Girlie Baby Gator Funsie Onesie

I’ve been wanting to make this for a long time, but I was afraid of my serger! The project instructions can be found in Simple Serger Sewing , edited by Julie Johnson, published by House of White Birches, page 21 article “Funsie Onesie” by Lorine Mason. The same author, Lorine Mason, did a Valentine version of it, published in the magazine Sewing Savvy, January 2009, entitled “Baby Valentine.”

The remnant and other components

 

My take on this project started with a yard of pink and white girlie-gator collegiate fabric, leftover from another project. Add to that a onesie (I made three for this project) and a package of bias tape in a color coordinated with the fabric. I had a package I had gotten from a yard sale, with a date of 1978 on the back! It says on the back: “Does your child sew? Send 3 labels and $1.00 for a generous package of clippings of Wright’s Trimmings for doll’s clothes. Allow about 4-6 weeks for delivery. Include zip code with address.” Love it!!!! Those were the good old days, huh?

I used about half a yard to make the skirts for 3 onesies, so I have a little bit of the pink gator fabric left for a future project. I made two  size 6 months and one 24 months. For the older baby’s outfit, I sewed on a rosebud at the neckline in lieu of the three buttons along the tummy. Reasons: I only had 6 buttons, and I figured the older baby would be more likely to wrench off the buttons than the young baby, who is still struggling with how to use her various appendages.

6 month size, with buttons

24-month size, with rosette

A word for the penny pincher: I bought a litter of onesies on a collective hanger when I visited Lakeland, at the Burlington Coat Factory. The off brand, SpaSilk, onesies are less than half the price of Carter’s onesies, tag price $9.99 for five vs $24.00 for four. And the SpaSilk ones even came in colors and patterns, and were very soft. No word on the durability of each after the usual use and abuse. Hey, where can I find a baby model?

I think, upon studying the larger one, that the skirt could be made longer and attached further down on the garment. This finished onesie, with the 5″ wide ruffle (the engineer spouse refers to it as a flap),  would be cute with a pair of pink trousers. Perhaps if the ruffle was 10″ wide, it would look more like a skirt.  So this is my first remnant redo of 2011 and my first postaweek project!