Women's Josephine Jumper

Josephine Jumper

Difficulty Level = Beginner

This beautifully draped cowl neck jumper crosses over with a twist creating a flattering and forgiving silhouette. With a relaxed fit and dropped shoulder, this jumper is super comfy and sporty yet elegant. Choose between sleeveless or a more fitted long sleeve. The deep back neckband sits close to your neck, giving more fullness and drape to the front.

Designed to be worn over a top, you can dress it up or down – perfect for day or night.

Our Facebook group is a great place to get help, share your tips and creations! We are a friendly bunch, and we love to help and see what you have made.

Please read the full instructions before getting started.

Wash, dry, and press your fabric before starting your project. A bit of prep now prevents shrinking and means your garment will stay the same size you made it.

Never leave a child or baby unattended or allow to sleep in a garment made from one of our patterns with ties, snaps, buttons, or anything they could remove, choke on, or get caught on. Always use caution if you are unsure. We love our patterns, but we love your bundles of joy more!

Size Range

Womens XXS-5XL

Size Chart

This pattern is drafted to the sizes listed below. If you are between sizes, choose the larger size and adjust the pattern to remove the extra width to achieve the intended fit.

Finished Measurements (Inches)

This jumper is loose fitting with a dropped shoulder and dolman sleeves. It is meant to be worn over a fitted top (like the Strappy Cami), with the crossover cowl draping loosely over the waist. 

• Sizing – Sizing is different in different countries and stores, so please measure your model before picking your size. The ready-to-wear size your model normally fits into may be different from our size chart.
• Picking your size – Choose your size based on your hip measurements from the size chart and finished measurements. The garment is more fitted at the hips, especially in the back.
• Adjusting Height – The jumper is drafted for a height of 5 foot 6 inches. If your model is taller/shorter, you will need to add/remove length in two places:
  • The front pattern piece halfway between the underarm and the hem (adding/removing length from across the entire piece, from the side seam to the center back neck seam). 
  • The back pattern piece halfway between the underarm and the hem. 
• Sleeve length – Compare the finished length of the full sleeve to your model’s arm. If you need to shorten or lengthen the sleeve, do this at the hem.
• Muslin – I highly recommend you sew a muslin (test garment) first. That way, you can play about to get the perfect fit for you. I would recommend the following to muslin this jumper:
  • Use an inexpensive knit fabric similar in weight and stretch to your final fabric.
  • Cut out all pieces, labeling them with tailors chalk or fabric pen.
  • Baste using a ⅜ inch seam allowance.
  • Try on. If you are happy with the fit, continue to your final garment. If you need to adjust the fit of the bicep you can add/remove from the opening of the dolman shape to adjust the depth of the bicep. You’ll also need to make the same adjust to the top of the sleeve where it joins the body.
  • If you feel the fit needs adjusting for your personal shape, turn the muslin inside out, and try on again. Adjust the seams with pins/clips until you are happy. 
  • Trim your new seam allowances to ⅜ of an inch and pull out your basting stitches. 
  • These resulting pieces are your pattern pieces instead of the original pattern pieces. Continue to sew your final garment.
  • Make sure to keep your adjusted pattern pieces in case you wish to make more!
• If you get stuck with fitting, see our favorite resources on our Pinterest Sewing Fitting Advice board.

Your jumper fabric needs to be a stretch/knit fabric. It can be any weight; however, best results and fit will be achieved with a medium or light weight fabric. A lighter weight fabric will drape more than a heavier weight. Great examples are sweater knits, medium weight jersey, viscose, ponte, scuba, stretch velour and stretch French terry. Do not use a woven fabric.

Fabric Requirements 45 inches/115 cm wide (in YARDS)

• OPTIONAL clear elastic
• Thread to match

Settings

The pattern is a separate download. Choose either the US letter paper, A4 paper, or A0 paper size based on the printer you wish to use. If you are in the US or Canada then your printer will likely use US letter paper. Other regions normally use A4 paper. Some people prefer to print their patterns at a print shop: A0 is best in this case.

Print at 100%.

On the second page, you will find a 1-inch and a 3-inch square test box. Print this page first, on its own, and measure these squares.

Once you are happy that the test box is accurate, print the rest of the pattern pages.

Please follow this video for information and assistance on assembling this pattern.

Also, please note that some Rebecca Page patterns and projects also come with cut files and a printable design page which you can use to plan your project if you wish. These are provided in a separate section below to avoid any confusion!

Cut each of the pieces according to the directions on the pattern piece. Seam allowances are all included so just cut them as is.

Cutting Checklist: 

• Front – Cut 2 (1x mirror image pair)
• Back – Cut 1 on fold
• Sleeves – Cut 2 on fold

NOTE – To cut fabric on the fold, fold your fabric over parallel to the selvage edges. Align the pattern piece so it is on the fold of the fabric. Cut around the edges, leaving the fold. If you have folded your fabric correctly the fold will be parallel to the two edges of the fabric that are finished. The raw edges (e.g. the ones you could pick at and threads would come off) will be at a right angle to your fold.

Tips for Sewing with Knit Fabrics

Using a serger is not a necessity to sew with knit fabrics! Here are a few tips to get the best results on a regular sewing machine:

• Use a ball point needle of a size appropriate to your fabric when working with knits – The ball point needle has a slightly rounded tip and will prevent from damaging the fibre. Use ball point pins or clips and, if you can’t, use regular pins into the seam allowance and you should be just fine.
• Use a stretch stitch – You can use either a short and narrow zigzag or a stretch stitch (lightning bolt stitch) for construction. Test on a scrap of fabric to find which stitch and tension settings work best for you. You don’t want the fabric to pucker under your stitches.
• Your machine might have many fancy stretch stitches and you are welcome to play with them, but often the basic zigzag or stretch stitch are just right.
• Use a walking foot – Using a walking-foot is not a necessity but it is highly recommended when working on a stretchy knit. The walking-foot helps to prevent one layer of fabric from stretching out while sewing. Both layers of fabrics are fed at the same time under your needle.
• Reduce your presser foot tension – Some machines will allow you to change your presser foot tension. Check your manual to see how to reduce your presser foot tension. Reducing tension will prevent your fabric from stretching while it goes through the machine.
• Use a ball point twin-needle (double needle) for top stitching – Using a twin-needle will give you a regular double line of straight stitches on the right side and a short and stretchy zigzag on the wrong side. Alternately, if you don’t own a twin needle, you can use a medium size zigzag stitch for hemming and topstitching. I like to lengthen my stitch a little when top stitching with the twin needle. Test on a scrap of fabric to find what works best for you.
• Finishing the seams – Because knits don’t fray, it isn’t strictly necessary to finish your seams. That being said, you will achieve a more polished and durable look if you do an overcasting or zigzag stitch on your raw edges. 

Here is an example of some of the stitches you could use.

From left to right: Ballpoint twin-needle, narrow zigzag, stretch stitch (lightning bolt), overcasting

⅜ inch seam allowance included – Top stitching ⅛ inch

Preparation – 

1. PATTERN MARKINGS – Transfer all pattern markings from the pattern pieces to your fabric using tailors chalk or a disappearing ink marker.

Sewing –

1. FRONT – Place your two Front pieces right sides together, matching the short edges. Serge or stitch and press seam allowance to one side.
2. COWL HEM – Clip the pattern markings on the Front cowl. Fold the top edge of the cowl ⅜ inch between the pattern markings and press. Stitch to hem.
3. SHOULDER SEAMS – Lay your Back piece right side facing up. Take the left Front piece and match the left shoulders, right sides together. Stitch and press seam. With the Fronts wrong side up, take the bottom corner of the Front right piece and flip it up over the right shoulder. The right side will now be facing up and you will have created a twist. Pick up the lower corner of the cowl and flip it over another time, so that it is now wrong side up again. You have now made one full twist in the cowl. Stitch the Front right shoulder and to the Back right shoulder. Press the seam.
4. SLEEVES – Mark the center of the sleeve head. Right sides together, matching sleeve center to shoulder seam, pin together. Stitch together and press seam. Repeat for other sleeve. Create a ⅜ inch memory hem.
5. SIDE SEAMS – With right sides together, pin the Front to the Back along the optional sleeves and down the side seam. Stitch and press. Repeat for the other side seam.
6. COWL NECK – Move the cowl twist so it is closer to the right side seam. The cowl on the right of the jumper should be untwisted. Mark the center of the Back neckline. Pick up the unhemmed bottom edge of the center seam and pull it up to the Back neckline, matching the seam to the center marking of the Back neckline. Pin in place. Continue pinning right sides together, along the Back neckline and around the Front, until you reach the pattern markings on either side. Serge and press.
7. HEM – Turn the hem, starting at the bottom edge from the marking on the cowl, down the Front, around the Back and back up the other Front, until you reach the cowl marking. Press and stitch. For the sleeveless version: Turn the hem of the armscye, press and stitch. Repeat for the other side. For the sleeve version: Refold the memory hem and stitch. Repeat for the other sleeve.

Congratulations, your Josephine Jumper is done. Enjoy! 

We would love to hear how you got on and see photos of your finished project!

Join us at our Facebook Group, tag us on Instagram, or use the hashtag #rpjosephinejumper.

Thank you for using a Rebecca Page pattern.

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