Allie Oop Romper Hack

Hi!  Today I get to share with you how I created an Allie Oop romper!  In case you haven’t heard brownie-goose recently released a new top & dress pattern the Allie Oop.  You can read our review here.

We still have lots of HOT summer days ahead of us here in Northern California, so that means we are still rockin rompers!  I just love how sweet the new Allie Oop top comes together and I thought an Allie Oop romper  would make a great addition to our collection.  It’s pretty simple.  If you want to give it a try follow along!

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Here is what you will need:

Allie Oop Top & Dress pattern

Darby Shorts pattern

Both those patterns are from Brownie Goose.  You could probably use any shorts pattern however this tutorial will be based on the Darby’s

Other than the patterns, you will also need your basic sewing supplies and elastic.  I used ⅜” but you could use any size, you will just need to adjust your casing.  

Lets get started.

First step is to determine your little one's size, print and cut/trace your pattern pieces for the front and back bodice and bias tape.  There is no change to how these pieces are constructed.  So, go ahead and cut and construct the front, and back bodice only.   Cut and prep your bias tape and set it aside.  I made my two button flaps functional since she would not be slipping it over her head.  You will need a little more room for your little one to slip on and off, so plan on making your buttonholes functional too.

**Do not cut your skirt pieces yet**  You will be skipping around a bit on the original instructions.

For the pattern piece labeled “skirt piece” you will make your first modification, which is to shorten the pattern piece.  According to the sizing chart my daughter wears a size 2t, but she would need a size 4 in length if I were making the top the way it is. You'll need to measure your child to figure the correct length. The top version falls below the waist so it would be rather long for a romper if left as is.  For my case, I left the size 2t length as is without lengthening it like I normally would instead of making the 4T and subtracting.  I suggest taking 1.5-2” off the bottom.  I wanted my top to be less fitting and more baggy, so I didn’t want too much off the length.  I also made a muslin first so that I wouldn’t ruin my “good” fabric.  I suggest you do the same if you have some scraps to spare so you can find your perfect fit.  Another option would be to cut it according to the pattern length and try it on your little one prior to making any cuts to the bottom. 

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Once you have decided on the length for the skirt piece you can cut it out and proceed with constructing the top EXCEPT the hem.  You do not want to hem the bottom yet.  Just set it aside.

Let's move onto the shorts.  Now, for the shorts I kept them simple due to the busy fabric I used and the fringe I added to the bottom.  If you choose to add the cute pockets, cuffs and buttons then you will need to follow the instructions but SKIP the part where you create the elastic casing for the waistband, we’ll do that last.

At this point you should have both pieces fully constructed except for the hem, and the shorts waist.  Now we just need to attach them!

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Since the bottom of our top is wider than the shorts waist, I gathered the bottom of the top.  Adjust the gathers to match the width of your shorts, turn the top inside out so that the inside is facing you.  

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Slip the shorts inside the top so that right sides are together.  Line up your seams and pin together.  Sew with a 1” seam allowance.  Finish the raw edge of your layers with either a zig zag stitch or serger.  

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We are almost done!

Your romper is all attached together, now all that is left is to add elastic around the waist.  Pull you bodice out from your bottoms and with the romper still inside out, press your 1” seam allowance towards the bodice.  To create your waistband, sew your seam allowance onto the top  ¼” away from your finished edge.  **Make sure you leave about an 1.5” gap to insert your elastic.

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Cut elastic a little shorter than the waist measurement and thread it through the casing.  Sew the ends of the elastic together.  The last step is to sew the rest of the casing closed. Your Allie Oop romper is done!!

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