Rowan's Rainbow Romper

Rowan (Kish Raven) in her new romper.

This one piece romper is perfect for warm weather. Cute, playful and fun.
Made without the belt, it could be an old-school gym suit. And I'm seriously considering remaking it with a skirt instead of shorts as an edwardian over-dress.
 It is a bit more fiddly to make than the other patterns, but it isn't particularly difficult and the results are worth it.
Just a reminder I've made no allowance for seams, turnings or wrap on the pattern.

 Rowan (Kish Raven) ready for some Summer fun.

The neckline can either be lined by doubling the yoke and cutting a second back bodice piece to yoke length, hemmed or faced by tracing facings off the pattern.

Construction is as follows:

Sew shoulder seams and hem, line or face the neckline.

Gather lower bodice section onto the yoke.

Add sleeves. I pleated the excess fabric into the centre top of the sleeves rather than easing or gathering along the whole edge. I felt gathered sleeves when the bodice was already gathered would make the whole thing too puffy.  But you can ease or gather the sleeves if you prefer.

Next sew the side seams and the under side seams in the sleeves.

Sew the front and back seams from crotch to waist in the shorts and then the leg seams, hemming the lower leg edge.

Sew the bodice to the waistband only gathering at the front.

Sew the shorts to the waistband, gathering evenly all around. (Will only need light gathers.)

Hem the back edge and add fastenings. (I have one on the waistband, one at the neckline and one midway between)

And then you nearly have this!

I stupidly never measured the half belt. It's even more surprising because I made TWO of them. That's why this wasn't posted yesterday. Yesterday morning I looked at the belt she had (yellow baby ribbon threaded with coloured star-shaped buttons) and hated it.

To make the half belt, thread beads onto a length of baby ribbon.

Then with the romper on a doll, check the length. It needs to go from side seam to side seam at the waist band. Make it as loose or as tight as you want it by adding beads or taking them off.

Then take the romper off the doll, thread the ends of the ribbon onto a needle and push it through the bodice side seams, right where they join onto the waistband. Either knot them inside or stitch them down to keep them in place.

Don't worry too much what colour the ribbon is unless it's going to show. I was all excited because the ribbon I used on the rainbow belt was the exact same colour as her romper. Now I feel a bit silly because the beads cover it completely!

  OOPS! From this angle you can see the facing sticking up inside the neckline!