Ruffles and Ric Rac

 

We had a couples baby shower at our house this past weekend for our close friends.  They are the first of our crew to have a baby.  A girl due in March.  We are all super excited for them and wanted to celebrate with everyone, not just the girls-- hence the couples shower.  It was hilarious watching all the menfolk during gift opening time!  None of them were quite sure how to react.  For the past two weeks I've been doing nothing but painting the house, sewing baby clothes and cooking.  I made fifteen homemade pizzas. They were delicious, if I do say so myself.  And our house has never looked better.

  

Of course I had to sew a baby gift.  I had so much fun making these baby clothes.  So much fun.  I was giggling while I was sewing.  Maybe it was the itty bitty pockets?  The jumbo pink ric rac?  I'm not sure.  There is something really gratifying about making a miniature garment.  I don't know, maybe it has to do with the fact that it takes less time.  Or maybe it's just that miniature things are really cute.

 

 

The ruffly hoodie and pants are from Simplicity 2572.    Both made from flannel.  Little girls can wear blue, too- right?  Blue is my favorite color.  The hoodie was actually pretty difficult.  The hood has two darts in it which I think are unnecessary.  The ruffles are painfully tiny.  Not much room to run gathering stitches.  And that is the teeniest set in sleeve ever. 

   

I did really like the bias on the inside.  I made my own bias tape from the blue stripe flannel.  I also bound the seam at the sleeve ruffle, which the pattern did not call for.   Only the best for baby.

 The bathrobe is from Simplicity 3711.  I used the same blue stripe flannel for the outside and the most deliciously soft micro fleece for the inside.  And jumbo pink ric rac of course.  I cannot say enough good things about this pattern.  I was so impressed with it.  The construction was different than what I'm used to but it seemed to be so much more efficient.  The sleeves are put in flat.   No setting in and gathering itty bitty sleeve heads.  The pockets have a nifty little self facing and share the seam line with the side seams.  There are instructions for making a decorative welt seam on the hood.  All the instructions are clear and very well written.  I thought it was surprisingly sophisticated compared to the few other Simplicity baby patterns I've sewn.  It went together quick and easy.   And how adorable is a mini bathrobe, seriously?  Now if I could just make one my size......

 Itty bitty pockets

 Playing with the close up setting on the camera

Painfully tiny ruffles