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Baby Boy Cardigan Onesie (with interchangeable bowties)

Time for more BABY BOY stuff!

 

Oh, you forgot I was pregnant?  Well, I haven’t.  Ha!  You should see how big this belly of mine has gotten.  And yes, the baby is measuring big.  (Remember how Chloe was 11 pounds? And no, I don’t have gestational diabetes.  It’s always the next question and yes, I’ve already been tested. :))  Yeah, this little guy isn’t so little…and I’m looking like I’m due any day.  (In fact, I had a free 3D ultra sound the other day and I’m not sure I would ever pay for one.  The pictures weren’t super clear and the kiddos were there and kept asking why the baby had mud all over him.  Ha!  I kept laughing every time they’d ask because truly, the 3D Ultra Sound images looked like a baby shape with mud all over him. :)

 

Anyway, we are all beyond thrilled another little fella is joining our family (even though he remains name-less) and to help prepare for his arrival, I continue to sew little things for him.

 

And today’s project gets me all excited.  Because darn it, the whole look of it kinda melts me!

 

A little tiny guy in a simple striped cardigan?  With a BOWTIE?  How can you not smile?!!

 

 

 

The white onesie underneath is actually one of the Interchangeable Bowtie Onesies that I made a few weeks ago.  They help create the look of having a shirt under the cardigan.  And because the bowties are attached with a snap, you can swap out whatever color bowtie you need to match your cardigan.  So smooth, right?

 

 

 

 

Bowtie Onesie + Cardigan Onesie = a great pair!

 

 

 

And you guessed it, the cardigan was made from an existing onesie……..just a few alterations to the neckline.  It was so simple, I had to make two of them.  This little guy in my belly nudged me from the inside, saying he kinda liked the dapper look, so I went with it. ;)

 

 

 

The cardigan doesn’t actually open up, so don’t panic if button holes make you nervous.  And the neckline is large enough that it will still slip over baby’s head.

 

 

 

Now, you can either let the little guy hang out in just the cardigan onesie or you can add some pants……and maybe a little golf cap.

 

 

 

Such a fun project to make.  I think mostly because I kept imagining dressing our little boy in it. 

 

So, even if you don’t have a little boy, aren’t pregnant with a boy, and aren’t planning on having any boys……..just think of how fun this would be to make as a gift.  Match it with an Interchangeable Bowtie Onesie, a pair of pants, maybe some shoes, a cute hat……..and you have an entire baby gift to share.

 

 

 

Would you like to make a little cardigan too?

 

First of all, I found my long sleeved onesies at Carter’s.  (But check in your baby clothes…..maybe you already have one you can alter.)  The striped ones make such a fun cardigan but really, you can use anything.  In fact, even though cardigan’s are usually long sleeved, you could make a short sleeved onesie cardigan for the summer months.  It would turn out just as cute!

 

Okay, let’s get started.

 

If your onesie has the foldover fabric at each shoulder, pin the layers in place at each shoulder (indicated by the 2 arrows below).  Then, cut and remove the neckline of the onesie.  You will only be removing the ribbed neckline from the back of the onesie and then create a straight line as you come across each shoulder, and then create a V-shape as you come down to the front of the onesie. 
(Sorry, it’s a little hard to see on this dark fabric and looks as if the onesie is inside out and backwards.  But it’s not……you’re looking at the front of the onesie with a V-shape cut out of the front.  That’s why you can see the label of the onesie.)

 

 

Then, create some “Bias Tape” from either knit or regular woven (like quilting cotton) fabric.  I created strips of bias-cut fabric that were 3 inches wide and long enough to go all the way around the neckline of the onesie and then down the front.  The length will differ, depending on the onesie size.  Fold the 3 inch strip in half lengthwise, iron flat, and then open up and fold each long edge in towards the fold and iron flat again.  (Need help making Bias Tape?)  Or you can purchase pre-made double fold bias tape at the fabric store.

 

 

Grab one end of your bias tape and cut off the end at a little more than a 45 degree angle.  (The open edge is along the bottom.)

 

 

Then, open up your bias tape and sandwich it around the V-shape of the neckline that you just cut.  Start the angled end of the bias tape at the very bottom tip of the V-shape.  Begin pinning the it around the neckline.

 

 

When you come to a shoulder, be sure that the flaps of fabric are laying flat and continue sandwiching the bias tape around the neckline.

 

 

Continue pinning around the neckline, stopping after you pin around the second shoulder.

 

 

 

Cut a slit in your onesie fabric, straight down from the tip of the ‘V’.  The length of the slit should be as wide as width of your bias tape.  (Which should be about 3/4 of an inch if you started with a 3 inch wide strip like I did.)

 

 

 

Then, sew your bias tape in place (as much as you have pinned), close to the outer edges of the bias tape.  Be sure that you are including the bottom half of the bias tape (that is on the under side of the neckline) in your stitches.

 

 

 

Continue sandwiching your bias tape around the remainder of your neckline and pin in place.

 

 

 

When you reach the bottom of the ‘V’, bring the bias tape down and sandwich around the slit.  Pin in place.

 

 

 

Then cross the bias tape over the first end, hiding the raw edges and pin in place.  Be sure that this crossover is right about at the center of the onesie.

 

 

 

Here is what the other side looks like, where you sandwiched around the slit.

 

 

 

Then pull the bias tape straight down the center of the onesie, pinning in place as you go.

 

 

 

Sew the rest of the bias tape in place, only along the outer open edge (along the right edge of my bias tape below).

 

 

 

Cut the end of the bias tape off, right above the snaps.  Zig-zag the end to keep it in place.

 

 

 

Hand-stitch the inside of the onesie, right where the V-shape ends meet and secure the raw edge in place. 

 

 

 

I also added a few hidden hand stitches right where the bias tape crosses in the front, along the outer un-sewn edge.  However, I’m not sure I really needed to, since I put a button there later on and that’s probably sufficient to hold that flap in place.

 

 

 

Then, hand stitch some buttons along the bias tape down the front, which will keep the flap of the bias tape in place.

 

 

 

And that, my friends, is it!  Not so bad, right??

 

And cuter than cute!

 

 

Enjoy

-Ashley

 

 

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Featured Sponsor:

Ashley Johnston

Administrator at Make It & Love It
Ashley Johnston is a professional DIY costume maker, sewist, crafter, and owner of Make It & Love It. She is a mom of 5 and a wife to a very patient (with the craft clutter) husband. In case you’re wondering, she always chooses crafting/sewing/designing over mopping/dusting/wiping base boards……but bathrooms/laundry/full bellies are always attended to. Whew!

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Hi, I'm Ashley

Hi, I’m Ashley—the DIY-enthusiast behind this crazy blog!

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