are you ready for a generous friday serving of chubby baby legs? thought so.
those adorable gams belong to my nephew, who is once again modeling a pattern i tested for Oliver + S – the bodysuit from the Lullaby Layette Set.
the pattern recommends light to medium weight woven material (though it can also be sewn in knit too as Tara shows!). i knew i wanted it in a lightweight fabric, so i used an orange and gray plaid seersucker from Hancock Fabrics (with Jess again!) and tried to cut carefully because I still want to make a shirt for O with it too. it’s a great summerweight shirting.
i made size 3-6 months for my 4 month nephew (just like with the jacket) and it fit him pretty loosely. in my opinion the tester version’s shape was a bit too bubbly for boy babies and think it may have been slimmed down a bit in the final version, but i’m not sure. it still looks mighty cute with pants!
all the snaps (6 here, 3 on the jacket) got me pretty comfortable with those even though snaps have been a dreaded technique of mine forever. i think the fact that i sprang for these pliers (affiliate link) made a huge difference – they work way better for me than the plastic snap set you have to hit with a hammer and just feel more accurate, too.
while i always seem to take forever to sew plackets, the instructions on this one were clean and clear (of course) and the elastic casings at the legs were frustration-free too.
i think this bodysuit would be super cute sleeveless in stripes for summertime like a little old timey strong boy, or with a little peter pan collar added (for girls, obviously). also if you didn’t catch Cherie’s tutorial for adding ruffle sleeves, go check it out! so cute.
hey spring kids clothes week is next week! did you sign up yet? i can never help myself and always end up sewing for KCW, even when my sewing time is super scarce like it is these days. might just need to keep it simple again. O had a growth spurt which has made getting him dressed in the mornings a bit difficult, so he’s sort of my priority #1, though it’s always hard to resist pretty dress sewing too!!
skirt as top 
So you’re convincing me I need to check out my Hancocks in town because I love this seersucker. Funny that we have one but I never go because its on the other side of town. Plus it’s known for grumpy employees. I’m also hoping for lots of summer sewing for my O next week. I realized he has no summer clothes so I will be cranking out the shorts and tees!
Haha it had some good fabrics but the employees were cranky with us too (evil eyes were shot toward Em and Sadie when they touched anything). Looking forward to your summer sewing!!
Cute!!!! 🙂
So cute!
that fabric will make an adorable little boy shirt! i love the gray and orange. and those chubby thighs are pretty cute in a bubbly little suit, i must say!
they’re pretty delicious thighs, eh? i hope i still have enough of it for a sketchbook!
This is awesome, K, and for a second I did a double take – How is C so big already?! I thought my pregnesia was getting the best of me! 😉
I think keeping it simple is key with new little ones. My motto was always, “I have my entire life to sew, but my time with a baby in arms/house is so short.” That’s not to underestimate the importance of balance in one’s life, even with a wee one on board. But it helped me get through those antsy times.
Hugs!
heh pregnesia! yeah you’re so right. i’m not beating myself up if i don’t get to sew, but it sure does make me feel good when i do. sewing helps me relax and feel good, so that’s why i miss it when i can’t do it! but of course nothing tops newborn snuggles.
So darn cute. I’m loving that grey and orange fabric! I still have my horse fabric….
haha yes, we need to figure out our challenge! my fiesta fabric awaits…
Its gorgeous, and al least you will get it handed back!
So cute and has totally inspired me to upcycle one of my husband’s button down shirts into one of these bodysuits for my 4 month old’s Easter/ church shirt! Any word from oliver and s if it was made less bubbly for the final version….my baby is chubby and wears cloth so bubble is usually ok for us anyway 🙂 !
oh, and regarding the pliers, are there only certain snaps that will work with them or can I use my snapsource snaps with them?
I also did the double take, thinking Kristin must be feeding that baby of hers something pretty special! your nephew is super cute and I love the seersucker bodysuit.
I’ve been busily cutting away for KCW and will possibly go a bit overboard!
I’m happy to see the boy baby clothes, way fun! I love the plaids!!
Baby handmades are the cutest. Love his lil’ man shirt…and seersucker!…too perfect!