How to Make a Blanket Sleeper
Are you eager to make something for your child that is warm and cozy to sleep in? Construct a blanket sleeper from a commercial pattern. You will improve your basic seaming skills, learn how to attach sleeves to armholes and how to place a zipper. Choose a simple pattern, but one with a tab closure and a snap finish.
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Things You'll Need
- Fleece fabric
- Thread
- Scissors
- Commercial pattern
- Pins
- Tape measure
- Zipper
- Snap or button (optional)
Instructions
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1
Purchase a commercial sleeper pattern that features a zippered front and sewn in feet. Buy the recommended amount of yardage, matching thread and zipper.
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2
Iron the paper pattern and pin it to the yardage according to the instructions. Cut out the garment pieces.
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3
Sew the side seams, right sides together, then the shoulder seams, according to the pattern's instructions. Next sew the sleeve seams and pin them to the armhole at the shoulder, right sides together, easing in the fullness. Hem the sleeve at the appropriate length for your arm.
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4
Sew the pieces that form the feet of the garment. Attach them to the leg holes as you did the sleeves to the armholes, right sides together.
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5
Sew the front opening of the garment closed with a long running stitch. Iron the seam open. Pin the right side of the zipper along the seam, with the right side of the zipper facing the sewn seam. Sew down the length of zipper, across the bottom and up the other side. With a seam ripper, open the front seam to reveal the zipper in working position. Then sew a seam down the length, across the bottom and up the other side close to the edge of the zipper. This gives the zipper extra stability.
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6
Turn the garment inside out and sew a reinforcing seam from the bottom of the zipper down and under the crotch. The neck opening may be turned under and machine-hemmed.
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7
Decide it you need a neck closing. If you are making the sleeper for a toddler, you may wish to make a neck closing that will keep them from removing the garment at night. Make a tab by cutting a piece of material 2 inches wide by 4 inches long. Fold on the length and seam along the side and across the bottom. Turn the tab right side out and, with the raw edges turned in, sew it to the right side of the garment next to the zipper.
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Attach a snap to the end of the tab and to the left side of the garment so that it can be snapped shut over the tab of the zipper. You may use a button and buttonhole rather than a snap. Simply make a buttonhole on the end of the tab and sew the button to the garment.
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Tips & Warnings
Be sure to measure the person who will wear this garment. For growing children, add 2 inches to the length of the garment and an extra inch on the side seams to accommodate growth. Make sure that the length of the foot is appropriate for the person wearing the garment and adjust the pattern accordingly.
Snaps are advisable for smaller children who could remove a button and swallow it.
