslows to create jumpsuits!  Like me,  I’m sure many of you have several dress patterns that you have put a lot of effort into fitting properly. This hack can be accomplished easily using any fitted bodice with a center back zip.  A bodice with a side zip would also work, but you would have to make some changes to the Winslows to move the zip over.

Get the Winslow Culottes

For my jumpsuit, I am using the Dixie DIY Bonnell Dress bodice.  I made this dress before, but due to poor choice of fabric, It has since left my closet.  I really liked the fit of the bodice, though, and I love the v shape in the back.  As you can tell, I left out the side cut-outs because I didn’t find them to be very flattering on me and I wanted to keep this hack simple.

You have two options when it comes to the waistband, you can leave it in as a design feature, or you can eliminate it entirely and attach the bodice right to the culottes.  A fully lined bodice works best for this hack because with either waistband route, it allows you to fully enclose all your waist seams nicely.

Keeping the waistband:

The Winslows have a one piece waistband that folds over at the top to create the waistband facing.  In order to keep the waistband in the design, we need to create an outer waistband and waistband facing (2 separate pieces).  You get to decide how thick you want the waistband to be, and then cut two pieces the length of your winslow waistband pattern piece,  Make sure you still mark the notches along the long bottom edge of both pieces. Apply interfacing to both waistband pieces to stabilize this area and prevent stretching.

Once the bodice and bodice lining are sewn together, the waistband is first attached to the bodice. The waistband facing is attached to the bodice lining.  The waistband is then sewn to the culottes as in the instructions.  After the zipper is installed, the waistband facing is secured using the stitch in the ditch method.

Eliminating the waistband

To remove the waistband entirely, simply attach the bodice directly to the culottes and press the seam upwards.  Once the zip is installed, press up the hem of the bodice lining and use the stitch in the ditch method to enclose your waist seam and secure your bodice lining.

My Winslow jumpsuit is made from rayon poplin from Dressew Supply here in Vancouver.  This rayon is more structured than most I have used, and I think it works well for this application.  I tried my best to pattern match and I am really happy with the results.

Do you want a Winslow Jumpsuit?  Grab your copy of the Winslow Culottes here.

I would love to see a full length jumpsuit version, wouldn’t that be amazing!?