Nina Lee Camden Pinafore and Skirt

This Camden Pinafore dress from Nina Lee is a fully-lined pinafore (with skirt option) in 2 lengths and patch pockets. The pinafore has a deep V-neckline and princess seams that allow for the perfect fit.

I made up a toile of the bodice section. I graded from a size 10 bust, size 12 waist and back to a size 10 hip.

This was a great starting point. I took the princess seams in a little at the bust and upper bust and also quite a lot in the back, but noted that I should let out the side seams 0.5cm to allow me to comfortably wear a fine long-sleeve top beneath.

But one thing that did make all the difference was making 2 darts in the neckline in the back to take out my usual gaping issue, either side of the zip. You can see more images of this in my blog post.

I’ve seen a couple of summer versions on the net, worn without tops underneath and this is something I’m definitely going to do.

I've been meaning to make myself a Camden pinafore for a while now, and I'm glad that I've finally done it!

It's a lovely pattern. I particularly like the fact that it's fully lined - it makes it a bit warmer for wearing in winter, and means the insides are very neat.

The instructions were thorough and easy to follow, and I didn't have any problems making the pinafore. I did a couple of extra little steps not mentioned in the instructions - firstly I trimmed a millimetre or two off the pocket lining pieces to make sure they didn't poke out on the outside of the pocket, and secondly I hand stitched the waistband of the lining to the seam allowance of the outer dress to make the lining sit nicely on the inside.

The sizing is accurate. I made a 12 at the bust and blended out to a 16 at the waist and hips. The 12 is the size recommended for my bust measurement, and my waist and hip measurements are between a 14 and 16. Based on the finished garment measurement I decided to go up to the larger size and that worked out nicely for me. I also lengthened the bodice by 4cm and the skirt by 10cm, which is not uncommon for me (I'm 5'9") but is possibly slightly more length than I'd usually add.

I really like this pinafore and I can definitely see myself making more, or using the skirt version of the pattern.

More details and photos on my blog here: http://nightingaleanddolittle.blogspot.com/2020/03/nina-lee-camden-pinafore-sewing-pattern.html

Nina Lee has done a fantastic job of this pattern and I think sewists that have made a few garments and have experience of inserting a zip would get really good results.

I used a remnant of cotton twill from Merchant and Mills for my skirt. It's at the lighter end of medium weight and I was worried it wouldn't have enough structure for the skirt, but I think it's worked really well. It's soft enough to be very comfortable to wear, but holds the A-line shape nicely.

The instructions are good quality and well written, although they are not as detailed as some pattern companies. I had to use my previous experience to help me through a couple of the steps, particularly finishing the waistband.

I wanted the skirt to fit snuggly on my waist, so I decided to make the size 8. The only alteration I made was to sew with a 1cm seam allowance instead of 1.5cm at the centre back, just to give my bottom a bit of extra ease! I'm glad I made the longer version as the mini would have been super short and definitely not work-appropriate for me! The only thing I would do differently next time would be to trim the pocket linings 1/8th of an inch to stop them peeping out.

I really love the skirt and have enjoyed wearing it. I think the pocket detail is beautiful and the A-line shape gives a lovely silhouette. I'm on the look out for some nice indigo denim for my next version!

I did not want a plain Camden pinafore, so I went for this leopard print needlecord fabric for it. I cut out size 8 throughout after making a bodice toile of size 6 which did not fit right. I also made a swayback adjustment and added of 2 and a half inches to the length of the skirt piece.

I have a detailed review showing all the alterations and adjustment I made to this pattern over on my youtube channel.

I had been lusting after this for some time but after seeing a fellow instagrammers (Amanda of I Sew A lot) pinafore I immediately bought the pattern and fabric from Sew By The Sea in Margate.

Firstly, I am 5’1” and a 36:28:38.

I made a toile of the bodice (which is standard for me) making a 10 bust grading to a 12 waist (I’m at that age where my waistline can change overnight so I like to have a bit of room) and then back to a 10 at the hip. The bust was pulling and so I decided to make a 12 bust and waist grading down to a 10 at the hip. I made my usual adjustments which are: to reduce the shoulder seam slope by ¼ inch at the outer edge grading back to the pattern at the neck and to take out 1” across the upper back and back side pieces (no adjustment to the front) and then add it back in to the bottom (I have a short upper back). I also added 2” of length to the skirt as I have been told the skirt does come up quite short. I made some final tweaks to the princess seams across the bust and then went ahead and cut out my main fabric and lining.
The instructions on constructing the dress and lining are very clear and easy to follow – this is my first fully lined dress – and I am chuffed with the results. I love the jewel tones in the corduroy and the lining – from a local shop – matches one of the lighter colours in the dress perfectly.

One thing I did that wasn’t in the instructions was to shave a scant 1/8 inch off the pocket linings on the sides that were to be stitched to the outer fabric – this was basically to make sure the lining didn’t peak through to the right side once the pockets were sewn in place.

I can see that I will get a lot of wear out of this dress over the winter months as it is lovely worn over a lightweight polo neck or long sleeved tee. Now I know how the skirts looks I will most likely be making that version of it very soon.