To go along with our new Miss Dandelion release, I simply had to include the Miss Aspen romper add-on. I’m used to people commenting on our kids patterns “I want this is MY size!!!” because our designs, though very kid friendly, are often designed with a mature vibe that make us say “I’d wear that”. Aspen was one that REALLY got a response from our tween/teen audience and when I got a message from one mom in particular who thanked me for a pattern that brought a smile to her teen’s face, I wanted to make this happen for more of these girls.

Chances are that someday we might find another bodice that could be used with this add-on and I want to leave that option open, but for now it’s just the Dandelion. They are bundled together in the Miss Romper Bundle for extra savings so keep that in mind!

Fabric was, by far, the BIGGEST wildcard to consider for this romper. I’ve already spoken to how fabric choices affect the bodice in the intro to Miss Dandelion blog post and I recommend reading that as well before cutting out your pattern.

If you ask me what kind of knit fabrics will work for the romper I’ll answer you that pretty much any knit fabric that has 40-50% minimum stretch and some recovery CAN work but you MUST consider that extra adjustments may be necessary.

You need the recovery because you don’t want something that will stretch out and end up looking sloppy after an hour of wear and one trip to the bathroom. (You know, cuz you’re pulling it up and down over a wider area.) But I can not stress enough how the many different types of knit fabrics can affect the overall length for the romper. This is hardly an issue with dresses. If it pulls down, you just hem it up a bit! No biggie. With a romper, if the fabric hangs heavy or drapes a lot, you end up with a very unfortunate looking pant. Think "full diaper crotch". Not flattering.

So, I’ve recommended more structured knits like ponte, knit, or cotton lycra that hold their shape well, but I do encourage you to experiment with other fabrics with a very clear warning that if you are not familiar with how your particular fabric will hang and drape, this should be muslined first. I have extra tips in the tutorial on recommended steps to stop and do a fit check along the way as well as what types of things you should look for that will affect your final garment. Have a good read through those sections and then experiment! Can you imagine a velvet pantsuit with sheer sleeves?? Or here is one tester version with the most gorgeous fabric choice for the sleeves. Elegant!

Let's take a look at why we muslin rompers.

Here’s an example of a modal jersey that was cut out with all the particular measurement adjustments needed for this 5’9” tester. Her adjustments were all correct. She didn’t add too much to account for her extra height, but her fabric had such serious drape that she ended up needing to remove more than she added in order to get it fitting properly for length. After removing 5" total extra length from the bodice and rise, she has a comfy wearable muslin that she wears to work and has announced that though she loves this one, next time she's choosing a different fabric.

My own capri length romper is made from a DBP. It’s a custom fabric and is actually a bit more structured than other DBPs that I’ve used so the vertical hang wasn’t too bad, but I did need to remove an extra 3/4” from the rise. (This is above the 1/2” that I normally remove for my height.) I did not remove any extra length from the bodice and it’s very wearable, but next time I will likely remove 1/4” at the lengthen/shorten line in the bodice and only 1/2” from the rise to bring that band up a bit as well as shortening that rise. But that’s just a personal preference.

The pockets are optional on this romper, but I have yet to see anyone skip them. We just NEED them!

Well, there you have it! Another Miss pattern for the collection. Something that is suitable year round and can take you from relaxing in the summer heat to dressing up for a night out. Someone mentioned that it's a great zoom meeting outfit for those working from home. 100% work appropriate and yet still feeling like you have your comfy pants on.

We love seeing your pics and encourage you to share your Miss Aspen with us in our FB group or on IG. Here's a few more just because the testers were so amazing. Check out the amazing mommy and me sets. Some of my favourite pics from this test for sure!!

And check out the Miss Romper Bundle to make sure you have both patterns ready to go!