Pattern Review: Ikatee Brooklyn Jumpsuit

I don't know about you, but October has not been the best month around here. There have been one or two bright spots, however, and this finished Ikatee Brooklyn jumpsuit is definitely one of them. Despite initially being somewhat intimidated by this pattern, having never made a jumpsuit before, the sewing process was a really enjoyable and relatively easy experience (my new sewing machine may have helped with that a little). And the finished product? Well, spoiler alert, I'm obsessed with it!

First, a little about the pattern: The Ikatee Brooklyn Jumpsuit is a unisex jumpsuit for kids aged 3 - 12 and offers a few variations you can play around with including 3 neck/collar options, a couple of pocket styles, and an optional drawstring waist casing. Based on my daughter's measurements I made the 5T size and chose to go with the classic collar and square pockets. I was on the fence about the drawstring casing, but ultimately decided I liked how it looked without it. The only alteration I made to the pattern was to add snaps instead of buttons so it would be easier for my daughter to take off and put back on herself. The fabric is our Rifle Paper Co. Meadow cotton/linen canvas. It's a nice durable fabric and it softens up beautifully in the wash making it ideal for this jumpsuit (and my rambunctious, somewhat klutzy 5 year old), in my opinion.

If you're considering the paper version of this pattern, one thing you should know is that it has overlapping pattern pieces which means you will have to trace it. I love to dive straight into sewing as quickly as possible so normally I would find this extra step annoying, but since I plan to use this pattern multiple times as my daughter grows older/bigger it was not a big deal. The second thing you should note is the included seam allowance is 1/4". I only mention this because, since I am used to sewing with larger seam allowances, I accidentally cut a couple of my notches a little deeper than I should have...whoops. Thankfully the mistake is in a fairly inconspicuous spot and barely noticeable.

Something I have found with European patterns, including the Ikatee patterns, is that the instructions are often less detailed than what I am accustomed to. That being said, I found the translation in this pattern to be excellent, the instructions to be clear, and what was left out was mostly common knowledge stuff like pressing the seams. And while the construction for the most part is fairly simple, it does include some nice details and intermediate techniques such as a shirt style yoke with enclosed seams, a button placket, and simple collar. The fact that I was able to tackle some new techniques without difficulty (and without any youtube tutorials or seam ripping) is a definitely a credit to the clearly written instructions. In fact, the only seam ripping that I had to do on this project was on the chest pocket because I was being extra picky about the look of the edge stitching. Turns out it was completely unnecessary since you can't even see the edge stitching on the finished jumpsuit because the pattern is so busy.

Overall, the finished fit of this jumpsuit is almost perfect. It's loose enough to move around in easily, while not being overly baggy and the arm and leg lengths are just right. Now let's just hope she doesn't have a growth spurt any time soon! Most importantly, my daughter loves her jumpsuit and gives it a 10 out of 10. 

Pattern Pros:

• Relatively quick sew
• Super cute/cool design
• Clear instructions

Pattern Cons: 

• Somewhat minimal instructions
• No adult version
• No short sleeve option

Difficulty Level: Confident Beginner/Intermediate

Overall Rating: 9/10