Marlie Romper by Simple Life Pattern Company
/Hello! Leonie from Blue Wren Handmade here, ready to tell you all about my experience with the Marlie Romper by Simple Life Pattern Company!
This romper comes with three length options - short, capri and long - and I selected to sew up the long length. Although the use of relatively lightweight woven fabric will allow the resulting garment to be worn over a longer period of time, the annual three weeks of winter have suddenly appeared in sub-tropical Queensland, so we were able to have a little fun with a little slightly winterish styling to show the flexibility of this cute design.
My daughter, at only four, continues to have the shape of a young child but is rather tall for her age, meaning I frequently find myself having to mix sizes for height and width. I own almost the entire Simple Life Pattern Company range, so I have sewed a few of their designs before and past experience has taught me that going by the chest and waist measurements gives an accurate fit for width. However, not for the first time, I did find myself disappointed with the lack of height measurement in the chart for selecting size. There is a finished garment measurement chart, so with a bit of faffing about, I was able to select the correct length for mixed sizing. Ultimately, I have found the fit to be on the bigger side, but given the style we can still get away with wearing now with the advantage of room for growth.
I really enjoy being able to cut everything, inclusive of elastic in one go. The combination of all these measurements into one chart in the cutting section of the tutorial is a wonderful feature, though it would be lovely if the strap cutting measurements were also included. Having said that, they are only a couple of pages into the tutorial and it is really probably best to be ironing the bias to shape before cutting length because the fabric tends to become a little pulled during that particular process.
The instructions are accompanied by photographs. I personally found them a little difficult to see, but I am really big on visual cues. If you are too, please make sure that you read the tutorial thoroughly before beginning - none of the steps are particularly complex, but you won’t be able to “glance and sew” if you don’t have a clear idea of what comes next.
There is a lovely selection of inspirational photos and there are links embedded within the tutorial for social media sites where further images may be viewed.
My daughter is very happy to wear this design - she is rather particular, so this is always a great thing!! It is very easy for her to get on and off herself, which is great for developing independence and toileting. I am quite sure this is a design we will be revisiting.
I hope you enjoy your Marlie as much as we are already enjoying ours!
Carrie's Version
Today Kari reviews Pearl's Zipper Dress and Top by Simple Life Pattern Company. This final product looks like it would be a difficult sew but Kari found the tutorial made it easier. Lots of attention to detail in this sassy dress.