Dr. Seuss Onesie - Sewing with a Hammer

My friend Erin gave me a group of AWESOME tee shirts, each with huge silk screened Dr. Seuss motiffs.  They were destined to be onesies.  This is the first, a pink shirt with the Cat in the Hat eating cake.  The shirt is screen printed on both sides, the image on the back side showing through slightly on the right side.

I had to choose a part of the shirt to use as the focal point for the onesie.  The cat in the hat is too good to pass up.  Unfortunately the shirt front was too small to serve as both onesie front and back, so the back of the shirt (no image) is the back of my onesie.

Begin construction by disassembling the tee shirt.  Carefully cut the sleeves away from the tee shirt body, then cut the shirt front from the shirt back.

Position your pattern piece over the image.  Remember to compensate for seam allowances.

The sleeve piece for McCall's M8573 provides seam hem allowances.  Because our sleeve is already hemmed, simply adjust the piece to compensate for the 5/8" allowance (see above).

I always keep my rotary cutter and mat handy while I'm sewing.  It's a huge time saver.  Cut out the four pieces (front, back and sleeves).  Now here's where we get fancy.  Use your rotary cutter to cut four "binding" pieces that will serve as a more attractive seam finish.

Cut accross the entire width of the tee shirt, making four 1.5" strips that will bind the neck edges (front and back) and lower edges.

Fold the strips in half and iron them.  Pin the bindings to the right sides of the fronts and backs at neck edges and lower openings.

Insert strips of twill tape at the lower edges in the opening of the binding.  This is the reinforcement for the snaps and will prevent the onesie from simply stretching, instead of opening, when you try to take it off the baby.

Serge the layers together.  I have allowed for a narrow 3/8" seam allowance in my pattern.

Press seam allowances away from binding.

Finish the treatment with a straight stitch, stretching slightly as you stitch, and making sure to keep all the layers as flat as possible.  From here, baste the front to the back, clip the curve of the body along the sleeve seam, pin the sleeves to the body.  Serge the two using a 5/8" seam allowance.  Your final seam is to stitch the side seams from sleeve hem to lower leg hem on both sides.

Now go get a hammer.

Seriously, go get a hammer and buy a snap kit!  They are so cool!  I'm loving them, and never could have guessed how easy they are.  To think I opted to stitch snaps in the past.  Oh well, hindsight is 20/20?

Well, Soren, the good news is that it's totally ADORABLE!  The bad news is, I overcompensated for the last onesie being huge, and so this one is preemie sized.  Maybe the next one will actually fit you?  Does anyone know someone who needs a preemie sized pink Dr. Seuss onesie?  I will GLADLY mail it to someone, as long as they send me a pic of a sweet girl wearing it?  Seriously, if you want it, shoot me an email at sarah.l.hines at gmail dot com.  

End of the Wee Dresses Saga

In classic Sareece fashion, everything is done down to the wire.  If there is a minute after the last one in which I can complete something, I'll wait for that.

Little Meemz (A.K.A. Mimi to Soren and Peanut, who as of two days ago, we officially know to be Helen) is leaving to go see her new granddaughter tomorrow.  I repeat TOMORROW, so of course, I finished Helen's presents TODAY.

The dresses (as you may have read in previous posts) are my own design, each made from about a half a yard of fabric.  I purchased 1/2 yard of two knits to make McCall's layette shirts pattern 8574.  I had already made a onesie for Soren using the same pattern, and the second time around, made some alterations.

1. On the neckline, the allowed hem is 5/8 inch.  I added bias tape at the neckline and sleeve hems.  My finished hem essentially extended to the edge of the pattern cutting line.  If you were to hem it another way, I would definitely alter the pattern to narrow the neck opening considerably.
2. I lowered the curve of the front neckline so it was more of a scoop.  It was hard for me to tell the difference between front and back.  I also added a small tab of fabric to make the back obvious.

Helen's presents are with Mimi on their way to Pennsylvania.  She won't be able to wear them until she's bigger and already living in Ireland, but I'm pretty sure she liked them.  The red dress is HANDS DOWN the cutest, most fun little thing I've ever made.  The blue and red are going to Hannah and Helen... the green flowers are going to a friend who is long overdue for a thank you gift from my little family.

I promise, these will be the last pictures I will post of the wee dresses.

The cherry Red shirt with rose print tea dress is my favorite.  When I say favorite, I mean, I wish I could wear it myself.

Do the rose buttons make the dress, or the dress make the rose dress make the buttons?  

The button holes are made using a vintage Singer buttonholer attachment that I used in tandem with my 1942 Singer Featherweight.  It is a fabulous tool, and I love the work it does.  I'll upload a video tutorial very soon.  It wasn't easy to figure out how to use it without having any instructions, and the attachment isn't hard to find.  It's a fantastic tool and I highly recommend than anyone with a Featherweight obtain one.

I made the shirt binding using bias strips that were 2 1/2" inches wide.  Fold them in half, and stitch, right sides together using approximately 1/4" seam allowances (I serged mine together.  If you aren't serging, be sure to stretch slightly as you stitch so the neckline has some give).  Press seam allowances toward the neck opening, and fold over with enough to overlap.  I used a straight stitch "in the ditch" technique, stretching slightly, to complete the edge treatment.

Some dresses are treated with pleats, front and black, to create enough give in the skirt for a child's movement.  The blue dress below has gathers at the center front and back.

And how could you help but adore these buttons?  I had a bunch for a blouse I made pre-pregnancy, and had two left over.  Divine perfection!