Baby Crib Quilts

Baby crib quilts

Well, of course, it started with one. But by the time the first quilt was made, granddaughter No. 2 had arrived (earlier than expected), and by the time HERS was made, No. 3 was on the way. (I have two daughters, and at one stage they were both expecting.) So the first two quilts, above, were made in quick succession, with the third one a few months later.

These were all made with ready-cut squares, a wide border, some polyester batting, a backing, and a lot of double fold bias tape. But they weren’t difficult, and if you’d like to know how I made them, and how you could make one, too, read on below.

Dungarees and Rompers for Girls and Boys

I've titled this 'for boys and girls', because most types of dungarees, romper suits and trousers work just as well for either. So though my pictures in these posts will nearly all be little girls, most of the trouser-shaped clothes will suit boys as well. In any case, dresses and skirts are not so practical for crawlers or bottom-shufflers, male or female.

In this post, I've featured one particular design, but below that, I've also reviewed some other patterns, mostly free on the internet.

Postscript to Onesie and T shirt Dresses - and Shorts!

The best laid plans of mice and men .....

In my last post, I wrote about some ideas for baby dresses, especially the type which is based on a babygro or onesie, and mentioned some of the free patterns I've used or adapted.  All the outfits I wrote about earlier went well, with this one exception:

So I'm now prompted to write again, as I've now remodelled this one into a couple of other outfits. Instead of one dress, my granddaughters A and a now have between them a T shirt and shorts, a onesie, and a baby skirt.

Onesies and T-shirt Dresses

I've found a few patterns for T-shirt dresses on the internet, and, as I had some T-shirt material, I decided I would make one each for the girls.

The idea of a baby's T-shirt dress is usually that you attach the skirt part to an existing onesie, encasing the raw edge of the skirt top in a fold in the onesie. Two problems with this for me. Firstly, it shortens the onesie by the amount of the fold - about an inch or so. Secondly, it would be difficult, without the model being present, to work out exactly where the waistline should go. 

So for two of my versions, I made the skirt part separate, using some of the T-shirt fabric to form a waistband. This does have the advantage that if, say, there is an accident with the onesie, you can still use the skirt with a clean onesie. (Or vice versa.) And the skirt can kind of find its own level on the baby's body, so no problem of knowing where the waistline is.

However, I didn't actually use an existing onesie for any of them, because : (a) I didn't have any onesies  to spare and (b) doing that wouldn't use up my T-shirt material. So for two of the outfits, I started by making my own envelope neck onesie - easier than I expected.

I found a number of useful free patterns on the internet for onesies and T shirt dresses. As I almost always do, I found myself using several different patterns to create my own. Some were too small, others didn't have the neckline I wanted, and all of them provided something useful to help with the making up of the garment. Here are my reflections on some of these patterns, as well as the resulting outfits.

A Pirate Costume

I got a request from my daughter to make Baby I a pirate costume. She will be wearing this to a wedding in August. (What kind of a wedding? Well, a pirate wedding I assume!)


Baby I is 15 months old, but, being tiny, is just moving from 6-9 month clothes to 9-12 month clothes. So I figured that by August I could aim for roomy 9-12 month clothes. Having tried out some of the finished items, I think they will fit her just fine. I've left in plenty of elastic in case last minute adjustments are needed.

Here's how I made them, so you could copy some of the ideas if you wanted to. Overall, the only cost was the socks, I made everything else out of bits I already had. However, if you wanted to reproduce the leatherette waistcoat in a similar material, and you didn't have anything you could use, then that might be a small cost.

Some Tips for Making Clothes to Grow with Baby

Tips for making clothes to grow with baby

I was brought up to think in terms of clothes that were designed for growth. My mother had lived through clothes rationing and shortages, and her approach to life rubbed off on me. I think it’s quite sad to make children’s and babies’ clothes, which you’ve put work and love into, only to have them outgrown in weeks.  By the time they’ve been through the wash and made their way back to the drawers or cupboards, they may only get a few wearings.

So here are some of the ways I try to extend the life of little garments. I have made dresses, dungarees, onesies (babygros), rompers, trousers - and all with the idea of allowing the baby to wear them for longer. Below, I describe many techniques which could be useful. Although some of these may be obvious if you are used to making baby clothes, one of them, the extendable dungaree bib, is my own invention, so you may not have seen it before!

  

So for some ideas about how to make clothes last longer, read on!

A New Baby Towel, and Easy Dribble Bibs

In an earlier post, I wrote about how I made the Christmas towel for baby A out of a bargain towel. I'm please to say it is still going strong. I used the second of the two bargain towels I bought to make a hooded baby towel for her cousin, baby I, for her first birthday. Baby I had a blue one:

I had some pieces of towelling left over when I made the baby towels. I made these into simple dribble bibs. Easiest things in the world to make, and they make great gifts. A new Mum can never have too many dribble bibs, and they are so easy to make.

                                       

Washable Playmat

I wanted a nice soft playmat for the visiting babies, which would be washable and easy to store. So I came up with a very easy to make mat. Tutorial below!

It's square, and has a long strap attached so it can be rolled up for storage. The baby gym  we made can stand on it, or it's big enough for the older ones to sit on with their toys (and a place of refuge for them to come back to after they have toddled off). It would also double as a spare quilt or blanket when one of them needs a rest.