A Junior Cleo

My Big Girl requested a new dungaree style dress/skirt. The one I made for her last year has become way too short. She has had a denim pinafore as a constant companion in her wardrobe since she could walk. I didn't have a pattern for one in her size but I had made the Tilly and Buttons Cleo pinafore twice for myself - surely I could make one for a preteen?

A bracing walk during work lunchtime took me to Abakhans in Shrewsbury, I found a good weight denim and brace clips with metal buttons all for a reasonable price under £10.

She chose some fabric from the quilting scraps box for inseam pockets before I had the chance to tell her the pattern doesn't have pockets but we amended the pattern and added them in anyway.

Using her old dungaree skirt for size, an Ottobre pinafore pattern we had used in the past, a tape measure and the techniques of the Cleo Dungaree dress, we made a smaller version all of our own.

There is room to grow in this one with a very deep hem and straps that can be made longer. Hopefully this one will last more than a year. I love these pictures, they really show her style, personality and outlook. "Come Back Bruce!" he wasn't as keen on being our photo prop as we thought he would be...

Jo xxxx