Oliver + S Nani Iro Baby Gifts

Sewing for babies who haven't yet arrived is really fun and special.

I loved imagining the little baby girl that my dear, dear friend is expecting (in only a few short weeks!), while carefully sewing these sweet, small things for her to wear one day soon.

Baptism Dress (McCall's 4865)

Lottie was baptized in June, a day before she turned 10 months. Louisa and Leo were much younger at their own baptisms—Louisa wore her Aunt Meghan's dress, and Leo wore his daddy's gown. Since we were a little later with Lottie, those little heirlooms weren't going to fit. Any excuse to sew!

I used McCall's 4865, (which is out of print, but I found on etsy), for the christening gown and bonnet.

Children at Play Dress (Simplicity 5226)

I wanted to make Louisa a play dress, and found this pattern, Simplicity "Easy to Sew" 5226, in my drawer (not sure where or when I got it). I decided it would be good for putting to use some of my Sarah Jane Children at Play Michael Miller prints that I've been hoarding. I bought these (and a bunch of boy prints that you will hopefully see up here soon!) from Hawthorne Threads when they were first released last year.


I really like Sarah Jane's illustrations (Louisa has this print over her bed, and Leo has this one over his crib), and Louisa loves white dandelions, so that drew me to this print, Summer Gardens in Lilac.

She actually requested this dress this morning... "the one you made with the dandelion girls on it, you know, Mom?"

I wish I had made the bias binding around the collar and arm holes out of the flower print I used on the ruffle (Meadow in Pink) but I was trying to save that yardage for another project, and also, I hate making bias tape. So, I used some close-enough-pink packaged tape. It closes with a single pink button and fabric loop in the back.


Everything has to have a pocket these days. Lots of treasures to keep track of.


I turned and stitched most of the seams, used some french seams, and serged the bottom. I also made it quite a bit shorter than the original pattern.

Here it is at play!

Running with her classmates in her school's Mini Relay for Life:


And at the first Friday's After Five of the season, getting her face painted with her dear pal Dorothy:

Leo's Sleeping Sack

Since Leo started sleeping going to bed in his crib a couple weeks ago, he has finally gotten to use the sleep sack I made for him earlier this fall—another project from Anna Maria Horner's Handmade Beginnings. The pattern calls for a patchwork front panel, but I just used the same Michael Miller cotton (Lagoon Ring Dot Turquoise) for the whole outside. The inside is another Michael Miller print flannel (Haul It Turquoise). I didn't have enough yardage to have the print going the right direction on the front inside panels, but I wasn't too worried about that.

The pattern is made to fit 6 weeks to 3 months, so I added several inches to the bottom and two to the sides so that it might fit my big boy all winter. He is 6 months, 19 pounds and 28 inches long now.

I made two other alterations to the pattern—continued the bias tape to cover the edge of the under panel as well (piece B) with a mitered corner at the point (she just says to zigzag stitch that edge), and I used six snaps instead of velcro. Unfortunately I didn't think to add interfacing to the snap locations before I joined the outer fabric and flannel, so we have to be a little bit gentle when we unsnap it. Also, I should have put the first snap all the way up at the point. Wish the snaps were not white, but that is all they had at the store.

Much cuter than the store-bought fleece sack Louisa wore!