Earlier
this year I made a sweet little romper suit using some spare jersey fabric from
the matching daddy and mini me t-shirts I’d made last year and a patch pocket
using a scrap from the gnome dress. The design was incredibly simple and
produced a very comfortable little play suit, so I knew I’d end up making
plenty more in the future. With my nephew due to go on holiday I thought he’d
like his own little romper suit to play on the beach, and since I used more or
less the same method as before it was very quick to make.
|
The original romper suit |
|
Dinosaur romper suit |
There
is only a single pattern piece, which I deliberately designed to be symmetrical,
so the front and back pieces of fabric match in size and shape. I often design
patterns where the front and the back are the same, it makes measuring and aligning
seams far easier. The patch pocket didn’t really need a pattern piece, I simply
measured what looked the right size from the pieces of fabric I had left.
|
Cutting the fabric |
As the
legs were going to be stitched together I made the scoop neck nice and big so
that one shoulder could be fastened with poppers, meaning that the romper suit
would go on feet first. This does make it a bit tricky for nappy changes but
it’s useful as it means it can withstand the running, climbing and general
mayhem of a toddler without the crotch accidentally coming open.
Cutting
the fabric out was easy with proper sewing scissors as the jersey doesn’t
readily fray. Before starting on any seams I stitched on the patch pocket, made
with a spare bit of dinosaur jersey. Because it was highly fray resistant I
didn’t need to worry about securing the edges too much, which saved a little time.
I then cut out one of the larger dinosaurs (diplodocus I think) and stitched
that inside the pocket so it was peeping out. Finally, I added a button so that the pocket could be closed tight to stop the dinosaurs escaping!
|
Close up of the dinosaur |
Next I
had to attach the side seams, one shoulder and the crotch. On the open shoulder
I simply folded under the raw edge on each side and did a row of stitches to
keep it looking neat. I used a three step zigzag stitch again to help with the
stretch, which finished it nicely on the inside and reduced the risk of fraying
or threads coming loose.
|
folded edge with popper attached |
As
before I used fold over elastic to finish all the edges, and this time I made
sure to stretch it well as I stitched it on to avoid the slight ‘bell bottom’
look I’d accidentally achieved before. Because jersey is stretchy fold over
elastic is a great way to finish raw edges without compromising on the stretch.
I did a couple of stitches to hold the elastic in place and then stretched it
as I sewed with a zigzag stitch, all while keeping the raw edge inside the
fold. It was a bit tricky but eventually I got the hang of it and it’s given a
lovely stretchy trim edge. Because the fold over elastic is designed to be a
decorative trim it is really soft too, perfect for children’s clothes.
|
Finished back |
|
Finished front |
Once
all the elastic was on all I had to do was hand sew the poppers onto the open
shoulder and there you have it, one ‘pocket of dinosaurs’ romper suit! My
nephew looked very cute in it and I think it’s proved a handy little outfit for
both the beach and the garden. Because jersey is so thin and light it can be
rolled up and chucked in a beach bag, making it a great spare outfit to carry
around in the summer. There’s also something a bit retro about them and I’ve received
lots of compliments, as well as requests for some more – part three coming
soon!
All
blog content and photos are Copyright of Charisse Sayers Proofreader &
Copywriter www.charisse-sayers.com I
welcome all feedback and would love to know your thoughts so please get in
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