How to Make a Baby Dress Using a Onesie
Busy toddlers and fussy babies don't take kindly to lengthy clothing and diaper changes, making onesies a favorite clothing option for parents to dress them in. Opting to dress your baby girl in less complex onesies doesn't mean you can't dress her in something stylish. Transform a basic onesie into a dress to keep clothing and diaper changes uncomplicated while also keeping her fashionable.
Things You'll Need
- Onesie
- Ruler
- Measuring tape
- Scissors
- Fabric
- Sewing machine
- Iron
- Seam ripper
Instructions
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1
Measure the width of the onesie below the armpits with a ruler.
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2
Put the onesie on the infant, and measure from the armpit down to the infant's knee with a tape measure.
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3
Multiply the width of the onesie by two. Add 3 inches to the length measurement. Measure and cut two rectangular pieces of fabric to these dimensions. You will use these two pieces of fabric to make an A-line skirt for the dress.
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4
Put the two pieces of fabric together with the wrong sides facing each other. Sew them together along the left and right sides with a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Iron the seam allowances, and trim them to 1/8 inch. Iron the seam allowances again, this time pressing them to the left.
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5
Turn the skirt inside out. Sew along the left and right sides again with a 1/4-inch seam allowance. You now have a French seam along the sides of the skirt.
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6
Fold the bottom of the skirt 1/2 inch toward the wrong side of the fabric. Iron the fold. Fold the bottom another 1/2 inch, and iron this fold as well. Sew around the bottom of the skirt with a 3/8-inch seam allowance to complete the hem.
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7
Fold the top of the skirt 1 inch toward the wrong side of the fabric. Iron the fold. Fold the top another 1 inch, and iron this fold as well. Turn the skirt right side out.
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8
Loosen the tension and lengthen the stitch length on your machine. Sew around the top of the skirt with a 3/4-inch seam allowance. Leave the tails of this basting stitch at least 6 inches long. Pull the tails of the top thread to gather the top of the skirt. Continue gathering until the top of the skirt is the same width as the onesie. Tie the tails together to hold the gather. Adjust the gathers so they are evenly distributed around the skirt.
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9
Insert the bottom of the onesie into the top of the skirt until the top edge of the skirt is right under the armpits of the onesie. Align the side seams of the skirt and onesie. Pin the onesie and skirt together along the top of the skirt with straight pins.
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10
Readjust the tension and stitch length on your machine to their normal settings. Sew around the top of the skirt following the basting stitch to attach the skirt to the onesie; remove the pins as you sew. Use a seam ripper to remove the basting stitch, taking special care not to rip the seam you just sewed.
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Tips & Warnings
Embellish the bottom hem of the dress with a decorative fabric trim, such as ball fringe or rickrack.
If you are making the dress for an infant that is still crawling or learning to crawl, adjust the length of the skirt so the bottom falls mid-thigh to keep the infant from crawling on the skirt of the dress.
If the child becomes too tall for the onesie to snap, but the onesie still fits her on top, cut away the bottom of the onesie an inch below the seam attaching the skirt. Pair leggings with the dress if it becomes too short after you remove the bottom of the onesie.
