How to Make Your Own Baby Lulu Clothing
In 1992, Erin Murphy launched the children's clothing company, Baby Lulu. Since then Baby Lulu has been recognized as one of the premiere children's companies featuring easy, feminine styles. Baby Lulu garments utilize soft fabrics in florals and flannels, cozy chenilles, and fabric prints of yesteryear. With a little stockpiling of supplies, the home sewer can recreate the easy charm of Baby Lulu styles.
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Things You'll Need
- Long- or short-sleeved, solid color t-shirt in the child's size
- Tape measure
- 2-3 yards floral fabric or light weight chenille
- 3-4 yards velvet trim
- Satin rose or bow
- Sewing machine
- Needle
- Thread
- Straight pins
- Vintage runner/tea towel [optional]
Instructions
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1
Gather the items to create a dress in the fashion of Baby Lulu. Vintage linens such as tea towels or dresser runners can be purchased at flea markets, antique stores and online auction sites and used as attached aprons. Whimsical designs such as dogs, cats and Southern belles can be found lovingly hand-stitched by women of yesteryear. Don't rule out a vintage floral tablecloth to use as fabric. Decide on your color scheme. Select a long- or short-sleeved t-shirt and coordinating cotton, flannel or chenille to use as the skirt. Purchase velvet trim in a contrasting or coordinating color.
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2
Put the shirt on your child. For an empire waist, measure two inches under the breast to the desired length of skirt, plus one inch for hem allowance. Mid-calf is a good length. For a mid-waist, measure just under the ribcage to the desired length of the skirt. Mark with pins around the empire or mid-waist on the shirt while on the child. Remove the shirt. Cut along the pins and discard the bottom portion of shirt. Lay the t-shirt flat on a hard, flat surface. Flat measure waist and double measurement: this is the waist measurement.
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3
To prepare the dress skirt. for light weight cotton/flannels, triple the waist measurement. For thicker fabrics, such as chenille, double the waist measurement. This is how wide the skirt should be. Use with the length measurement to determine yardage. Sew one or two side seams depending on your fabric. Turn the raw edges of bottom of skirt in twice so not visible and hem. Hand or machine gather the waist to fit the dimensions of the t-shirt bodice in step two. Select and cut the vintage runner. Hem or trim the three edges with lace. Center on skirt front. Hand sew onto the skirt. Turn the skirt inside out.
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4
To construct the garment, turn the cut shirt upside down, right side out. With skirt inside out, place upside down t-shirt inside the skirt, aligning edges of the shirt with edges of the gathered skirt. Pin around. Sew. Turn right side out.
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5
Hand sew velvet trim around the gathered waist on top and bottom edges of trim. Sew a bow or rose in the center of the waist and/or center of the neckline. You may sew velvet trim along the dress hem.
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Tips & Warnings
You may want to zig-zag around the cut t-shirt edge before sewing it to the gathered skirt. Another cute way to finish the skirt apron is to hand embroider using contrasting floss in a blanket stitch instead of lace.
