Thursday, March 31, 2016

Brindlle & Twig Raglan Coverall

I'm pretty loyal when it comes to children's patterns. When I first learned to sew, I used Oliver & S and Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop, and I rarely deviate from those two (mostly I sew PABPS). Partly it's because I love the quality of those two, and partly it's because there are SO MANY designers of children's patterns. It would be pretty impossible to keep up with them all. But recently I started getting bored with my baby patterns (see what I've made for baby on the way here and here) so I looked outward and decided to try Brindlle & Twig.


I'm sure most people have at least heard of them. B&T has tons of patterns for babies and older kids. I settled on the Raglan Coverall because I wanted something with raglan sleeves (easier to sew, and just different from my other patterns) and with a head opening that wasn't simply lapped or a scoop neck. I was bored with the lap neck and my kids have giant heads, so I need some sort of method to get their heads through neck openings. The Raglan Coverall has a snap placket, which looks intimidating but was super easy when following the directions. In fact, I'll be taking that concept and applying it to other patterns, for sure!


This pattern comes in sizes preemie-5/6! I made 0-3 months. In this small size, this is the perfect project to upcycle old tshirts. I did make some changes to the original design. I'm having a summer baby and will likely swaddle said baby, so I went with short sleeves and short...legs? Pants. Neither of these modifications are included in the pattern, I just had to take a guess and whack at it. Since I was shortening these two areas, I also went with a standard hem (or used an already-present hem in the upcycles) rather than a cuff. Secondly, I added an inch to the length of the bodice. We use cloth diapers and with these style outfits my babies always outgrow the bodice length before anything else. Lastly, I moved the snap placket to the back of the garment. I kind of hate it being right in your face in the front the way it's designed.

The navy one is an upcycle and has my husband's company's logo on it, for privacy reasons I covered it up in these photos but it's super cute. The sheep version is made from scratch, fabric is interlock from AAACottonCreations on Etsy. Just pretend that the white one (another upcycle) is assembled...I ran out of white thread, believe it or not!


A few comments about Brindlle & Twig patterns in general, since this is my first time using one. I'm not thrilled with the amount of variety built into each pattern (none). For example, there is a second Raglan Coverall pattern without the placket and cuffs. For a separate $9.50. Maybe I shouldn't compare, but at PABPS those would certainly be combined into one pattern, the sizing would go up higher (if applicable), and the cost would be less. It was sort of annoying to scroll through a lot of patterns in the newborn section and to realize how similar some were.

This is just nit-picky, but the instructions were at the end of the PDF, so you have to scroll through all the pattern pieces to get to them.

Now for the good: 1/4" seam allowances (my preference on knits) and the PDF assembled easily. The instructions were excellent. Overall her designs are edgy and different and I like that every now and again.

Snap placket on back

Leg openings are bound

I'll be making more of these if I can find the time and the right shirts. These do not have snaps yet as I'm finishing all my baby clothes and then ordering some online. Can't wait to snuggle my new little one into his or her handmade wardrobe!

1 comment:

  1. Love the upcycle, so clever! I agree with you on the subject of options, separate add-ons at that price, no. I did make B&T free scuba hoodie pattern, and it went together quite nicely, my only negative is that it seemed to be an unusually slim fit.

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