I've been really feeling the stress lately. I've done so much sewing, but had no time for photos! GAH!

Thankfully, my Sister In Law snapped some shots of my adorable niece in her new Lil Luxe Collection Alleycat Romper, so now I have something to share.

I want to preface this by saying, I have not tried this pattern yet with sleeves. The sleeves ARE cut on the fold. If that doesn't work for you, then scroll on or only make the sleeveless option.

I have made now 7 Alleycats. 3 swimsuits, 3 rompers and a dress. I'll have to share the swimsuits and dress another time. Today is JUST about the rompers.

The Romper pattern comes in sizes 18 months to 10 years old. My niece is technically NOT big enough for the size 18 months. However, the pattern clearly states that the bodice includes 2" of negative ease, so I knew that she would still fit. This means that you can choose the size by your child's current chest +2" and size up safely. Yay for clothes they can actually grow in to!

The Bodice is fully lined and requires you to burrito roll the armscyes for the sleeveless version. I wasn't sure if I would like that, but the knit fabric actually rolls very easily. I am glad that the pattern only goes to size 18 months, as it would be near impossible to burrito roll anything smaller. That is simply the nature of the thin straps and tiny babies. I really like this finishing method, as everything is enclosed. A VERY good feature for littles that my be sensitive to itchy seams.

When it comes to attaching the bodice to the bottom, I cheat. I don't gather the bottom, I just stretch the bodice to fit. As long as you are using a very stable bodice knit, it will all snap back together with no issues. I prefer this method as it leaves a very nice even gather as opposed to gathering with thread and trying to smooth them out.

All the fabrics I've used for these rompers are from Simply By Ti. The pattern does NOT recommend using slinky fabrics but I disagree. While I do think the bodice needs a good stable fabric (like cotton lycra) to maintain its shape and fit, the bottoms look fabulous in a nice soft rayon spandex. Please note, however, if you're making this for a non-walking child, do NOT use rayon spandex. It will pill horribly (if it doesn't just rip) at the knees.

For ease of wearing, I made these rompers shorts length and added in a snap crotch. You can absolutely dress them just fine through the neckline, but diaper changing would be a pain! I figured out the "shorts" length by taking the dress pattern piece and mashing it to the romper piece. I removed an extra inch as the dress has a 2" seam allowance and I only wanted a 1" seam allowance. Instead of bands, I simply did a hem. Note that this means that the romper is still "too big" by sizing. Hopefully she'll be able to wear it all summer and into fall without getting too tall!

As for the snap crotch, that was a super easy hack. All I did was enclose the seam in woven bias tape and then add 5 kam snaps along the crotch. The bias tape adds stability to the seam so it won't stretch out from diaper changes or pull out a snap.

Overall, I like the pattern and didn't find any errors as I was working through. My youngest LOVES the look while my other 2 say it is for babies (aside from the leotards that they use for swim class). But the other two don't really like dresses in general, so don't take style advice from them. :)