One York in my wardrobe is not enough!

I absolutely love a pinafore dress and the York is simple to make, fun to wear and really versatile. I think this is a great beginners pattern and as long as you are ok with bias binding, you’ll have no problem whipping this up!

The fabric I used is a really unusual stretch suedette from Sew Me Sunshine. It’s thick enough to give good stability to my pinafore, but has enough ‘give’ and drape to make it super comfortable – winning! The bold floral design is lovely and I had a lot of fun pattern matching my pockets.

Helen’s Closet instructions are fantastic – each step is so well written and there are lots of tips and tricks along the way, so even a more experienced sewist will learn something new! There are lots of ideas for hacking the York pattern too – check out the Helen’s Closet website for ideas and tutorials.

I made the size ‘small’ pinafore, which is the alternative to a size 8/10 in the newer edition of the pattern with updated sizing. I made the version with the higher neckline and regular pockets. I altered it slightly by removing 1.5″ from the side seams at the waist, as I found it gaped too much on my first version. I also added a bias binding hem finish – I’ve never tried this before, but I love how neat it looks!

This is my second version of the York and I don’t think it will be my last – I wear them so much and find them easy to style for all seasons. I’d love a York in a plain fabric and I’m on the look out for some nice bright corduroy.