One more small thought I'm sure you've also already thought of - use a zig zag or stretch stitch to attach it so it has a little give.

xx

I can't conceive of sewing with wool at the moment, but anyway...  Have you seen Vogue 9266? It's a knock off of Melania's inauguration outfit and  has a similar crossover cape to the one you liked. I'm not sure it's still in print, but there seem to be a fair few copies on amazon, ebay, etc.
http://www.edelweisspatterns.com/blog/?p=6005

I have a large box furnishing fabrics samples, mostly curtain/loose cover weight, 15-20cm square-ish each, from good makers like Sanderson, Romo, G P and J Baker, etc, mostly cottons and linens. They are a big range of colours but veer towards neutrals, greens, reds, and the like, not too many pinks or blues, in a mix of fairly bold prints, weaves and plains.

Are these anything anyone could use? I'm thinking crazy quilting or one of those pieced upholstery projects, or an unusual pieced bag? I've had visions of all of the above, but they aren't getting done and I could really use the space!

They are quite heavy, but there are also lots of them...

I'm happy to post them at cost (this might be something like £10-15 given the weight) or you can come and get them in Enfield EN2 (N London)
  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  

Hi, thanks for this. Does the picture *have* to be on the internet already to post it or DM? I meant straight off my computer, out of iPhoto or Finder.

Thank you for the suggestion @Sewingforfun 

I'm not sure what I'd be more confident to tackle, making the high neck on the Jalie or creating a new front on the Kwik Sew. I'm not very good at altering designs of patterns and the thought scares me 

You're welcome!

I'd go with the Kwik-Sew, because it has most of the hard stuff already done for you - the raglan sleeves, the high neck, the angled lines on the back shoulders. The rest is actually pretty simple, much easier than the last one, because the sweetheart is just a colour block, not structural like the last one.

What I'd do is this. You'll need some tracing paper (you can buy it for sewing or I often use the stuff from Rymans taped together to make the correct sized piece!). It looks long, but I've tried to separate the steps for clarity.

1) trace off and make up the Kwik-Sew in a cheap lycra to the correct size (adjusting the length if you need to), but without the skirt (just sew the panties part on without it).

2) once it fits, with your DD wearing it, use a marker pen to draw the sweetheart shape on where you want it. If you want those contrast cuffs, mark lines those too, and mark the cutaway back line.

3) decide how you want the skirt - sewn into the leotard lie a skating skirt? Or sewn on the top, which is what the pictures looks like.Cut a test skirt (it looks like a simple half circle in chiffon), and fiddle with that using pins until you are happy with it, and mark the line it goes on, too.

4) make a tracing of the correctly fitting pattern with whatever changes you made including tracing the sweetheart, back lines, etc.  If you want to sew the skirt in, mark the new line where it goes, or if you want it on top, merge the panties piece into the main leotard body to make single pieces

5) Cut out your new pattern, adding seam allowances where you need them. Make some straps - here are some methods

6) make a new toile, preferably with mesh for the mesh parts, and make any extra changes.

7) Cut and make up the whole thing in your final fabrics.

Well, we're not doing very well on buying a wool winder. The one ordered from eBay didn't turn up and the seller just refunded the cost without explanation whereas I'd really rather they'd just sent another. Now I've got my sewing alterations for yesterday's comp out of the way, I'll have another look what's available - the practicality of having several smaller balls of wool to carry around is appealing too but I know I don't have the patience to wind my own, @Sewingforfun . 

I have an umbrella "swift" that holds the skeins and goes round and round as you pull the wool off it. Like this - https://www.ckbltd.com/uk/craft/wooden-knitting-umbrella-swift-yarn-winder-holder.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwgr3ZBRAAEiwAGVssnY1H93PEi18HiXLcpcZLT6JJyt3x3c76DhhlTe7SbBgJZer1FN_ithoCkPIQAvD_BwE
 To do the balls, I make the loops as above, then wind diagonally one way then the other. It is mindless and easily done while doing something else! (but the wool has to come in skeins to start with, obvs...)

What good ideas!!
I've discovered invisible zips for lycra/stretch. Putting the zip only on the seam allowance gives a much flatter line than faffing around trying to get a topstitched zip right.

And using an invisible zip that is much longer than I need and then creating my own end bar later so that I can use the invisible zipper foot as far down as I want and not get tangled up in the bar for the last little bit.

There seems to be no logic to it at all - you would expect emails going from the forum to a particular email address would consistently either arrive or not - but no.  Some are clearly always being weeded out, but others only sometimes.

It makes no difference which computer I use.  I forced a change in my IP address, and that made no difference either.  However, I have just changed the server that I use to send my BT emails and some - but not all - are now getting through.   

  indeed! Have you tried a carrier pigeon?