If I have a girl, I will definitely be making some more of these.
I made this dress and bonnet for a friend of mine. I kind of made them up as I went along. I thought I'd share.
First, I sewed lace around the neckline and on the bum of the onesie, drawing and following lines just less than the width of the lace, above and below the top of the leg holes. This was thin lace so I did 5 rows.
Then I cut fabric to the length I wanted the skirt to be and 1 1/2 times the width of the onesie slightly stretched.
I used a large plate to round the edges to that the ruffles would show when I was finished.
Next I hemmed and trimmed the edge with lace and gathered the top edge.
Then I cut the onesie at the place I wanted the waist, sandwiched the fabric between the two onesie layers, making sure the right sides were together, and pinned all the way around, stretching the onesie slightly and loosening/tightening the gathers to be lined up.
I sewed the three layers together and added more lace to the waist.
It was very fun and simple to make.
For the bonnet:
You need:
~two fabrics, lined with interfacing measuring the width of the baby's head from jaw line to jaw line and from hairline to mid-back of head, plus 1 inch for seam allowances. I made mine 16" by 6" for a smaller baby (3-6 months?) 17.5 x 7 is a good size for 6-12 months. Add any trims you wish now.
~fabric for the
Brim - two pieces, lined with interfacing, 3" by just shorter than the width of your bonnet. I made mine 3" by 15" (I think I even ended up cutting some width off so the brim didn't stick out as much). Round the corners using a plate or cup as a guide. Sew them right sides together, leaving the straight bottom open. Flip and press. Top stitch about 1/4" from sewn edge, just for a finished look.
OR~fabric for a
Ruffle- 44" by 3" - fold in half, wrong sides together (the strip will then be 44" by 1 1/2"). Fold in and top stitch the small edges to enclose the raw edges (don't worry about the long part, it will be sewn into the bonnet). Sew a gathering stitch along the length of it and gather to just shorter than the length of the bonnet.
~60 inches of coordinating 3/8" grosgrain ribbon.
Layer the pieces together, brim/ruffle centered between the to rectangles.
Now only sew the top and bottom for the bonnet together, not the shorter edges.
You will end up with a tube that you flip right side out and press. Now fold and press in the sides about 1/4" making sure they line up really well with each other.
Now make a casing for the ribbon on the opposite side of the brim/ruffle, by sewing a line about 1/2" from the edge. You will thread 21" of the ribbon through this casing, pin a safety pin to the end of the ribbon and work it through. I like to sewn a few stitches right in the center of the bonnet so it won't slip out. It might look a little short right now, but it will be drawn up and you will have plenty to tie it in a bow.
Place 19" of ribbon on either side of the bonnet, just to the sides of the brim/ruffle, pin in place. Sew a top stitch down the two sides to secure the ribbons and finish the bonnet edge, do not sew onto the casing, the ribbon needs freedom to be gathered.
Burn the edges of the ribbon to prevent fraying, a quick swipe over a lighter is all it takes.
You will also want to top stitch along the brim/ruffle side for a finished look.
You are done! Just pull the back ribbon to gather it into a nice round head shape. Have fun playing with the brim folded back or left out and the reversibility!
(Example of one with a ruffle brim.)
