Animal Glow Peppermint Playsuit hack

I don't know if you are aware but Minerva have created their own range of exclusive fabrics and I was lucky enough to be given the chance to sew one of them up. This is the Minerva Exclusive Viscose Challis in Animal Glow print.

I excitedly waited weeks for this to arrive and was away when it finally came through the letterbox. I had much excitement as I opened the bag to discover this beautiful drapey fabric.
The fabric is a white substrate with the design printed on top. It is a fine challis with a lovely handle and drapes beautifully and doesn’t crease too much either. Perfect for the very hot weather we are having right now.

I decided weeks and weeks ago what I would make with this. In fact I had the idea last year and have just been waiting for the ideal fabric to do this in. I’m not really an animal print sort of girl, but when I saw this and in this colourway I knew it was a perfect match.

The pattern is a hacked version of the free Peppermint/ In the folds playsuit pattern. The pattern can be downloaded free from the Peppermint magazine website, but you can pay as you wish if you are able to support them.

I have made the playsuit before - in recycled jeans for my daughter. We are the same size so I knew it would be a good base. I cut a straight size C (could have actually gone with the B in this fabric). I lengthened and widened the legs so they were more like a palazzo pant leg and omitted the patch pockets. I figured that they wouldn’t work so well in such a light fabric. Instead, I added one inseam pocket on the opposite side to the zip.

Otherwise I kept the construction the same. I added interfacing to the straps and the facing and should really have added a strip to the top edge of the bodice as it did roll a bit, despite understitching it. This was easily solved by stitching the facing to the shell along the seam lines - essentially stitching in the ditch. I can’t even tell where the stitching is and I’m wearing it right
now.

I used the overlocker to neaten and finish all the seams and the hems are a 3 step baby hem, which is perfect on this fabric.

Viscose challis is notoriously shifty to cut and sew, but I found this really stable. It didn’t stretch out of shape at all during construction, but it is well worth stay stitching this type of fabric.

My top tips for working with viscose challis:
Overlock the edge of the fabric before pre-washing to prevent any shredding.
Don’t trim seam allowances too closely to avoid holes developing later.
Use a new microtex needle for sewing.
Use a light interfacing with some stretch on light fabrics such as this - it helps prevent bubbling of the fabric over time and still keeps the characteristics of the fabric while providing support.
I think I might just be wearing this a lot this week - without the t-shirt as it is so cool against the skin.