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The Sunday romper & dress from Love Notions IS SO COMFY and it has features for all preferences. I have been a pattern tester and really enjoyed the experience. An easy sew and comfortable to wear because, it’s designed for knit fabrics. Secret pajama style.

*The Sunday Romper is $5 (68% OFF) today Friday the 1st of April 2022. Get yours HERE. Use my code Pins10 for an extra 10% off.

There is also a girls equivalent Sunday Romper from sizes 2T-16 and it’s super cute too. See this pattern HERE. Unfortunately, I don’t have little girls in my life to sew for at the moment.

Features of the Sunday romper

This pattern not only has a romper with many length options but also a dress too! And, for all preferences, there is a tank bodice and a dolman bodice. My favorite feature is the double V neckline, front and back. This creates a larger neckline that allows the romper to be slipped on and off from the top over the hips.

The pocket style has a very interesting shape and I like the look, though to be very consistent about preferring my life “pocket free”, I have not sewn pockets.

Sizing

The pattern includes sizes 0-32, has a standard bust and a full bust option. The size chart includes detailed body and finished garment measurements for the crotch length, and the hips of the “pants” and the “skirt” options.

I sewed a straight size 14, made no adjustments to the pattern, as the measurements for this size were a suitable match for my circumferences and my length/height.

There is another small chart with inseam lengths and skirt lengths and I did not need to adjust for my height. I made the knee skirt, and it sits right above my knee. I am 5ft8″ and Love Notions drafts for 5ft5″, so I would suggest checking the length you prefer on your skirt before cutting the fabric out.

A note about blending sizes with the romper option: If body measurements put you in a smaller size on the upper body and a larger size for the hips (example, a size 14 bodice and an 18 size at the hips), there may be mechanical stretch issues with the neckband. The romper is put on and taken off through the neckline, that is why the double V neckband is lower on the back and wider. My friend Kim from the YouTube channel Dorothy’s Daughter has an excellent tip and a solution to strengthen the neckband. See her video HERE.

Best fabrics

This pattern is drafted for light to medium weight knit fabrics like modal, cupro, rayon/spandex blends. Un-officially making the bottoms, pants or skirt, with a woven fabric has been mentioned as possible and I can totally see this style being a great opportunity for mixing wovens and knits.

For the pants, in my size 14, there is about 3.5″ of positive ease at the hips and that is a very appropriate amount that would work with a woven fabric. For the skirt, the ease is even more, at 4.5″.

I first made a tank bodice with a little remnant rayon spandex print and added a black rayon spandex skirt to the mix. A fully knit garment.

The second dress I made, I used the dolman bodice in black rayon spandex and chose a gorgeous woven, embroidered crinkle crepe for the skirt.

Notes about sewing construction

• The seam allowance is 3/8″ and the general steps are simple and well explained with clear diagrams
• The double V neckline is finished with a neckband in the same way single V necklines are sewn, only twice! you can see a step by step of this technique featuring the Laundry Day Tee (Also from Love Notions) on the channel HERE.
• The construction of the pockets is the same for the skirt or the pants, but the sizes of the pieces differ and have separate pattern pieces.
• The pants have separate cut lines for short, cropped and full length options. The cut lines don’t include a trued hem allowance. It’s an aspect to add and consider for a smooth hem.
• The Dolman bodice sleeve has a sharp angle, and I initially questioned this shape, it works well because this hem has been trued.
• The tank bodice armscye is finished with binding folded to the inside and there are two options for doing this in the pattern. One will give a cleaner result inside than the other.
• The seam uniting the bodice to the pants or skirts forms the casing for the waist elastic, thus, this seam allowance is larger (3/4″ SA) than the rest of the pattern.
• The bodice length is meant to be longer than the natural waist. Once the elastic is inside the casing, this vertical ease will allow for blousing and comfort.
• If interested in using woven for the bottoms, putting the woven on the top and the knit on the bottom, to unite the bodice, will be easier and, will prevent the knit being stretched with the presser foot.
• I used a twin needle with 2mm spacing between them to sew the hems of the skirt and the dolman sleeves and to top stitch the bindings on the tank armscye.
• For the hem of the woven skirt, I did a rolled hem on the serger.

Let’s see them!

Tank dress, mixed prints, knee length dress

The bodice of this dress is a little remnant I had left from making the Vivace Dolman also by Love Notions (See the video about the Vivace Dolman HERE). It was such an insignificant piece and just enough for this bodice. Using little pieces of prints I love is a marvellous feeling.

I love the drape and feel of rayon spandex, but it is so thin and clingy. I solve this issue by wearing a trusty slip underneath at all times.

I’m very happy with the armscye coverage of the tank design. I love the sleeveless life and love this version a great deal. Look at the bird on my chest he he.

Dolman bodice short dress, mixed knit & woven

I made the dolman bodice with black rayon spandex, actually, the same fabric from the skirt in the dress above. I chose woven, embroidered crinkle crepe for the skirt. I enjoy the mix here because it makes this little black dress a little different and that tad bit dressier. I’m here for dressier and if it’s comfortable, the dress is the best of both worlds. I have elastic inside the casing and this is a dress that will be on heavy rotation.

I have tried to wear rompers in the past and it’s a style that does not agree with me so far, even though I have tried. They look amazing on everyone and I have an idea that could work…. This is it. Use the Pant pieces of the romper, make a few adjustments, add a waistband and voila! wide leg comfy pants!

Separate wide leg pants, waistband options

I sewed a quick woven muslin of the shorts to assess where the original waist height would sit on my body. The rise appears longer because there is vertical ease both on the bodice and the romper pants to allow for blousing. Also, the stitch line at the waist is at 3/4″

Rise adjustment

For regular pants, the blousing and longer rise is obviously not required. I put an elastic around my waist to mark it that way and have a reference to compare. To have a 1.5″ wide waistband AND have the pants reach my natural waist, I needed to shorten the rise of the pants by 1″. The 3/8″ seam allowance needed to sew the waistband was considered in this calculation.

I drew a line across the pants about 1″ above the hip notches seen above and folded away 1″ to shorten the rise, and then cleaned the lines of the crotch curve. I did the same for both the front and the back. This is in relation to my body, of course. My rise is typically longer than standard and I have a long pelvic frame in relation to my height. I suggest a quick muslin to assess this on your body, if the separate pants idea is something you would like to try. Sewing on a waistband without adjusting the rise will cause pants that reach under your bra!

Waistband with self fabric

We can make the waistband with self fabric. I am using a heavier rayon spandex for the pants, compared to the weight of the fabric used for the dresses. You will need to measure the finished circumference of the waist of the pants. We can do this after we sew them. See in the photo below. 4 1/4″ folded lengthwise and then sewn with 3/8″ seam allowance to the pants will result in a finished waistband of 1.5″. This waistband will have a 1 1/4″ elastic inside. To see how to do this, you can watch this video HERE

I did not choose this option only because I have very little elastic left in my stash.

Yoga type waistband

The other way is to use heavy cotton spandex: 90% cotton, 10% spandex, 13-14oz/sq yd. This fabric will act both as waistband and elastic. See photo below for a guide. This waistband has the same 4 1/4″ but the length is 3-4″ SMALLER than your waist.

To see how to sew this type of waistband, you can see this video HERE.

Adding length to the legs

I am taller and have a longer inseam. I cut at the cropped length cut line, slashed and added 2″… it should’ve been three 🙂

Sewing the pants was the best. Fast and simple!

Secret pjs is the name of the game here. So nice to wear. I’m happy I made the effort of making the pants work separately.

I really appreciate that The Sunday Romper also includes skirts in two lengths because it can work for more people as well. The style is very wearable and comfortable.

The video on my channel

To see the garments on and my thoughts, you can watch my video review below 🙂 There’s sewing footage too!

The Sunday Romper is $5 (60% OFF) today Friday the 1st of April 2022. Get yours HERE.

DISCLAIMER: I was provided the pattern without cost, as a pattern tester, in exchange for sewing a muslin, providing feedback on instructions and fit. I Purchased my own fabric for both versions.

I have affiliate links in this post to the pattern company and the pattern. If you click on these links, at no cost to you, I receive a small commission that helps finance my sewing, blog and Youtube channel.

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