How to Sew A Toddler Romper

Romers are perfect for summer and SOOO cute!  I was inspired to make one after seeing this one from Baby Gap {which is way cuter than mine, and next time I plan to make one more like this with a drawstring waist}.

Here is the finished product...Happy Summer!

-Cut the top and the bottoms out {Here is the measuring and sizing guide I made}

-Serge or sew the sides and shoulder together

 -Serge all the hems except the waist and diagonal shoulder (Skip this step if you aren't using a serger)

-Put a long stitch in the waist to bunch a little {for a long stitch, literally just turn your dial to the longest stitch possible and sew a straight line at the top of the fabric}

-Pin the waist of the bottom and top together.  *This is a little tricky: 1. Turn the top right side out. 2. Tuck the shirt upside down inside the bottoms {bottoms are still wrong side out}. This way the right sides are together for both parts.

-Serge the two halfs toghether

-Cut 2 elastic strips for the legs {Take the measurement around the thigh, then cut it about 2 inches shorter}

-Sew the elastic inside each leg with a small zig zag stitch for stretch pulling the elastic tight.

-Hem the leg holes, the crotch and one armhole so it looks finished.

-Sew the button strip on the outside of the back and the inside of the front of the crotch.

-Cut a long strip of fabric {cutting measurements here} to use for the shoulder ruffle.

-Sew the two ends together to make a circle

-Put a long stitch in one side to bunch

-Pin the ruffle to the diagonal part of the romper by tucking the ruffle inside the top of the romper which is turned right side out.

-Serge the ruffle to the romper.

-Hem the bottom of the ruffle

DONE!!!!

 Trying to get a picture of her was next to impossible...I had to bribe her with ice just to get her to stay in the same room for 2 minutes.

 Bye bye!

Romper Measurements

These measurements are simply what I came up with and can be used as a guideline for any size.  The example measurements are what I used for and 18 month romper.  Sorry that I know they aren't very technical and my drawings are how I visualize things for myself {on the back of old business cards ha}...I'm not really a seamstress:) 

Top:
Width of fabric = child's waist measurement + 3 inches divide by 2 (you will have one piece for the front and one for the back so you only need half the width for one piece)

Length of fabric = child's shoulder to crotch measurement + 2" x .6

Example: Width of fabric = Waist measurement 19" + 3" = 22" / 2 = 11" 
Length of fabric = Height from shoulder to crotch 16" + 2" = 18" x .6 = 10.8" round to 11"

One arm hole = I used a shirt and traced the arm hole
Shoulder = I did 2" wide, but you can do it as thick or thin as you want
Diagonal = Measure how far from the top the other arm hole is (ie 3.5"). Use a ruler to make a diagonal line from that point on the outside to the edge of the shoulder strap.  Make sure the diagonal does not go lower than the other arm hole.

Bottom:
Width of fabric = child's waist measurement + 10" divided by 2 (you will have one piece for the front and one for the back so you only need half the width for one piece)

Length of fabric = Height from shoulder to crotch - the length for the top + 4"

Example: Width of fabric = Waist measurement 19" + 10" = 29" / 2 = 14.5"
Length of fabric = 16" - 11" = 5" + 4" = 9"

Crotch = In the center of the bottom cut a horseshoe shape 1" wide by 1" high

Ruffle:
Decide how far down you want it to hang (I did mine 3 inches).
Double the length of the diagonal opening (ie 16" opening means 32" rectagle of fabric).

What I Wore~ Maternity Edition: White Pants

Labor Day has passed, so you can OFFICIALLY wear white pants {although I would argue that you can wear them whenever you want}.

These white linen maternity pants from Old Navy have been wonderful either casual or dressy for the heat we have had.

4 Pregnant Drinks

Summer is the best time for fun, fruity coctails...but when you are pregnant, you don't really get to have those! 
So I have been coming up with some of my own drinks.  I wouldn't say they are mocktails, because I didn't really try to make them after alcoholic beverages.  I have simply been mixing up stuff that sounded good to me and is more along the lines of fruity waters or juices...but they still feel like summer to me!

Here are four drinks I made up, but the possibilities are endless and you can substitute all kinds of fruits, waters, juices...etc. and come up with your own versions.

Zesty Mineral Water

Two Bottles of Mineral Water

Squeeze half a lime in the water

1 lemon sliced

1 lime sliced

1/2 cucumber sliced

several sprigs of mint

I was really surprised by how strong the cucumber tasted, but it was WONDERFUL...I have been putting cucumbers in a lot of my waters now. 

Berry Juice

1/4 light cranberry Juice

1/2 diet sprite

1/2 diet club soda

strawberries

raspberries

blueberries

blackberries

Mama Mojito

3/4 diet club soda

1/4 diet coke

1 lime sliced

1/4 pineapple chunked

several sprigs of mint

several tablespoons brown sugar

This literally is my favorite thing to drink right now and I can just leave all the vegitation in the pitcher when the water is gone and fill it back up with more liquid, let it sit overnight and viola, I get it again the next day!

Phil said it was good, but it looks like swamp water:)

 Sparkling White Sangria Grape Juice

2 bottles sparkling white grape juice

1/2 bottle mineral water

3 kiwi

raspberries

optional: lemon and mint and peaches

 I made this for mother's day and it would be a really good baby shower punch as well

The best part about all of these is that you can throw just about any kind of fruit in mineral water, diet sprite, diet club soda, diet tonic water, diet juice...etc. and have a fun summer drink!

Memorial Mantel

I am REALLY in to red, white and blue this year.  I am pretty certain that has something to do with the fact that my second little peanut is due 3 days before the 4th of July and I am hoping she holds out to be a firecracker baby!

Anyway, I got into the spirit with Memorial Day and decorated the mantel...

Here's to the RED, WHITE and BLUE and the official kick off of SUMMMER!!!

Sew Your Own Maxi Dress

Okay, I know you have seen this dress just a FEW times on me {last week's What I Wore}...But I can't help it...It is just so comfy!  I have had a few people ask how to make one and it is keeping with our summer theme for the week, so here we go.

Like most everything else I have ever made, this isn't an original idea and this website, A Small Snippet, has a great tutorial {and other really cute fun stuff}.  Our dresses differ slightly since she used cotton fabric and I used jersey so I will try to quickly explain the differences.

Cotton fabric has little to no give, so she had to measure 1.5 times around her body for the width so she could gather the fabric at the waist, use elastic thread {or you could just use an elastic band} so it would fit over her head.

Jersey material has a lot of stretch so I measured my exact width {which proved a little challenging with the belly and all}.  I decided to use two panels, one for the front {which was wider due to the belly} than the one for the back.  I used a very scientific method to figure this out...I stood in front of the mirror and pinned the fabric to myself {I don't know if I could do it again if I tried}.  I also did NOT have to use elastic thread or an elastic band because the material is so stretchy. I simply used a zig zag stitch {to allow even more stretch} when attatching the skirt to the tank top at the empire waist. Plus, because my stomach is bigger than my bust right now {attractive, I know} I have NO problem getting the dress over my head.

NOTE: If you aren't real sure about sewing, or you just want to make it easier on yourself...DON'T USE FABRIC WITH HORIZONTAL STRIPES...It just creates extra work trying to line up with stripes.

TIP: One really simple tip I wanted to share that I found when making this dress...but not just for this dress, many times when you are sewing...when working with jersey or other stretchy material, if you need it to keep it's form, stick something hard {I used the lid of a plastic bin, but you could use cardboard or a book} in it while you are pinning and it will help keep it's shape, plus you can slide the pins in so much more easily.

Now you can decide if you want to make a belt or not. 

Most of the time I wear this dress without a belt, just because I like the more casual look.

If the waist doesn't look REALLY finished {which is totally understandable} or you want to give a pop of color or dress it up, you might want to hide it with a belt.  You can make one like she did at A Small Snippet, where you just have a long tie and make a bow in the back. 

Or you can make one like I did {I am not a huge fan of bows on dresses...every maternity dress has one and it drives me nuts} using buttons.

 I added a flower broch to mine, just because I wanted 'FLAIR' haha!

Or you can just use a regular thick belt if you have one you like.

There are a million and one ways to make a maxi dress...but how ever you make it, you will be VERY happy you did {plus you will save so much money...a maxi skirt from Gap is $40 and I made this dress for $8}!!!