Mara wears a black, one piece form-
In some reference images two lines of piping run down the back of the jumpsuit as well as the front.
It is very difficult to find good fabric for a Mara jumpsuit. My first jumpsuit was
made with the most perfect LOOKING fabric... but it didn't have enough stretch. So
it looked great, but I was miserable. Since then I've requested or purchased black
fabric samples from dozens of fabric stores all over the country, and I've made jumpsuits
out of five different materials (and one out of leather) but nothing has worked as
well as I want. Fabrics with the perfect sheen aren't stretchy enough. The really
stretchy fabric is either too shiny, or it's a matt black that does not show any
of the costume details. I finally gave up and made my current jumpsuit with a shiny
4-
Use a leotard or catsuit pattern. They are designed to be used with stretch fabric,
so they will save you a lot of headaches in the long run! I used Kwik-
Changes to the Kwik-
To add the piping and thigh patterns evenly on both sides of the fabric, I have found that it helps to draw the lines in chalk on the back of the fabric. Draw very lightly at first, on ONLY ONE SIDE of the fabric. Then, when you know exactly where you want the lines to go, draw them in with a heavier chalk line... and then fold the fabric in half down the center. Pat the fabric down the length of the lines with your hand, and then open the fabric back up again. The chalk will have transferred, and you will find a perfect mirror image on the other side. No more unbalanced lines!
If your jumpsuit material is very expensive, if you cannot get more of it if you
mess up, or if you just want to see how the lines will look on a three-
Sew your jumpsuit on a serger with wooly nylon thread, or use a zigzag stitch on your standard sewing machine to best retain the stretch of the material and protect the seams from splitting. You can use a straight stitch, but there is a greater risk of popped seams... and those do tend to happen in the most embarrassing times and places!
For the thigh panels, you can create the lines by folding the material and sewing each fold in place, by using quilt batting, or by piecing together individual sections of fabric. The panels on the Decipher card Mara jumpsuit were made by folding the vinyl. I used a medium weight quilt batting and sewed the lines right through the fabric and batting. Using this technique, the center area of each panel is higher than the lines, and I like the way it turned out. It has the unfortunate side effect of adding bulk and making my thighs look chubbier, but the pattern stands out well in person and in photographs. I have three layers: the jumpsuit fabric, a layer of batting, and then another layer of black material that is meant to protect the batting and provide a good surface for the back of the stitches.
It helps (but isn't necessary) to use elastic cord for the piping to protect the stretch of the jumpsuit. Make sure to use an elastic that isn’t too stiff, or it will cause ripples in your jumpsuit. If you cannot find a very soft and flexible elastic, then don’t use it. A soft cotton cord will be good enough.
Make sure the zipper goes all of the way to your lower back. If the zipper is not long enough, the seams in the narrow waist area can be ripped or damaged when you try to stretch/pull the jumpsuit over your hips.
Stretch fabric is tricky to work with, so make sure that you always have the seams
well secured before you begin sewing them! If you don't, the fabric can stretch out
of shape as you sew, or the two pieces you're sewing won't line up correctly. I like
to use two-
If you select a PVC/vinyl material, be careful if you use pins while assembling your jumpsuit. They will leave visible holes in the material that will not close back up again. Use pins only in the seam allowances.
Also, if you use vinyl material, any seams that you rip will be visible as a long line of holes in the fabric. So, it's better to make the jumpsuit too large at first and take it in than to make it too small and try to rip the seams out for an enlargement.
I found that it is MUCH easier if you put the piping and thigh panels on the jumpsuit BEFORE you sew the front and back of the jumpsuit together.
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Here's a trick for easy application of the piping that doesn't involve fabric damaging pins or the frustration of fabric that won't stay where you want it to. First, draw lines on the back of your fabric to show where the piping needs to go. Then, apply one wide or two lengths of basting tape along that line. (I use the Collins Wash Away tape.) Press your piping cord into the center of the tape line:
Then, fold the fabric in half along the line. Press the fabric tightly against the cord, making sure that the tape holds it closed. Now you're ready to sew!
Unless you have a special Teflon foot for your sewing machine, you will find that the sewing foot will tend to catch on the vinyl surface and can scratch up the front of your jumpsuit. To avoid this, anytime you will be sewing on the front of the fabric, protect your fabric with a layer of tissue paper. I usually select tissue that is the same color as my fabric, so that any stray fibers won't be as visible when I tear the paper off later.... but this time I used lavender so that the tissue would show up better for the photograph. Using a zipper or piping foot, sew a line down the length of the piping, keeping the sewn line as close to the piping cord as you possibly can. Then, rip away the tissue, open up your fabric... and you should have a perfectly sewn length of piping in your jumpsuit! I highly recommend that you practice this and any other sewing on a piece of scrap fabric before you start on your jumpsuit. Get the hang of it first!
Attaching a black pull-
Wear a black dancer's leotard underneath your jumpsuit. It feels much more comfortable to have a layer of stretchy cotton and lycra against your skin. It will also help to disguise the lines from your underwear, and will give your body an overall smoother look. You might have to make adjustments to the shape of the neck or arm holes if they show beneath your jumpsuit.... but that bit of extra effort is worth the final result!
Get a sew-
I am by no means a seamstress or a sewing expert. I joke all the time that my sewing machine is my arch enemy, and there are times when I honestly believe that that’s the truth! Learning how to sew has been a long and tedious process for me. I have little patience for it, but I’m glad that I’ve never given up. Even with outfits as difficult as Mara’s jumpsuit, I kept plugging along until I’d accomplished what I set out to do. I have made this jumpsuit several times now, gradually getting better at it with each attempt. The information that follows includes some of the tricks I’ve learned along the way. Some of the ideas might be good ones, while others would make a true seamstress laugh ... but hey, it’s what worked for me. My sewing machine didn’t blow up, I haven’t had a costume malfunction in the middle of an event, and my costume is still in one piece even after dozens of events, so I guess I didn’t mess anything up too badly!
Stretch fabric is a bear to work with, and the piping and quilting on Mara’s jumpsuit are definitely a challenge.... But I’m proof that if you keep at it, eventually you can make something that you’ll be proud to wear. Just keep trying!
Every now and then, someone tells me that they are planning to make a Mara jumpsuit out of leather. I tell them that it’s not a good idea, but they always assure me that I shouldn’t worry because they can make a great jumpsuit out of leather. Well, I’ve been there, done that ... and I don’t recommend it. I found that a leather jumpsuit is terribly hot, and quite expensive. Since leather has very little stretch, I couldn’t bend my knees, bend over, or sit down! Even after I made the jumpsuit slightly oversized in the hopes that I’d still be able to move freely, I couldn’t. Each time I did try to bend, I found that it permanently stretched the leather in places like the knees a little bit more, leaving baggy spots that got progressively worse over time. I don’t care for all of the wrinkles, either. In the end I chalked this project up as great experience for sewing leather, but the jumpsuit will never be practical to wear so I cut it apart and used the pieces for some other projects.
(In this picture, I’m holding the back closed because I hadn’t added the zipper yet.)
