Disclosure: The Belen Bodysuit PDF pattern was provided to me in exchange for a review. Fabric was purchased by me. All opinions are my own.
Hello! I’m back from a Disneyland vacation and nearly recovered from a week of nonstop walking, eating, and magic. Before leaving on vacation, I finished one last project: this Sewing Patterns by Masin Belen Bodysuit. Wanting something, whimsical, practical, and a bit sexy to wear for our planned date night, I sat at my sewing machine and got to work. This bodysuit fits the bill nicely by combining a low-scooped back with the comfort of a t-shirt. Ready to dive right in to all the details? Let’s do this.
Fabric
I waffled back and forth over fabric choice for weeks. Did I want stripes? Florals? A solid? Once the weather cooled a bit, I started layering and realized that the pieces I reached for most often were my black and white prints. They seamlessly mix with everything in my wardrobe while still adding visual interest. Enter this Crowded Faces viscose crepe knit purchased from Topstitch Atlanta (currently on sale so grab it now). It has a nice textured hand, is slightly sheer and, thanks to the spandex content, also has great recovery. Due to the lightweight sheer nature of the fabric, I did opt to line both the bodice and bottom portion of the bodysuit with white rayon/spandex for a bit of extra coverage and stability.
Sizing and Alterations
The Belen Bodysuit sizing chart put me in a size small at the bust then right between medium and large at the waist and hips. Following these measurements, I graded the pattern accordingly. I also added 1″ in length to the bottom of the bodice, top of the bottoms, and 2″ in length to the sleeves. There’s no lengthen/shorten line on the sleeves so I arbitrarily made a straight line to cut and spread along the top half of the sleeve. If I make this pattern again, I might add another 1″ to the sleeve length (for a total of 3 additional inches). Just personal preference here. I prefer extra long sleeves.
Construction
As the last project before vacation, I crossed my fingers that sewing this up would be smooth sailing. Luck was on my side this time and the Belen came together in an afternoon. Honestly, It took me almost as much time to hand stitch the snaps as it did to sew the rest of the bodysuit. The viscose crepe fabric presented a bit of difficulty if I tried going too fast so; I tried to keep a slow and steady pace. Using a lightning stitch, I sewed the whole thing on my sewing machine. A serger was only used to finish the sleeves before hemming.
Lining the Bodysuit Bottom
In order to line the bottom portion of the bodysuit, I deviated slightly from the instructions. Here’s how: Instead of using the crotch lining pieces, cut one front bottom and one back bottom from the lining fabric. Then, sew the side seams on the lining according to the instructions in step 4. Next, place the lining and outer bottoms right sides together, sandwich the lingerie elastic between the two, and sew it on as indicated in step 5. Finally, stitch across the bottom of the crotch pieces with a 1/4″ seam allowance and turned the bottoms right side out. Using a double needle or zig zag stitch, stitch along the edges of the leg openings to secure the elastic and keep the lining from rolling out.
Final Thoughts
I was initially unsure about the idea of a bodysuit. My biggest qualm being that I might feel like a baby in a onesie. Happy to report that I did not once feel like an overgrown baby whilst wearing the Belen. In fact, I felt quite sexy. Well, as sexy as one can feel in an outfit practical enough for riding amusement park rides. The only time I regretted my outfit choice was when my back got a little chilly in the restaurant. Next time I’ll remember a jacket for restaurant wear.
As the weather cools, I don’t see that scooped back making too many appearances. However, I’m imagining this will be a lovely layering piece worn under cardigans, button ups, and my favorite jackets. I’m looking forward to playing around with styling options and can’t wait to integrate this new piece into my fall/winter wardrobe.
One last thing to note: Some of my lighter weight pants do show what looks like underwear lines with this bodysuit so I’ll have to stick to pairing it with flowy skirts or heavier weight bottoms like these 12 oz denim Phillipa Pants.
Thanks for reading!