Classic Lace Dress For a Newborn

I just got back from another trip to visit family. This time I got to meet my newest granddaughter and play with her big sister. Before I left on this trip, I made this black lace dress for the new little one.  

Some of you may remember this post about how I made the dress her big sister is wearing in the photos below.  To make this newborn black lace dress, I used all the scraps left over from big sister's dress. Here they are wearing their coordinating dresses. Aren't they lovely? 

For the pattern, I used the free pattern I created from the post, "Gap Knock-off Tie Dress & Ruffle Bloomers" (this post also includes a tutorial on how to make this newborn dress). My daughter requested sleeves be added to this dress, which meant I needed to create a sleeve pattern.  If you'd also like to add sleeves to this simple newborn dress, get your free pattern here.  This dress is super easy to make and so versatile too.  I also added a little slip to the dress and a two inch ruffle using literally all the black polka dot fabric I had left.

I love using this pattern from Made for the diaper covers. Though, I have a recommendation: make the elastic shorter. For this two week old darling, I should have made the waist and leg elastic two inches smaller than the pattern suggested. This baby was over 8 pounds when she was born, but she's thin and long.  My conclusion is it's always such a guessing game figuring out the size to make things for newborn babies.  

Big sister sure loves her little sister.  She's constantly kissing her and saying, "cute baby!"  This grandmother thinks these girls are both pretty cute! Especially in these classy, black lace dresses. -xoxo Grandma

Linked:  USS Crafty

Hand-Me-Down Blues - A Refashion

I had just refashioned this cute sailor dress from an old skirt when Project Run and Play announced week 2 of Season 10 was to make something from a hand-me-down.  So, there we have it. What perfect timing for me. Turning this skirt into a sailor dress was one of my favorite refashions so far this year. 

This came about when my youngest daughter came home this summer for a visit before moving to Japan. She brought home this baby blue skirt that I bought for her years ago.  

She asked me if I could remake it into something for her little girl because she has always loved the color of this skirt and the detail on the bottom of it.  I pulled out this old pattern from Butterick and we agreed that it just might be a cute choice for her baby girl if I could just figure out how to cut it out and still use the beautiful detail near the hem. 

Vintage 1960's Butterick #6494

I first used the skirt's lining to make the diaper cover. (Sorry, I didn't get a photo of the diaper cover and the whole outfit has been shipped.)  Then I laid out the pattern so that the middle of the front and back took full advantage of the skirt's wide center pleats.  I eliminated the buttons down the front that the pattern called for and hoped that the dress would go over a one-year old's head by tweaking the pattern just a little bit.  

In my pile of giveaways was a white shirt which became the sailor collar. I even had to break-up the sleeves due to a lack of two larger pieces and inserted some of the cool border... I simply loved how that little detail made the sleeves wonderful!  The pattern called for grosgrain ribbon for the tie but I didn't like how that looked. I had a little leftover red cotton from binding this quilt which I sewed together. I loved the fullness this fabric gave to the knot.  The red ribbon I used on the collar was also leftover from another project.  So this dress didn't cost me much to make.  The only thing I had to purchase was some interfacing for the collar.  Total cost for this dress was $2.00.  Are you hearing me sing the hand-me-down blues right now?  It's quite a happy tune!

Using a hand-me-down 1960's pattern from a second-hand store seemed the right choice for this refashion.  Don't you agree?

My 9 month old granddaughter modeled this dress for me and hallelujah, it fit!  This little girl can stand up all on her own and is just learning to walk.  I simply adore babies at this stage, don't you?  

xoxo Grandma

Linked to:  The Dedicated House, Creating My Way to Success, Project Run and Play, Lou Lou Girls, Nap-time Creations

Layers of Ruffles Blessing Dress - Pillowcase Refashioned

When my newest granddaughter was born a few months ago her mother requested I make a white blessing dress for her special day at church.  Below is a photo she e-mailed me of the "look" she wanted - layers and layers of ruffles:

With that photo as inspiration, I searched my stash for the perfect white fabric. I found two soft, white pillowcases in my linen closet that I no longer used.  So, I cut one of the pillowcases down to 20 inches. This is how I cut the skirt for this dress below:

I didn't have any eyelet in my stash, so I had to purchase four yards of  3 3 /4" wide white eyelet. From the second pillowcase, I cut out eight, 4" stripes.  With those stripes, I sewed two together to make 4 - 4" wide circles.  

Then I finished the hem of those stripes, ruffled them and added seam tape to finish off the seams as shown below.

For the bodice, I used this 1979 christening dress pattern although any baby bodice pattern would work for this project:

I cut the bodice out of the fabric cut from the top of the pillowcase to form the skirt.  From the remaining eyelet, I formed cap sleeves, because this little baby lives where it is hot and humid and I wanted to keep the dress cooler for her.

Doesn't she looked like an angel in her layers of white ruffles? One of the most angelic things about her is that she actually sleeps like a newborn should... all the time! I'm so grateful this blessing dress fit her so well, and so grateful my husband and I could join her on her special blessing day!  - xoxo Grandma

Linked:  The Dedicated House, Nap Time Creations, Skirt Fixation

Featured on: All Free Sewing

Lace Embellished Dress for a Baby Girl

I have a granddaughter due in a few months too. This project is for her.  I wanted to make this outfit as girly as possible, so I used lace. I absolutely love lace!  When I pinned THIS idea about using a variety of lace to change the look of fabric, I got a little excited thinking about the possibilities for those pieces of lace I've saved.  To test out this idea, I wanted to try a simple pattern, so I chose the Little Geranium dress and diaper cover, which is a free pattern at Made by Rae.  It's designed for a child 0-3 months.  Lucky me, one of my granddaughters who was visiting fits perfectly into a 3 months size. So while she was here, I finished the details on this outfit and tried it on her but she wasn't in the mood to have her photo taken - imagine a 3 month old feeling that way!  

I started with this white swimsuit cover-up that my youngest daughter gave to me to refashion. 

I cut out the pattern pieces making use of the hem on the bottom of the skirt - because I love when I don't have to hem something, don't you?  Then I pinned the lace onto the bodice.

Once I liked how the lace looked, I sewed all the lace directly onto the bodice trying to keep the stitches close to the edges of the lace.  Then I preceded to sew the dress as instructed.

Here's a close-up of the finished bodice:

I used clear buttons so the lace remained the focal point of the dress.

The diaper cover was cut out of the sheared top part of the cover-up.  I love how the sheared fabric made the diaper cover so cute!

Once this next granddaughter is born, I'm guessing this outfit will fit her right around August.  
To see this on my granddaughter, go to THIS post!  xoxo Grandma

Shared at these linky parties: The Dedicated House: Before and After,  Nap-time Creations, Bacon Time, The Life of Jennifer Dawn, Oh My Heartsie Girl, Creating My Way to Success, Diana Rambles

Newborn Leggings Pattern

Before my darling, newest granddaughter was born, I searched high and low for a pattern for newborn leggings. I had purchased a cute shirt from Baby Gap and didn't want the "standard pink" leggings to go with the top, so I decided to make her coordinating leggings out of a rich olive green color. As you can see in the photos, they turned out pretty cute. 

She was born with her mother's long legs and her father's long torso, resulting in leggings that were a little bit too short, plus the shirt I purchased was too large on this little baby.  At the rate she's growing though, I predict that this second pair of leggings I just finished will fit her about the time the top fits her, so here's hoping that happens.  

If you're looking for a newborn leggings pattern, your search can stop with this post - go ahead here is the pattern to download for free, I'm only requesting that you leave me a comment. Go HERE  as always, do not print "to fit".  May I just add, good luck in guessing the size of the newborn you're sewing for. They come in so many sizes!   xoxo Grandma

More baby projects: Lace Embellished Dress, Heirloom Baby Blessing Dress, Lace Decorated Baby Shoes, Quick Onesie Make-over

Cute Burp Cloths

Every mother needs burp cloths for all those fun moments when babies do their thing.  I like soft, flannel burp cloths for babies, but one of my daughters prefers how the cloth-diaper burp cloths better absorb all that fun baby slobber. 

While shopping, I found a package of baby washcloths for 25 cents. I love a bargain and I purchased them. Since they are so, so soft and designed to absorb liquid, I decided to try adding them into my burp cloths to help with the absorbency issue. On one burp cloth, I added the washcloth fabric to the decoration and to the middle of the cloth.  I designed another wash cloth onto the back of the design.  As you may remember, my daughter's baby's room theme is Teddy Bears Picnic so I tried to design images that went along with that theme...teddy bears and picnic baskets.

It will be interesting to see what kind of reflexes this newest grand baby has. Just a couple of weeks now and she'll hopefully make her appearance, then we'll know for sure. 

What kind of burp cloths do you like best?
For more fun ideas go to The Dedicated House
xoxo Grandma