Small project, big result

Until recently I had never thought about making baby clothes. I sew occasionally, when the whim strikes, but I am no seamstress. The thought of sewing tiny clothes seemed ridiculously difficult; working with small pattern pieces, folding over tiny seam allowances, and pressing little cuffs and hems. Why then start now, you ask? Because my adorable son has the body of his father; shorter than average legs with an extra long torso. This combination of peculiar measurements makes it hard to find clothes that fit him. Bodysuits that are the right size for his weight are typically too short for him to wear for very long and pants are always in need of serious hemming or large cuffs. Forget about t-shirts (for both the baby and the husband); none are long enough to keep the torso covered if he's bending or stretching in any direction. So, this is the boat I was in when I decided to try to make him (the baby that is, the husband will have to wait) some long-enough t-shirts.

I started out by making this simple blue tee (which my little guy promptly drooled all over; you can see the damp shadows in the pic). I was happy with the fit and length, but only after I added an additional inch to the pattern I used. As I tried to think of an interesting way to decorate the shirt I stumbled across the blog i am momma hear me roar! I was totally inspired by this shirt.

I decided to make an applique instead of a stencil for a little added texture. After I sketched my design and cut out all my pieces I glued them to the shirt where I wanted them. Originally, I planned to use some fusible interfacing to hold everything in place, but in my haste to assemble my cute little robot I forgot that I was using ecofelt and when I applied the iron this happened:

So, once the glue was dry I sewed the pieces in place. My husband came up with the idea of adding the "text" to the robot's screen. I think it's a fun little touch.


Here's the little man modeling the finished product. I love the result and more importantly, so does my little guy.