Romper and/or Skort Tutorial

With this tutorial you can make the romper OR the skirt! :) This is what's been in my head since I bough that fabric at the beginning of the week. LOL Sure does feel good to have it done! And have it turn out the way I pictured it!!! ;)

You will need:

2 3/4 yards of fabric of your choice (woven, knits won't hold pleats that easily)

1 package of wide single fold bias tape (or ribbon or whatever)

4" of 1/4" elastic

2 buttons

A pair of your child's shorts to use as a guide.

Now get ready 'cause this is a long one with LOTS of pictures.

Measure your child's chest and then shoulder to just below the hip. Measure from just below the hip to where you want the skirt part to fall -2".  Measure the shoulder to where you want the bottom of the arm hole to be.



Fold your fabric and cut it the length you need the top to be. Then cut the width on the fold. (You will be cutting 1/2 of the width of the chest + 2".



While still folded, cut out your arm hole.



While still folded, cut out your neckline in a square shape.





Open the bias tape and pin around the arm holes and neckline, skipping the tops of the straps.



Sew the bias tape around the arm holes and neckline.



After sewing the bias tape, press it. This helps to set the stitches.  And it's easier to see if you missed a spot. If you DID miss a spot, take out my BFF, The Seam Ripper, and rip out those stitches and try again. ;)



With right sides together, pin up the side seam and sew. You could actually do this BEFORE the bias tape..... I'm always a little backwards. LOL





Pin over the tops of the straps and sew.



Press the tops of the straps.



Sew on your buttons.



Cut 2 pieces of 1/4" elastic either 1 1/2 to 2" in length depending on the size of your buttons.





Pin and sew your elastic in place.

Now, set this piece aside.  And grab your child's shorts.



Place your child's shorts on the fold. Cut around the shorts and DO NOT leave much room at the top or bottom for seams. You will be giving them a SMALL hem and will NOT be making an elastic casing. ;)



Flip your newly cut leg over and use it to cut the other leg. Make sure to flip if you have a right and wrong side or a particular pattern.



Turn the legs inside out. Pin from the bottom of the leg up to the beginning of the crotch and sew the seam. Do this to both legs.



Gratuitous cat picture.



Turn one leg right side out and stuff it down the other leg. Pin and sew. (If you need better instructions for this look at the Spider-man Pajamas Tutorial or the Knit Peasant Blouse and Gingham Capris Tutorial.)



Turn the shorts wrong side out and turn up less than 1/2 and inch. Press and pin. The sew your hem.



Turn your shorts right side out and measure them up against your top. If needed take a little tuck in the sides like I have done there. Just pin the tuck for right now.



Take your top and turn if wrong side out. Slip it over the shorts with right sides together (the top will be point down to the bottom of the shorts) matching seams and pin it. Then sew the top to the shorts.



Turn right side out and press!

Now you can stop here and you will have a romper!



If you want to change the romper into a skort-all (???) stay with me!

You will need 2 pieces of fabric 1 3/4 yards by however long you want the skirt part to be -2".

We are going to start with the hem, which I apparently forgot to fix the pics for.... :/ Anyway, to do the hem you are going to roll 1/2 " and then roll again, pressing and pinning as you go.  Then sew the hems.



Now you are going to start folding, pressing and pinning all along the 1 3/4 yards. Fold, press, pin. Fold, press, pin. To both pieces. The size of the pleats is completely up to you and your personal preferences. Be sure to pin the bottoms of the pleats, too.



You will have 2 pieces that look like this.

Now you are going to need a waist band.



You are going to cut a strip 5" in width and as long as the romper is around the waist +1". Fold the strip in half and press. Then turn 1 edge under and press. It should look like the picture above when you are done.

Fold in half lengthwise, giving you a middle, and press.



Place your 2 pleated pieces right side together and pin one side. You may have some hang over and that is perfectly fine. Sew the hem on one side.



Cut off the excess.



Another gratuitous cat picture.



Match up the middle of the waistband with the seam. Open the waistband and pin on place with the folded edge on the outside.



Cut off the excess.



Sew the waistband in place. I sewed 2 rows to make sure I got all the pleats. ;)



With right sides together, pin and sew the other seam.



With right sides together, slip the skirt over the romper and pin the top of the waistband to the seam between the top and bottom of the romper.

Sew together.

Turn right side out and press.



Now, cut a rectangle 10" wide by 15" long.

Fold in half with wrong side out and sew and seam along the 15". Open and press with the seam in the middle.



Turn 1/2" in on both ends and press. Then sew a very tiny seam right at the edges.



Fold in the middle and press. Open and sew a gathering stitch right down the middle. I apparently forgot the pics to this part. If you need to know how to sew a gathering stitch, this is how I do it on my machine, I set my stitch length to the longest setting and then I set the distance between stitches to the longest setting. On my machine they are 4 and 9 respectively.



Now, cut a piece of fabric about 5" long by 3" wide.



Fold over both long edges to the middle and press.



Wrap it around the middle of the other piece making a bow! Now press and press and press the middle. Press again. One more time.



Pin it to the front of your skort-all!!  (I tried to sew it but it was too thick.... LOL)

ALLLLLLLL DONE!!!!!




Better pictures to come (in the morning).

I hope this has been easy to follow, if not just leave me a comment. If you try it out, let me know!!  :)