Crushed velvet Kommatia Patterns sleeveless bodysuit

The Kommatia Patterns sleeveless bodysuit sewn in a crushed velvet.

Several months ago I scored this beautiful crushed velvet from Mood Fabrics with the intention of making something for my daughter. I can't get enough of this material, I even have a crushed velvet sofa! I remembered her remarking to me while shopping together that she liked the look of “crunched velvet”. This made my 90s grunge girl’s heart soar a little so when I saw the crushed velvet at Mood Fabrics, I snagged some up immediately.

It sat in my studio for months waiting for both the right project inspiration and the time for me to sew it up. Isn’t that how it always is? A happy sewing project requires the perfect fabric, the perfect project, and the time to sew it up. How often do any of us have all three? But I digress…

Following my own rules for sewing clothes teens will love, I let her take charge of the design. At first she wanted a fitted tank dress. It would have been beautiful on her, but it wasn't something I could see a 14 year old having much opportunity to wear. When I pointed out that was going to be too dressy for everyday wear, she decided she wanted a bodysuit instead. It was a good decision.

Apparently she’d been wanting one for a while so she could have the look of a tucked in t-shirt without having to retuck it all the time. She didn’t like the ones she’s found in stores because they don’t have enough coverage on the rear end to be comfortable. I think she might have used the phrase “dental floss”.

Off to the internet I went, and found this cap sleeve bodysuit by Kommatia Patterns that suited her style perfectly. (Their website says it’s sleeveless, but it feels more like a cap sleeve to me.)

Quick skip to the verdict – SHE LOVES IT!! So much that she willingly modeled it for me at the park, and she’s already requested another one – this time in a heather gray.

The pattern was quick to make, and relatively easy if you’re used to sewing with knits. After waiting months to sew up that crushed velvet, I knocked this project out in a long afternoon/evening sewing session. BOOM.

The pattern calls for fabric with at least 40% stretch lengthwise and crosswise. Sometimes you can get by with using less stretch on some patterns, but for this one the 40% is really important. The fabric I used for the muslin had more like a 30% stretch, and it ended up too tight around and through the crotch. The crushed velvet for the finished bodysuit had the full 40% stretch and the fit was perfect. If your fabric has less than the 40% but you really love it and want to use it anyway, take the pattern’s advice and go up a size.

The only difficulty I had was sewing the neck and arm bindings with a fabric that liked to curl. Like, the 1-inch wide piece of fabric curled itself up into a tube right there in front of me. I just took my time and used a lot of pins, and all was good.

I’m going to use snap tape for the crotch for the next version, instead of hand sewing all those snaps again. I have no patience for hand sewing, and I kept getting confused about which part of the snap should be sewn where. There was a lot of ripping out and cussing on that step. Easier to avoid that with some snap tape instead.

All in all, I’m pleased with this pattern and will definitely sew a Kommatia Patterns sleeveless bodysuit again!