Sewing Pattern Review: McCalls 7789 Easy Jumpsuit

Sewing is one of those hobbies that I dabble in once or twice every year. So while I’m not a complete novice, I’m definitely still a beginner.

To get back into sewing, I decided to try a beginner-friendly pattern last month. Cue McCall’s M7789.

I needed something that I would want to wear but also be simple enough to make. My goal was just to complete the project by making a wearable toile, which is essentially a full version of the garment made with inexpensive fabric that I wouldn’t mind rocking around the house. 

I bought the pattern and fabric last year, intending to make the jumpsuit for my birthday. That never happened, but I knew that making the pants version of the jumpsuit before the end of summer would be the perfect project. 

Pattern and Construction

Difficulty: Easy 

Sizes: I used size 16, but sizes range from 6-22.

Type: Available in paper and digital format. I bought the paper pattern last year and misplaced it, so I ordered the jumpsuit’s digital pattern. I, of course, found the paper pattern after I finished the jumpsuit. 

I recommend getting the paper pattern. The digital option is only available to print in letter, legal and A4. Printing this pattern without an A0 or copyshop option means using a lot of paper and ink and taking a lot of time to piece the pattern together. One of the sections was 60 pages. I probably will only use digital patterns that have a copy shop printing option going forward. 

Price: The digital pattern that I ended up using for this project cost $15.37. I can’t provide a full price sheet for the entire project because I bought all of the materials when I first bought the pattern and didn’t keep the receipts.

Is McCall’s 7789 easy enough for a beginner? Yes, if you’re patient and read the instructions carefully. Spoiler alert, I love this garment and fully intend to make it again. What’s not to love about a cute jumpsuit with pockets?

If I had taken the time to use the muslin fabric that I have and/or just read the instructions carefully, I could’ve made a perfect version of this jumpsuit. If like me, you haven’t sewn in a while or used a McCall pattern before, I recommend using muslin or other cheap fabric to make a practice version first. I didn’t use muslin because I figured I would lose interest in finishing the project if I didn’t make something to wear it. The instructions were clear enough that I’m confident that I’ll love the results when I redo this project in the future.

It took a few weeks to finish the project, mostly because I found it challenging to devote the time to focus on it. The project is in McCall’s “easy” category, but it does include a few elements that were new for me like boning. This was also my first time making a jumpsuit. I needed breaks to understand the instructions sometimes. Sitting a project down for a while and coming back with a clear head helps me avoid making simple mistakes. 

There were a few things that I could’ve done differently that would’ve made this project simpler, like properly basting. That would’ve made attaching the upper and lower parts of the jumpsuit easier. I ended up moving the pleats because I didn’t baste properly. Piecing together the jumpsuit’s three sections was definitely the most challenging part of the jumpsuit for me. Those areas are the parts on my finished project that make the jumpsuit look amateur.

I lengthened the jumpsuit by an inch in the pants, but the pattern makes that easy. I could’ve decreased the bust. However, since I used option 1 for the top, the tie-front bodice, I could tie the top to fit more snugly. The bottoms are supposed to be wide and flowy so fitting the pants is easy since they’re not form-fitting. 

Fabric and Materials

Fabric: I purchased four yards of the Painterly Yellow Roses Printed on Cotton Twill from Mood.com for $4.99 a yard last spring. It’s sold out now and has been for some time. 

I also purchased two 859 Bright Sunshine 250m Gutermann Sew All Thread for $3.68 each. With Mood’s $7.99 shipping, that order came up to $35.31. I didn’t need four yards of fabric for this project, but I wanted to have extra fabric in case I made any big mistakes (which I did since I wasn’t paying close enough attention when laying the pattern for cutting). I’m tall, so I also like to have a little extra in case I want to add additional length. 

I purchased the boning, zipper and other materials from Joann in-store.

Mood has beautiful fabric on its site, but it’s usually expensive, so finding this material for $4.99 was amazing. I wish I had ordered more of it. It is absolutely gorgeous and was easy to work with. I will get more if it ever comes back in stock.

Final thoughts:

I haven’t worked much with sewing patterns, but I had some basic knowledge, which made me confident that I could make this jumpsuit as a beginner. I think the jumpsuit fits well into McCall’s “easy” category, but it is probably not a great first project for someone who has never worked with a sewing pattern. I definitely intend to remake this pattern in the future now that I’ve found my original.