Fringe Romper Gone WILD-Stretching your pattern bucks all season long.

 Fringe Romper Gone WILD 

 

Sometimes when I love a pattern so much, I just have to expend on it. Nothing crazy, but in my tradition of stretching out OUR pattern bucks-I wanted to try to add sleeves to the already adorable and trendy Fringe Romper from Brindille  & Twig.

With my Crazy for Cat theme, from my Freshly Picked Moccasins Giveaway (read here) I decided to Up-cycle my beloved PAWS Chicago shirt (my how our life changed from that 1st race my husband and I did with our 4-legged first child, Calvin the Beagle pup) for my son to enjoy. Here is how I stretched out my long sleeved shirt to fit the 18-24month Fridge-less romper pattern.

Step 1: Cutting: Lay your shirt flat. Measure the pattern against the shirt for where to cut. I quickly noticed that the romper pattern is too long for my shirt, so I decided to cut it into 2 pieces, 1 upper chest/bodice piece and 1 torso/leg piece. I decided to cut right under the arm holes-leaving enough room to attach the two pieces. When cutting, be sure to add your seam allowance. For mine, I added 1/4 of an inch to each raw end-about the amount that is sewn on my serger. Repeat this with pattern front and back.

Step 2: Cut the sleeves: Place the top your arm opening from the bodice piece against the pre-made sleeve piece. To do this, you have to have an idea of how long you want your sleeves to be. I decided on Elbow length for Liam. I measured up and placed the top of the pattern piece on top of the sleeve fold. Then I continued the angle to match my sleeve. Since my sleeve width is wider than my arm hole opening, I plan to cut it off.

Step 3: Sewing the bodice to the torso: Once you have your new pieces cut to your liking, you are ready to sew: Take your front bodice and your front torso/leg pieces with the right sides together-raw edges together: pin and sew. Remember, you are just sewing the added seam allowance (1/4 for me on the serger).

Step 4: Top stitch: Once you have one front piece and one back piece, top stitch your seam allowance down. I love it with a double needed-it looks so professional.

Step 5: Sew your front and back pieces together, at the top like instructed in the original fringe pattern. Once you have that, turn it right side out.

Step 6: Adding your sleeves. You would add sleeves like you would do with a long sleeve shirt. Find the center of your sleeve. Pin it the shoulder seam on your top bodice, with the right sides together. Continue to pin the sleeve all the way around the curve of the arm opening. Sew in place and repeat with other sleeve.

Step 7: Turn your romper wrong side out. Starting at the sleeve, sew down the entire side of the romper, like instructed in the original pattern. Repeat other side. Continue with the rest of the Fridge Romper pattern instructions for neck band and leg opening.

Now you are DONE with your up-cycle Sleeved Fridge(less) Romper:

Digging this "Walk Like An Egyptian" pose!

 Liam saying bye-bye!

Would love to hear from you! Tell me what you think about stretching your pattern bucks? Follow me on Facebook: Baby Hobbes Design or an Instagram @babyhobbesdesign
Special thanks to my friends at TK Photography Chicago for capturing my sweet and wild child.

Happy Sewing!
xoxo
Merav @babyhobbesdesign