Ruffled Onesie Dress

Babies and onesies… they just go together.  But these plain white onesies are just boooooring!  Time to liven thing sup a bit, right?

Grab your onesie, and 1/2 yard of fabric (more if you’re working with a larger onesie than this 0-3 month size). Cut your fabric into 3” wide strips, and then cut the strips into pieces that are at least twice the size of your onesie width.

I cut a total of 12 pieces.  Grab the pieces in groups of two, right sides together, and sew the short ends together to make a big circle.  I used my serger, but a regular machine works fabulously :)

After your pieces are all sewn together (you’ll have 6 circle pieces now), you’ll want to adjust your stitch length on your machine to its longest setting.  On my machine, it is 5. 

Sew along the top of each tube at 1/4”- you aren’t sewing the layers together, you are just making a gathering stitch so you can ruffle your piece.

Since I’m working with a small piece of fabric with a loose weave, I only sewed one gathering stitch, but I usually recommend two that are 1/4” apart.  Anyway, hold on tight to your bottom thread, and slide the fabric along so it ruffles up.

This is what it looks like when you are done.  Repeat with each strip of fabric.  This takes a little time, so be patient!  Make sure it is about 1” wider than your onesie so you have stretch room while sewing.

Then, starting at the bottom of your onesie, pin the ruffle so the ruffle seams match up with the onesie seams.  I usually pin in the center front and center back next, and then fill in the pins from there so it the ruffles are all evenly distributed. Starting at a seam, sew it down using a small zig-zag or knit stitch (looks like a lightning bolt), slightly stretching the onesie as you go.  My machine doesn’t have the knit stitch, so I just use a smallish zig-zag.  This allows room for the fabric to stretch even after being sewn down.

Add your ruffles one at a time to the onesie, moving from the bottom up.  Don’t worry about the double row of stitching that you see once it is sewn in- you can always pull the gathering stitch carefully out later.

I always pull the gathering stitch out of the top ruffle layer so it looks nicer.  Now that you are all done, it is time to try it on the baby, right?

And she’s adorable in it.  Without it too, but you know.

No onesie is safe now!!  This alternative is much more feminine and adorable.

I’m just glad I finally cut into that Hobby Lobby clearance knit…  :)  I love making stuff for my girls with things I already have, and the hubs likes it too hee hee.

Now, go forth and sew!