Ikat Tofo Summer Jumpsuit

I'm currently exploring Southern Africa! But I have been sewing like a mad woman for the last few weeks and have prepped and scheduled a number of blog posts to share my handmade holiday wardrobe with you. When planning my sewing I kept being drawn to Half Moon Atelier patterns and three of them made it onto my list! Practical and easy to wear, yet modern and with well thought out designs. A big tick in my book. This is their summer jumpsuit Tofo and it is possibly my favourite item in my suitcase.

The fabric I've used is a really lovely cotton ikat from The Fabric Store. Unfortunately it is not on the website anymore as I believe I snapped up the last of it when I ordered it a few months ago. I was browsing for something for this pattern and this just jumped out at me as the perfect match. And that it has proved to be. It is a fine and breathable weight. The lovely crisp cotton hand so holds the shape of the romper well but it still has some softness to it so that the relaxed fit of the bodice doesn't turn out too boxy. I can tell this is going to be a really useful addition to my suitcase and will be getting a lot of wear in the heat of Southern Africa over the next few weeks. I really love the subtlety of the stripes in this particularly Ikat and the yarn dyed weave. The rich indigo colour is beautiful too.

It looks like an easy to throw on simple garment but whilst it most certainly is easy to throw on and wear it actually has a lot of little details which make it really practical and also fun to sew. Once I had the pattern cut out and began assembling all the little bits and pieces I wondered if I had made the wrong choice in picking a print as a solid might have made more of the design features. But now it is finished I couldn't be happier and don't think you loose the details too much in the print.

I was a little pushed for time sewing everything I wanted for my handmade wardrobe so almost omitted a few of the design elements but I'm glad I persisted and included everything as all of the features work well together. In particular I nearly left off the belt and belt loops as I figured they wouldn't show up much with a busy print but they really make the garment. That added detail around the hip elevates it from being a simple elasticated style.

I also deliberated over whether I really wanted the straps but they are in fact detachable! They have buttons on each end (I used some wooden ones from my stash which I think compliment the ikat) and fasten into buttonholes in the neckline facing/elastic casing. The criss-cross back is really cute so I'm glad I have the option, despite the fact that I don't really need them because it fits so well. The straps are shaped with an angled point at the end to line up neatly across the back band which is a lovely touch that shows you how well this design has been thought out. It would have been easy to just do long rectangle straps with square ends but the designer has taken real care with he details.

One thing which would be easy to miss is this little beauty has pockets! And nice generous ones too. I chose to french seam my pocket bags to finish them rather than overlock as I did through the rest of the suit. Double stitching the seam provides extra strength and I like the clean finish. This is a technique I picked up from Closet Case Patterns instructions and is now my go to method for finishing pocket bags with a straight lower edge like this.

I made view B with the slimmer upper band and cut the size 4. I was concerned that the pattern pieces for the shorts looked quite small but that is because they have quite a low rise and I couldn't have asked for a better fit. Of course a lot of the fit is in the elastic as the top back of the bodice has a wide piece of elastic in it to pull it tight over the bust and there is a narrow piece of elastic around the waist too. The guideline elastic lengths for my size were spot on to be comfortable yet secure. I'm really pleased with how clean the inside finish turned out with the elastic casings and under stitched top edge.

If you are tall or long in the body I would consider lengthening the rise of the shorts a little as they are just about right on me for the waist of this to sit on my low hip. I've got so used to wearing high waisted clothes lately that it feels a little odd to wear something on the hip like this! But I'm really enjoying it. It is really comfortable and the loose fit created using gathering and pleats will help me keep cool.

One thing I will say if you are making a Half Moon Atelier pattern is to pay close attention to the seam allowances throughout construction. Different elements use different sizes (from 1 to 2.5cm) which works but despite it being clearly noted in the instructions what to use where, it would be easy to go wrong. There is a really helpful page on sizing adjustments specific to this pattern towards the start of the instructions which is worth reading too, even if you tend to skim pattern instructions nowadays like me!

Overall this is a wonderful comfortable design for hot climates (or for lounging around the house) that feels really stylish because it is packed with thoughtful and interesting design details. I only wish I had made this further in advance of my holiday so I would have discovered how much I loved it in time to make a second! I know Meghann from Half Moon has some new designs set to be released soon and I can't wait to see what is coming next from her.