Off-shoulder Romper and Dress
I had the pleasure of testing a brand new pattern by Suzanne of Winter Wear Designs. It's a great summer piece you can make as a romper or a dress. I love any pattern with options. When my girls love a pattern and it fits great, I love to make it again and again with different options to change their wardrobe up a bit.
The Boho Breeze. The pattern offers a romper, dress, various sleeve lengths, optional pockets, and optional straps. I opted for the romper with pockets, 3/4 sleeves with no elastic, and straps. My girls LOVE pockets! I love the straps for modesty. No worries of the top being pulled during play. I think the next time, I'll make the sleeves a little shorter. My model loves it the way it is, but I would like to see them a little shorter, especially for summer.
My model's measurements put her between multiple sizes. Her chest and waist put her in a size 6 and her height a size 7. Suzanne's tutorial explains exactly how to blend sizes to insure the ultimate fit. This is what makes sewing so fabulous. We have all the control in the world to customize the sizing.
Recommended fabrics are quilting cottons and rayon blends. Apparel fabrics with nice drape are ideal for this pattern. I used this beautiful Purple Ruffle Stripe Stretch Knit from Stylish Fabric. I lucked out and got it for $.99/yard a few months back when it was a Daily Deal (they no longer run the Daily Deal). It's a great, sturdy knit (minimal curling on the cut edges) that was easy to work with. I used no more than 1.5 yards of fabric because the width of the fabric was 63". If you use a 44"/45" wide fabric, you'll want to purchase the quantity listed in the fabric requirements.
I printed the pattern pieces at home. Suzanne uses layering. I love this feature as it saves on ink use! I simply selected sizes 6 and 7, printed, and assembled. Maybe one day I'll own my own large format printer to get out of the trimming and taping business!
The tutorial was easy to follow. As an experienced sewist, I appreciate the straightforward instructions. They are to the point. Illustrations depict the steps with clear photographs where a step is hard to illustrate. I believe a beginner sewist would easily follow the instructions.
I always love the tester photos! There are many in the pattern and on the Winter Wear Designs website to spark your creative juices! One tester created a sleeveless version and will be sharing the tutorial so you can do the same! The Boho Breeze is on sale until Friday, May 5th. Get your copy HERE!
And now, to finish up the size 12 for her sister. They've both already requested a second romper. I love it when my girls love momma-made!