Note: If you’re viewing this post in a language other than English, your browser might be using automatic translation. While that’s helpful, some words or phrases might not come through exactly as intended. Thanks for understanding!
Bodysuits are an absolute game- changer! Practical and versatile, this one features a scooped neck, paired with cropped sleeves, and a flattering body-hugging cut. Plus, its cleverly designed crotch keeps everything in place so you can move with grace! From elastics to snaps, this project is made for sewists who wish to hone their skills.
1 cm (3/8″) seam allowance included!
Material
- 1.3 m (1 1/2 yd) of 70-80% stretch jersey with spandex
- All-purpose thread
- Stretch needle
- Stay tape, 1 cm (3/8″) wide
- 1.5 m (1 5/8 yd) clear elastic, 1 cm (3/8″) wide
- 2x sew-on snaps, 0.8 cm (3/8″) wide
- OPTIONAL: twin stretch needle, hand sewing needle, and Teflon presser foot
PLEASE NOTE! Fabric requirements are based on a width of 150 cm (59″). If your fabric is narrower, you may need more fabric!
Download the free PDF sewing pattern…
… and once you’re done, share a photo of you wearing proudly your new bodysuit with #unfetteredpatterns or tag us @unfetteredpatterns!
Need help to print your pattern? Check our detailed tutorial here! Also, find out how you can customize your pattern for A0 printers and projectors here.
Need help completing the project?
Check our Kofi store for printable sewing tutorials, including detailed sewing instructions, line sketches, a sizing guide, and a list of the materials needed!
Sizing Guide
This pattern is drafted according to the following body measurements. Standard height is 1.64 m (5.4 ft). Check this tutorial if you want to add sizes to your pattern!
| XS | S | S/M | M | M/L | L | XL | |
| Bust | 85 cm (33 1/2″) | 89 cm (35″) | 93 cm (36 1/2″) | 97 cm (38″) | 101 cm (39 1/2″) | 105 cm (41″) | 109 cm (42 1/2″) |
| Waist | 64 cm (25 1/2″) | 68 cm (27″) | 72 cm (28 1/2″) | 76 cm (30″) | 80 cm (31 1/2″) | 84 cm (33″) | 88 cm (34 1/2″) |
| Hips | 92 cm (36 1/2″) | 96 cm (38″) | 100 cm (39 1/2″) | 104 cm (41″) | 108 cm (42 1/2″) | 112 cm (44″) | 116 cm (45 1/2″) |
Finished garment measurements
Negative ease is included in the measurements below to make the garment smaller than the body measurements.
| XS | S | S/M | M | M/L | L | XL | |
| Bust | 71 cm (28 1/8″) | 75 cm (29 5/8″) | 79 cm (31 1/8″) | 83 cm (32 5/8″) | 87 cm (34 1/8″) | 91 cm (35 5/8″) | 95 cm (37 1/8″) |
| Length | 69.5 cm (27 1/2″) | 70.5 cm (27 7/8″) | 71.5 cm (28 1/4″) | 72.5 cm (28 5/8″) | 73.5 cm (29″) | 74.5 cm (29 3/8″) | 75.5 cm (29 3/4″) |
| Biceps | 23.9 cm (9 3/8″) | 25.1 cm (9 7/8″) | 26.3 cm (10 3/8″) | 27.5 cm (10 7/8″) | 28.7 cm (11 3/8″) | 29.9 cm (11 7/8″) | 31.1 cm (12 3/8″) |
Sewing Guidelines
Here are some tips we recommend for a successful sewing project:
Fit and style
- This dress is bodysuit is closely-fitted. Start by choosing a size with your bust. Then, if needed, widen or narrow the pattern at the hips if your hips correspond to another size. Refer to the body measurements chart.
- On the finished garment measurements chart, you can also check the length of the bodysuit and see if it’s suitable to your height. You may want to compare the length with a similar piece of clothing.
- If you need to shorten or lengthen the bodysuit to your height, slash the pattern above and below the waist notches, and above the buts level. Slash perpendicularly to the grainline, and spread to add length, or overlap to shorten. When you spread the pattern, fill in the gap with scraps of paper. Tape everything back in place. I recommend that you add more below and above the waist. For instance, you could adjust by 1.5 cm (5/8″) below and above the waist, and by only 0.5 cm (5/8″) above the bust line.
- If you adjust the torso, you need to adjust the sleeve accordingly. This means you should slash above the hem and in the sleeve head. Adjust above the hem by the same amount you added/removed below or above the waist. Adjust the sleeve head by the same amount added/removed above the bust line.
Fabrics
- Bodysuits require 4-way stretch knits, which means that the fabric can stretch across its width AND lengthwise.
- Be sure that your fabric has the correct amount of stretch. For this style we recommend 70-80% stretch, which means that a section of 10 cm (4″) can be stretched to 17-18 cm (6 3/4-7 1/8″) without a problem. If you feel any tension in the fabric before you reach the measurement, it means that your fabric doesn’t stretch enough.
- On another note, if you notice that it doesn’t spring back to its original shape once you’ve stretched it, your fabric might not have a good recovery. This means that you might end up with a lot of wavy seams and a garment that is 3-4 sizes up at the end of the day.
Cutting out
- Preshrink the fabric before you start cutting it out. To do so, wash and dry the same way you would with the finished garment. This means you should also take into account the fabric type and its content.
- Once the fabric is washed and dried, press it to remove all the creases. Be sure that you’ve set your iron to a temperature that is suitable to the fabric. As a rule of thumb, synthetic fibers (acrylic, spandex, polyester…) should be pressed at low heat, and natural fibers (cotton, wool, linen…) should be pressed at high heat.
- When you’re ready to cut into the fabric, fold it lengthwise, right sides together. The fold should not twist and lay flat. If it’s twisting, unfold and fold again, until it lays flat. Then, place the pattern pieces so that the grainline is parallel to the selvages.
- Be sure that you don’t cut the notches too much, they should be about 0.3-0.4 cm long (1/8″).
Sewing
- If you’re using a sewing machine, be sure that it’s equipped with a stretch needle. A stretch needle has a rounder tip that prevents snags. If your machine is skipping stitches, the size of the needle may be too small, so be sure to have an assortment of needles with varying sizes.
- If your seams are very wavy, you might want to check for a walking presser foot for your sewing machine. On an overlocker, check to increase the differential or the stitch length.
- When you press your seams, press one section at a time, lifting the iron when going from one section to another. If you let the iron glide over the fabric, you might stretch out the seam.
- If the seams crack when stretched, be sure that you used a stretch stitch, and that the thread is all-purpose polyester, not 100% cotton. You may also reduce the thread tension. On an overlocker, reduce the tension of the needles, not the loopers, and reduce the differential or stitch length.
Good luck with your sewing project!
You can now support me on Ko-Fi! Any amount helps covering the fees for pattern making and illustrating software, fabrics, threads… If you can’t afford a donation, you can also support the blog by liking, sharing and commenting my posts. Thanks!
Many of your patterns are being sold on Etsy by a shop called CREATIVEDIGITAL34. I’ve already reported it to Etsy.
Thank you Raymonde. I’m already aware, thanks for reporting as well.
hi! Do you have more pictures of the finished product?