Petite Stitchery Elliot romper review

 I have been on a mission to find the just right romper/pull on onesie/almost but not quite overalls.  A key feature I wanted is super low cut armhole areas - I wanted to need a top below it.  I hate the tie on the burnside bibs and a lot of other overall type patterns use that concept with straps that adjust into a tie, so all those were out.  I also know I don't wear tucked in things ever, so the beautiful Ronja dungarees didn't go with my vision.  There are a few still floating around in my head, but then I saw this romper and thought maybe in a knit fabric it would be so cool.  I wanted a heavy-ish black knit but I didn't have one and I did have this other fabric, so despite thinking it might be a bit light to be flattering, I went forth and created.  

My measurements fit an S exactly.  I was not sure if I should make some pattern adjustments like shortening the waist, but because of the pockets it's a multi-piece endeavor and I kind of just decided this was a rough and ready muslin.  It was hot summer, which is REALLY hot in Gisborne and I really just wanted this thing to wear.   That attitude means it's not really beautiful up close - my hems for instance are just horrible. I'm not sure if I cut slightly off grain but they would not fold up straight and I gave up.

The fabric is a very spongey viscose knit from The Fabric Box in Auckland. I got it in person, because this is the kind of fabric that you buy online for the colour and you buy in person because it feels so amazing you can't let go.  I thought I would be making tops out of it and had kind of been saving it (which is also why I had an unusually large piece of yardage) but I wanted this romper and it's a bland enough colour to match lots of things.  For sure, this romper needs a top of some kind under it.  I also thought the epic drape would be an ok match for this pattern, though I did worry it is still relatively light weight and would cling in the wrong places etc.  I think in the end it would be better to use a heavier weight fabric as I'd first envisioned, giving up drape for better glide over the body.

 

The instructions are annoying photo ones, but they are sufficient and the pocket area came together ok.  It's a spot where topstitching would lead to less peeking out of the pocket, but I opted against the topstitching. 

The weight of the fabric and the length of the bodice do make the pockets hang low. My major modification is that I added swimsuit elastic - quite burly stuff - into the tops of the straps.  When this is sitting around it kind of gathers up because of that and looks bad, but it adds a lot of heft and support so the straps don't stretch out and it looks ok when worn.  Overall this is not my neatest effort.  I counteracted that with lots of labels...It has been worn quite a lot though, it's very handy around the house and can be worn with not much underneath but still covers you up.  I do a lot of pole dancing and it saves me from prancing around the house in what looks like shiny underwear when random people show up.  (Did this happen?  You will never know.)  

If I find a nice scuba type fabric I suppose I might someday be inspired to make this again in a dark colour.  I don't think it's very flattering but I rather like it anyway...primarily as at-home loungewear.  It would be nice to raise the pockets, they are distinctly low.  The rise in the front is almost a bit short - I look down and I see my belly and it's almost pulling at the crotch, but the rise in the back is long and droopy. This all makes me feel like I would actually have to redraft the entire shape of the crotch curve to fit.  I have now made three patterns by Petite Stitchery - the Finn top, the Drew pants, and this romper, and they are consistent - quite simple, no genius to the drafting, not necessarily things that give you a good finish, but forgiving knit patterns that produce things that you wear despite the finish and that are relatively easy to put together. 

Linnea sweatshirt review, by Sinclair Patterns

 This pattern was free for a short period and I jumped at the chance.  I haven't made Sinclair patterns before, but they are often represented on the Blended Threads website, and I was very curious to try a pieced and colourblocked sweatshirt.  It didn't seem to matter which one exactly.  

I made a size 4 petite.  It was very nice to have petite options, however, I didn't feel like it was particularly petite so this must be a very long sweatshirt in the normal option.  The instructions were nicely written.  Size 4 was correct for my measurements.

I found that my pocket binding, in rib, led to the pockets not matching up with the side seams at all.  They were canted at an angle.  To determine if it was safe to just cut off those extra triangles, I sewed the sleeves so I could approximate the side seams before I did any basting of the pockets.  (It was safe to cut those bits off.)  I'm not sure if my rib being long made the pocket angle change. 

My huge beef with this pattern was regarding the labelling and expectations of the different coloured pieces.  I mentioned this on instagram because I was so peeved and my resulting sweatshirt angers me and I had to find a way to give it away immediately (a friend took me up on the offer.)  

The front pieces are labeled F1-F2-F3.  The back pieces are labelled B1-B2, then you have the option to piece the back in 2 pieces as well.  However, B2 lines up with F3, so technically it should be B1-B3.  As you can see, the colourblocking effect of my pieces doesn't match up at the underarms.   Second issue, which is obvious and I should have just changed this: the colourblocking in the only photos online is of the children's sweatshirt, where the colour change is about the level of the elbow.  In the adult version it's a tiny strip near the wrist.  I should obviously have ignored that cut line and made it near the elbow for a more balanced result.  

This top was a nice learning event in terms of what works where.  I will try the Itch to Stitch Lamma hoodie next winter, because I have some of the birds and associated terry cloths left (they are, by the way, from Ansje Handmade, I need to stop binging on european fabrics...) but I am not particularly tempted to have another go at this pattern.  However my recommendations are: obviously match B2 to F3.  Top of the sleeves in pattern, not in colourblock, to make it look less busy, and then with the lower half of the sleeves in colourblock.  If I did make this again I would probably shorten it 2".

The pockets are nice!