Burgundy Cleo Pinafore

In the spirit of the #SewBibs challenge, I present my burgundy twill Cleo Pinafore!  Sew Bibs is a challenge for the month of March hosted by a handful of awesome women.  You can catch the details of the challenge on the blog Fa Sew La, and a pattern round-up on the blog Cookin' & Craftin'.

This is the second Cleo I've made, but the first one I've actually worn more regularly.  The first one was made in a similar fabric, but in green... and doesn't really fit anymore.  I was a bit hesitant to wear this to work... but paired with a black turtleneck or a black & white striped top, I looks put-together enough for my somewhat casual office.

The fabric is a mid-weight non-stretch cotton twill from Blackbird Fabrics, which I bought back in December (I think?) during a Boxing-day sale fabric-buying spree.  It's the perfect weight for a dress like this.  Just heavy enough to give some structure, but comfy enough to wear all day.

In my first version of the Cleo, I ommitted the bum pockets... why?!?!  Who knows! They're super fun!  I'm also a big fan of the big front pocket.  It was the perfect place to store my lipstick at a couple concerts I went to, and looks great with a few pins from my overflowing collection.

I had initially ordered some overall buckles from the Closet Case shop... but when I attached them, I realized they were far too big for the straps!  Considering the quality of the ones I last bought from Fabricland (not great) I popped over to Amazon and found the perfect size - in a two pack!  (Unfortunately, I don't think they're available anymore?).

While the colour of this pinafore is very fall & winter appropriate, I feel like I'll still get some wear in the spring & summer paired with a black or grey tee.  It's super comfortable to just throw on, and would be perfect for hanging out around the City at a music festival in the evening or swinging by a farmer's market on Sunday morning.

Oh!  And last but not least - I made a size '6' in the bust (42"), and graded out to between a '6' and '7' in the hips (finished at 46").  While I could have nipped it in a bit more at the waist, this gives plenty of sitting ease.  Since I have another pair of buckles just hanging out in my stash, I'll probably make another Cleo with some of my leftover denim!  It's such a quick sew that I might just get around to that one today and sneak in another #SewBibs post... we'll see!