How To Sew A Baby-Gro
As all mums know, you can never have too many babygro's or romper suits - so why not stay ahead of the game by making your own.
Step 2: The Pattern
Print out the 2 page pattern from the VideoJug website and use a photo copier to double the size, printing onto A3 paper. The pattern consists of 3 parts; The front panel, the back, and a sleeve. Cut all three out.
Lay your chosen soft, stretchy fabric out on a flat surface. Fold it over along the grain, so not at an angle, to make it double the thickness. Position the back panel template so the long edge lines up against the fold, and pin in place. Carefully cut around the edge.
Again lay the fabric out and fold over along the grain. This time pin the long edge of the sleeve template against the fold, and pin the front panel anywhere on the doubled over fabric. Cut out both pieces, then use the sleeve template again to cut out the second sleeve, again butting the long edge against the fold in the fabric. Unpin the templates and keep for another babygro sewing session.
Step 3: The Sleeves
Unfold the sleeves, place one sleeve edge against the corresponding edge of a front panel, keeping the two bits of fabric face to face. Pin in place. With a running stitch sew a seam 1 cm in. The repeat with the other sleeve and front panel.
Unfold the back piece and lay face up, pin the second sleeve edge against the corresponding edge of the back piece, again keeping the fabric face to face. Repeat with the other sleeve on the other side. Sew a seam 1cm in to attach the sleeves to the back piece. Now all your fabric pieces should be joined up.
Step 4: Front Facing
The next step is to neaten the front edges. Turn in the edge of one of the front panels 2.5 cm, pin in place. With your sewing machine top stitch just inside the raw edge to secure it. Repeat with edge of the other front panel.
Step 5: Assembling
Place the front panels on top of the back piece, again with the fabric face to face - the baby gro will now take shape. Make sure every edge lines up, the front facing will overlap by 2.5 centimeters from crotch to neck, pin all the way around the edge to hold in place. With your sewing machine set to a running stitch sew a seam 1 cm in from the sleeve, around the legs and up to the other sleeve. To easily change sewing direction leave the needle down, lift the foot and turn the fabric to the new direction, drop the foot and continue. Your baby-gro will now look nearly complete.
Step 6: Cuffs
Fold the hem of the sleeve back by 1 cm, this will be to create a channel to house the elastic. Pin in place. Sew nearly all the way round, leaving a gap of about 1 and half cm to thread the elastic through. Repeat with the second sleeve
Make a loop of elastic as big as your babies wrist with 2 cm extra for a joining allowance. Altogether this will be about 15 centimeters long. Place a safety pin at one end of the elastic and anchor it to the sleeve. Attach a safety pin to the other edge of the elastic and feed it through the channel. Remove the safety pins, and ensure the elastic is not twisted. Overlap by about 2 centimeters and hand sew to secure with a simple running stitch. Repeat with the second sleeve.
To finish the sleeves, sew up the gaps in the channel which you used to thread the elastic through.
Step 7:
Before you turn the Baby gro the right way around carefully snip a couple of millimeters shy of the corners under the arms, and around the crotch seam. This will make it more comfortable for your little baby to wear. At the feet snip out some small triangles to reduce the seam bulk.
Turn the baby-gro around the right way. It should be looking pretty good.
Step 8: The collar
Lay some fabric right side down on the flat surface. Cut 35 cm along the diagonal on the fabric. This is to create a bias strip, cutting on the diagonal like this will allow the fabric to curve. Measure 6 centimeter in and cut to form a strip 35 cm by 6 cm.
Fold the strip in half length ways and press with an iron. Open it up, and using the centre crease as a guide fold one side in to meet it, and press. Repeat with the other side. Then fold in half length ways again, and press.
Cut the neckline on the baby gro at a right angle to the front facing, and all the way around, taking off 1 cm.
Step 9:
Raw edge to raw edge pin the bias strip to the neckline all the way around. Take care not to stretch either fabric. Using a first crease as a guide sew the bias strip to the baby gro.
Cut off the excess of the bias strip leaving about 1 cm, fold this back in to create a clean, finished edge. Fold the middle crease of bias strip over the neck edge on the baby gro, catching other raw edge underneath. This will create a collar. Pin in place, catching all layers of the fabric. Fold in the edge of the bias strip just as before.
Before you start sewing lower the foot of your sewing machine carefully as there are many layers to stitch through. Slowly sew a running stitch all the way around the collar, again making sure to capture all the layers. This will give you a very professional neatened neckline.
Step 10: The fastenings
Pin the top of the baby gro together. Place the top press stud near the very top. Mark it's position with an X of pins. Put the bottom press stud in position and mark with another pin X. Measure the midway point and mark. Then halfway between those 2 points - these will give you the position for all 5 press studs.
Transfer the marks through to the underneath facing with a pencil. Hand stitch both sides of each popper in place. Zoe suggest using a double thickness of thread for a more secure fastening. When you have attached them all, double check they line up.
Step 11:
And that's the baby-gro completed. Nice work Zoe!
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