Bottoms up part 3: Rumble Tumble Coveralls

Here's the story behind the series, the second part of the series is here.

For this edition of Bottoms Up series, I decided to bring you these coveralls. I love coveralls - the front yoke, the shoulder straps, the elastic in the back, all make for a very cute outfit. On the practical side, they are a perfect garment for a small powerhouse, the straps make sure that the pants stay in place during all the jumping, running and other toddler adventures. The denim or corduroy fabrics wear well through the daily washes that kids cloth endure.These will also be a good choice for cooler months ahead. So without further ado, here's how you can make your own Rumble Tumble coveralls.

Supplies:

Denim or corduroy fabric: 1.5 yard

Lining Fabric: 10 inchs X 10 inches 

Closures: 2 ( buttons or snaps )

We're using the simple trouser pattern( page1, page 2) for these coveralls with some changes:
1. DONT cut it on fold now, you will need 4 pant pieces for these coveralls
2. Leave top 2 inches of the pants from the pattern, because we'll be making a separate waistband here.
    (Basically just fold 2 inches from the top of the pattern and ignore that part)
Cut all 4 pieces for the trouser from the pattern.  Remember that you don't need a waistband for this pattern so the top of the pants is a little shorter than a regular trouser.

Sew these parts like regular trousers. 
First sew the outer straight seams
Next sew the inseams of the pant legs.
Then turn one leg right side out and push into another leg and sew the crotch seam.

Now measure a rectangle of length 5 and width = circular width of the pants' top + 1inch.
Fold and cut it into half such that you get 2 strips of 2.5 X width
These pieces will serve as waistband.

For the yoke front cut an arc of 4 inches X 8 inches.

Use it as a template to cut a similar sized lining piece. Sew the yoke and lining( right sides together) along the curve.

Snip some notches all around the seam to help it retain shape after turning out. Turn inside out.

Fold into half along the width, and snip a small notch to mark the center.

Now lets make shoulder straps:

Cut 2 strips of 4 inches width and 25 inches length. Fold into half along the length and sew along the longer side to make a long tube, turn out. Now iron these straps such that the seam is in the center of one side.

Assembling the yoke and waistband of the coverall:

Take both the 2.5X width strips we earlier cut for waistband. Mark their centers by folding them in half and snipping a notch in them.

Now align the raw edges of yoke and waistband strips such that yoke is sandwiched between right sides of the waistband strips and the notches that mark center of all three layers line up. Sew a seam along the yoke length.

Here's how it will look.

Now sew the waistband to the pant by aligning one raw edge of waistband with the raw edge of pants. Here you need to make sure that not only their right sides are together, but also, you are sewing the side that will keep the yoke right side on the front, after you turn out. You can sew a few stitches and check to see if you're doing it right.

Go all around the pants, joining waistband to the pants. When you reach close to the ends, measure how much you need to finish and use the rest of strip as sewing margins. Sew both ends together. Now finish sewing the seam to join waistband and pants.

This is how it will look at the back. Now place you shoulder straps in the back such that the seam on the straps in facing you. Place the straps 2.5 inches apart at the center of back. Now cover them with the other waistband strip such that it sandwiches both the straps in between waistband.Sew along the raw edges of waistband, making sure you are catching the straps.

Now iron half an inch of the raw side of waistband to fold on the inside.

Now lets insert the elastic in the back:
Sew along the waistband seam (ONLY IN THE BACK), as close to the seam as you can but not over it. This will ensure that you catch the folded waistband on the inside of the pant.

Once you have done this at the back, insert an elastic from one end of back, pull it out at the other end of back. Pull the elastic a bit to gather the waistband. I gathered the waistband about 2 inch lesser than its width
to make it snug in the back. Now sew it on both ends to secure it. Sew along the rest of the seam to finish attaching the waistband.

Now add some closures to the yoke and shoulder straps. You can finish the raw ends of shoulder straps by
serging them, or by pushing them inside a little and top-stitching.

At this point I highly recommend trying these on the baby to determine exact length desired. Mark the appropriate length and use the rest of the length to finish the hems by folding twice and sewing.

Rumble Tumble coverall is ready to accompany your toddler in all her adventures.

Bottoms Up - Part 2: Reversible Pants

Read the first part of the series Basic Pants.

With fall coming up, it will be great to have these reversible pants on hand.

There're a lot of reasons I love these pants:

1. You can switch up sides to match two outfits.
2. With fall coming up, having two layers provide some warmth to the little tush.
3. With a baby like mine, who's allergic to all the artificial fabrics, this is the only way I can make her wear fancy stuff, like velour, with a cotton lining inside.
4. If you make it in contrasting colors and a little longer, you can have nice contrasting cuffs, which will later become plain pants, when your baby grown 2 inches overnight.

Do you need anymore reasons to try these out?
Lets get going then...

Supplies: Two fabrics. - half yard each for a 2 yo size
                Elastic for waistband - 1 inch wide
A good rule of thumb for determining elastic length is to measure the waist of child and subtract 3 inches.
This works for me but if you can, just pin (use safety pin) a loop at a length that seems reasonable to you. and try putting this loop on child's waist. If it is comfortable and snug then that is the ideal length.


Lay the fabrics folded into four layers lengthwise, lay fabric 1 on top of fabric 2.

Place your pattern on fold on fabric, with straight side lining up with the fold.

Trace and cut. If you want contrasting cuffs at the hem, extend the legs by one inch.

Now sew the inseams of legs on all 4 pieces.

Join the two fabric1 legs together. Also Join the two fabric2 legs together. So you have 2 pants, which don't have waistband or hems done, yet.

Now join both pants at the hems. ( both legs right sides together)

Pull out both pants and now insert fabric 1 inside fabric 2, this time wrong sides together.

Now iron the fabric at the waistband, about half inch inside. Top-stitch this seam, leaving a 1.5 inch opening.

Sew another seam parallel to the top-stitch, about 1.5 inch below this one, leave no opening.

From the top seam opening, insert an elastic. Sew both the ends of elastic.

Sew the opening shut and done!

Sweetheart Shrug Mini Tutorial

Here's the tutorial for making your own sweetheart shrug. This project is very similar to Butterfly Shrug (tutorial here), so I have just highlighted the differences from there. I highly recommend reading the butterfly shrug tutorial first and then coming back to this to better understand it.

Cut the back of the shrug using another shrug for sizing.

For a quick comparison, here's what butterfly shrug front looked like.

Notice that the width is less than the back, neck is higher and it ends with a small straight line, whereas the sweetheart shrug ends with a point.

Here's the shape that I cut the front halves into. Each half is equal to back in width, so together they are twice the width of the back. Notice that compared to butterfly shrug, I kept the neckline much lower in this shrug.

Gather the neck line of front halves. Join with the back at the shoulders.

Now cut a 2 inches wide strip of fabric equal to neckline in length.Sew it along the neckline at the inside ( wrong side of shrug)

Now turn it outside and top-stitch. You will have raw end of the strip showing on the outside. This is ok. We'll take care of it later on.

Add the sleeves ( refer tutorial here). I also cut the cuffs of the sleeves slanted instead of straight, I thought it went well with the heart shaped hemline.
You may go with either slanted or straight sleeves.

Cut scallops on the raw edge of the strip at the neck-line. This will help it sit evenly at the neck. Don't worry about making these perfect, they are going to get covered later on.

Cut a 3 inches wide strip, the length should be twice the neckline. Sew two seams in the center of this strip ( do not back-stitch ) and gently pull the bobbin threads to ruffle it.
Sew it along the neckline. Tuck the ends inside. Sew a pretty Ribbon at both ends of neckline. Add some fray check to the raw ends of the ribbon, or keep it over a flame for few seconds to melt the ends. This will keep the ribbon from fraying.
Finish the hems with rolled hem.

Fit for a princess

Once upon a time, there was a teeny-tiny princess. She was beautiful and always dressed impeccably. She knew what to wear when, and whatever she wore it always looked good.
One day princess had to throw a party, she chose a beautiful pink dress for the occasion, and beautiful pink shoes. She had just the right crown to go with them.
 But when it came to gloves, princess was lost...where did she keep them? In the closet? In the dresser? On the nightstand? Where, Oh where could my gloves be? She looked everywhere, but couldn't find them.
Princess was perplexed, how could she go to the party without her gloves, but how will she find them? Then she remembered she knew a seamstress, who could just make them for her. She asked the seamstress, seamstress laughed - who misses the chance to dress a princess. Sure she would make them, after all, nobody says no to a princess.
So the seamstress got to work and delivered the gloves, just in time for the party. Princess put on her gloves, and smiled. Her outfit was complete!

Does your princess need gloves too?

I took about a fat quarter of Lace for main fabric and a fat quarter of flannel for the lining to make these gloves for a 3 year old.

I didn't have the child to measure but if you have the wearer with you, its always better to measure. From the back of the middle finger (at the point where finger is attached to the hand), measure how long you want the gloves to be. Add 1 inch for seam allowance. Lets call it L1.

Also measure the length from back of middle finger to just below the wrist. Around the place where a watch would sit. Lets call this L2.

Measure around the wrist. Add 1.5 inches for seam allowances. Lets call it W1.
Measure arm around the end point of glove.  Add 1.5 inches for seam allowances. Lets call it W2.

Now lets draft the pattern with these measurements:

At one edge of paper measure L1.  Lets call the end points A and B.

At the end of L1 draw a perpendicular line W2/2. Lets call its end point C.
From the begininng of L1, measure L2. At point L2 draw a perpendicular line W1/2. Lets call it D.

Join the ends of the two perpendicular lines ( C and D)
Join D to the beginning of L1 - making a triangle at the top. Use this diagonal line as a guide to draw a curve from L1 start point to point B.

In the above diagram line between C and D is looking much more slanted. In reality its almost straight.  So don't get confused if your pattern doesn't look exactly like the diagram above, just go with you measurements.

This is your pattern, cut it out.

Now cut two pieces of main fabric on the fold. Cut two pieces of lining on the fold.
Mark point D on all four pieces ( 8 layers).

Now place Lining and main fabric right sides together and sew along the curved Line from point D n one side to the other side point D. When you're close to the peak of the glove, insert a small elastic loop between the two layers, sew over it 3-4 times to secure in place.

Cut small notches along the curved seam, taking care not to cut into the seams. Now open at the seam you just sewed and join sides of the lining right sides together continue when you reach the seam to sew main fabric right sides together.

Now turn the whole thing inside out. Push lining back into the main fabric.

Make sure the all the edges have been turned out properly. Now tuck the raw edges in, by sandwiching them between main fabric and lining at the bottom of the glove. Top-stitch.

Repeat for the other glove.

Embellish if you want.

Put on your princess.

Admire!