How to Stitch Baby Clothes
Baby clothes are some of the quickest things to make. They are so small that you can start and finish a project within a day or two, if needed. Making your own baby apparel also saves money on clothing a baby who constantly outgrows their onesies. To keep your homemade baby clothes from falling apart before your baby outgrows them, follow a few basic guidelines on sewing.
Things You'll Need
- Gentle fabric
- Iron-on batting
- Pattern
- Scissors
- Sewing machine
- Machine needles
- Marking wheel
- Transfer paper
- Thread
- Pins
- Iron and ironing board
- Hard working surface
Instructions
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Make adjustments on your pattern if the baby is larger than the pattern is by drawing wider edges. Leave extra room for the baby's comfort as she moves around.
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2
Choose a fabric that suits the pattern and the baby. You want a fabric that is a suitable color for holidays; a heavier or lighter cloth to fit the temperature; and material that won't aggravate the baby's allergies or sensitive skin.
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3
Pin your transfer paper under your pattern. Pin the pattern and paper to your cloth and batting as indicated in the pattern's instructions. Run the marking wheel over the pattern so the transfer paper is pressed onto the fabric. Remember to mark any notches or other markings as well.
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4
Cut out your pieces along the traced lines. Watch out for notches and make sure to cut them, as it is possible to overlook them.
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5
Pin your batting pieces to their corresponding fabric pieces. Lay a cloth over the batting and iron on a medium-low setting, so the fabric and batting fuse together.
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Pin your front and back pieces together, outsides facing in. Be careful not to sew neck holes or arm or leg cuffs together. With a sewing machine, sew the seams together 1/2 inch from the edge. Flip the garment right side out and iron the seams open and flat. Fold any exposed edges--cuffs, neck and so on--inward 1/2 inch and sew the hems down.
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Attach any buttons, zippers or snaps. Iron or sew on any appliques or decals, and then iron the whole piece as you would any other garment.
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References
- Photo Credit babies clothes image by jedphoto from Fotolia.com
