DIY Onsie Dress {tutorial}

 I have been sewing for my littlest one lately, she needs the most clothing, so I thought to make a few. My favorite is a little dress. I recently bought some from the gap that was a onsie underneath a dress, which is perfect so the babies little bellies aren't ever exposed. I have seen the ones in the DIY world that sew a skirt right to a onsie but I find that it effects the stretch of the onsie and then it is hard to get on and off... its hard enough to dress babies let along the struggle of getting something on and off so I made one using the GAP's method. Super easy, and cute.

 It makes a cute and simple dress and it uses very little fabric and an old onsie so you don't have to mess with putting on snaps.

 SO would you like to make one as well? The same steps can be used to make a onsie dress in any size that you have a onsie for.

 Start with a onsie, you can use an old stained onsie, or I used a onsie with a picture I didn't really care for. Chop off the top of the onsie, about an inch or so under the arm pit.

 Then using the cut top part make your pattern pieces for the top of the dress. You are making two layers for this, the shorter one in the picture is the sice of the chopped onsie and the longer layer is for the outside layer with the skirt.

 So all together you will have a front and back bodice for the onsie layer, and a front and back bodice for the dress layer, and two sleeves. Then also two rectangles for the skirt pieces. The skirt can be as wide and and long as you want it to be.

 Then since white on white is hard to see the rest of the tutorial was done on the carpet... sew the front and back bodice pieces together at the shoulders.

 Then add the sleeves to the outside layer (dress layer)

 Then sew the side seams of both bodices, for the outside layer you are sewing the side seam and sleeve seam.

 Then sew the inside layer to the onsie I use a stretch stitch to sew these together so the onsie still has stretch.

 Now you have a new onsie, to finish the dress with.

 Now sew the skirt pieces together at the sides and gather the top edge.

 Then with right sides together sew the skirt and outside bodice together. When doing this stretch the bodice just a little so you will have a comfortable fit.

 Now you have a dress layer. Hem the sleeves.

 Now place the onsie into the dress layer so the necklines are together. Then cut a neck ribbing strip, sew it together into a loop and then sew the ribbing to the neckline through both layers. Stretch the ribbing as you sew.

 Then turn the whole thing inside out. Turn the ribbing to the inside and sew along the edge while stretching. Then sew the onsie layer to the seam allowance around the arm opening.

 Turn the dress right side out and you are done.

 A cute and simple dress that is easy to wear and nice and cozy. The double layer top is especially great for winter wear. And babies are so great in cozy knits, since Penny is growing so fast these days I can see many more of these in our future. (we seem to have a never ending supply of ugly or stained onsies to work with :)

**Just a note the Leggings are from Carters and the socks were a gift, they can be found here