We firmly believe that anyone can sew anything with patience and perseverance, but sometimes it helps to understand how time-consuming or challenging a pattern will be to sew. Here's how we rate the difficulty of our patterns:
Beginner (⭑): Appropriate for a true beginner with simple style lines and details, quick to sew with no closures.
Confident Beginner (⭑⭑): Achievable for beginners who are willing to learn a new skill, may include more design features and techniques (ie. zippers, buttons, facings, etc). Relatively quick to sew.
Intermediate (⭑⭑⭑): More details and style lines, may include interesting details like a zipper fly or topstitching, projects can take 6+ hours to sew.
Advanced (⭑⭑⭑⭑): Still achievable for most sewists, but patterns will include more pieces and more details, and can take 8+ hours to sew.
Challenging(⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑): Complex, skill heavy projects like tailoring and bra-making. Again, achievable for most sewists but be prepared to spend 10+ hours on these types of projects.
Details
Supplies
Sizing
Info+
The Donna Bodysuit celebrates the sleek minimalism and elegance of 90s-era Donna Karan. Figure-hugging through the body with a strikingly angled square neckline, a built-in shelf bra provides seamless support and a clean neckline finish. The leg is low-cut and finished with elastic, with a snap closure at the crotch for all-day comfort. This modern interpretation of an iconic 90s classic is the kind of essential power piece that effortlessly works with all the pants and skirts in your wardrobe.
View A has full-length sleeves ending at the wrist.
Midweight stretch knit fabrics with excellent recovery and at least 50% crosswise stretch. We suggest rib and jersey spandex knits in cotton, viscose, and bamboo blends.
VIEW A - FULL LENGTH SLEEVES ~ Sizes 0-8 = 1.75 yd (1.6 m), Sizes 10-20 = 2.25 yd (2.05 m)
VIEW B - ELBOW LENGTH SLEEVES ~ Sizes 0-8 = 1.5 yd (1.4 m), Sizes 10-14 = 1.75 yd (1.6 m), Sizes 16-20 = 2 yd (1.85 m)
Yardage (sizes 14-32) - 58inch / 1.5 m wide
VIEW A - FULL LENGTH SLEEVES ~ Sizes 14-20 = 2.25 yd (2.05 m), Sizes 22-32 = 2.5 yd (2.3 m)
VIEW B - ELBOW LENGTH SLEEVES ~ Sizes 14-26 = 2 yd (1.85 m), Sizes 28-32 = 2 yd (2.05 m)
Additional Supplies
Elastic, 1” (25 mm) wide for shelf bra.
1 yd (1 m) for sizes 0-20
1.5 yd (1.5 m) for sizes 0-32
Elastic, 3/8" (10 mm) wide for leg openings
1.5 yd (1.5 m) for sizes 0-20
2 yd (2 m) for sizes 0-32
Fusible knit stay tape, 1/2" (13 mm) wide (can be replaced with lightweight knit fusible interfacing cut into 1/2" strips)
Snap tape, 3/4" (19 mm) wide x 3" (7.5 cm) (can be replaced by hand sewing snap buttons to a piece of sturdy ribbon like grosgrain or petersham)
Matching thread
Stretch, ballpoint, or jersey needle
Optional: Cotton stay tape, 1/4" (6 mm), clear elastic, or selvedge of lightweight woven fabric to stabilize shoulder seams and corners of square neckline
I was surprised that these needles are so much better than my usual hand sewing needles. They easily glided through 3 layers of heavy denim when shortening jeans. Perfect medium length and easy to thread. The packaging is really nice too…exterior is very Japanese and elegant with a little hanging cord,inside the needles are in a handy little corked tube.
