How the hack did you do that?! @pimsycouddestrucs introduces us to her #Ruba

Hello. I'm Laurence, Pimsy on the web and, in real life, I'm a bus driver. Sewing for me, as for many of us I suppose, is a real outlet. I've been sewing frantically for about 13 years.

My credo is that my size is not an obstacle to my idea of fashion. The fact that I couldn't find clothes that suited my body shape and were sufficiently in line with the latest trends prompted me to break the codes and ultimately create my own style. The best way to reclaim my body and build a wardrobe that suits me.

How did you come up with the idea?

The jumpsuit is MY favorite piece. I instinctively imagined Ruba in a long, flowing jumpsuit, but I didn't have enough of the fabric I wanted to go through with my idea. And then, the desire to give her a more structured side with poplin took hold and I'm delighted with the result.

Are you used to performing hacks?

It's almost systematic for me with a pattern. I need to explore the pattern's capabilities to the full, make it my own and then make it completely unique. Sometimes a detail will catch my eye on a pattern (an original closure, an unusual asymmetry, etc.) but I won't like the pattern as a whole. So I'm going to hack it and adapt it to my desires.

What do you enjoy most about making hacks?

What I love is showing people that with a good base, there can be an incredible amount of interpretation. You don't have to buy a new pattern all the time; with a little imagination, you can easily make something new out of something existing.

Any other sewing projects in the pipeline (with or without hacks)?

Lots of projects to finalize. With and without hacks lol. My To Do List is incredibly long. And just as well, I've got a nice stock of fabrics to sell.

What exactly did you do with Ruba's pattern?

To turn Ruba into a jumpsuit, I used a shorts pattern that I love and lengthened the crotch by about 6 cm. I used Ruba's front and back facings to make sure the front and back of my shorts would fit (sides, darts, height). I couldn't get a nice drape with the front shorts facing because of the stiffness of the poplin, so I opted to do away with it. Instead, to create the casing for the tie, I added 2 cm in height to the top of the front short. I kept the side and back curved facings and attached them with invisible stitches. 

As the shorts are rather tight-fitting, I inserted an invisible zipper on one side for easy slip-on. In any case, I strongly recommend making a canvas beforehand to check that the shorts fall perfectly.

As for the upper part, very few changes. I've simply elasticated the bottom sleeves and lengthened the ties so that they can be tied in the back. This also makes it possible to tighten the front panels a little more and wear Ruba with a discreet bra.

Also want to hack the Ruba dress? Get the pattern here!