BOO Design Your Own Overalls. A Pattern Review

It is high time I wrote a Pattern review about a BOO pattern. For those of you who have never ever purchased and sewn a BOO pattern, you are really missing out. Boo Designs is the brilliant company of Kristie Gilbert and you should really take the time to visit her webpage. http://www.boodesigns.com.au.

I'd been sewing for a long time before I discovered BOO, which I stumbled across when facebook suggested that I like it (back in the good old facebook days, when things were more relevant, and not just shown to you if someone had paid). It was like discovering a whole new world. Through BOO, I found alot of other great Australia Pattern Designers that I had not heard of before, like Pattern Emporium, Ainslee Fox Boutique Patterns, Bobkin, Fresh Patterns, Apple and Fig and sew on. Kristie is very generous in giving other pattern designers a big shout out whenever she gets a chance, and that was one of the things I really liked about her. Through her patterns, I also learnt about fabric glue sticks and my goodness....they deserve a blog post all of their own!

Anyway, I couldn't help myself and now I own all the Boo patterns. Plus I pretty much buy a new release everytime one is available. Yes I am hopelessly addictied. And I am finally getting around to writing a review about one.

These are the Boo Designs Overalls. As adorable as the picture is on the front, there are many, many different ways this can be sewn, which can transform the look of this pattern dramatically.

I made Zoe a few over summer from the BOO Bubblealls pattern (very similar to the overall pattern, except it is for little bubbas and toddlers who wear a nappy). Naturally I forgot to take some pictures but they were really cute. Anyway, as soon as it started cooling down I made Zoe some longer legged ones.

Zoe is a little quirky with her fabric choices already. She loves animals, especially foxes and was delighted with these ones.

The pattern comes in sizes 2 through to 6 and these are my favourite things to have Zoe in at the moment. She gets tons of compliments when she is in her Boo Overalls wherever we go.

I am a massive fan of the little ruffles on the straps that allow a bit of girliness, but it is not too over the top. Of course, if you are really anti ruffles, you can just leave them off.

I picked up this bit of Dora fabric the other month in a facebook destash sale. Zoe loves Dora (but prefers Deigo) and she was so excited when this fabric came. I was instructed to "sew Zo Zo's Dora dress" for a good couple of weeks before I finally got around to cutting it up and sewing it for her. This is a perfect pattern for those special pieces of fabric that you have been hoarding.

I paired the Dora fabric with some lovely quilting cotton that my friend Toni from Make it Perfect Patterns was kind enough to send me as a thankyou for doing some testing for her. The colours work perfectly together.

This pattern is rated intermediate, which I think is a pretty fair rating. Whilst it is not the first pattern you would ever want to attempt sewing (try the BOO twirly skirt if this is you), you don't have to be an expert either. Kristie's instructions are brilliant, and her patterns are very thoroughly tested by some amazing sewers, as well as some less experienced sewers to ensure that a wide range of people can sew them with ease.  You can also join the Boo Designs facebook group - this group is a huge, but friendly and encouraging group full of beautiful BOO creations.

My only word of caution is this (and if you are not an experienced sewer, you won't even notice) - Kristie's methods for putting things together to form a garment are probably the most unique I have come across. They work brilliantly and it is what allows you to make a truly unique garment, but you cannot just sew it together without reading the instructions if you are sometimes inclined to do this (like me). You need to read the instructions carefully, and if something doesn't work, it is because you have missed something, not because it is not included. When you are told to measure and cut a strap here and there in a particular way, just do it and save yourself the hassle of unpicking later. Don't be discouraged by that point, I find these to be a very straightforward sew, but READ the instructions!!

These really are the perfect addition to a little girls wardrobe, especially an active little girl like mine. I have found the sizing to be spot on for Zoe. She is a 2, but is a little chubby, with a real little pot belly. The overalls sit just above the pot belly and the back is elasticised to accomodate all sorts of body widths with ease and comfort. Zoe is wearing a nappy in these shots, but this one is designed to be worn without a nappy. The nappy fits fine though. I had great hopes of toilet training her by now, and we have tried a few times, but she's not quite ready yet. I did find the straps a little long, but this is an easy fix, I just added a few extra snaps further up the straps. You can also use buttons instead of snaps, I just find snaps faster and easier at the moment for dressing, Zoe goes a million miles an hour and is like a little wiggly worm when I am getting her dressed.

Anyway, I love this pattern and there will be more, many more of these in years to come. This pattern is always on my customs list, so please message me if you would like a pair made for that little lady in your life!

Marnie