TUTORIAL- Sew your own knotted newborn sleeper...

I have been drooling over these knotted sleeper's from Mod Swad, only I don't know if I will ever feel okay about spending $35 dollars on any onesie -ever. So I came up with a little tutorial on how to sew your own knotted baby sleep sack. I think they would make the perfect baby shower gift. All you need is an old (or new) Jersey stretch T-shirt, a 16 inch zipper, and one button. 

 

• Start by laying a full body baby suit- of whatever size you want down on top of your shirt. Use the neck of the shirt, so that you do not have to sew your own.
• Trim along the sides of the body-suit.. {you will want to tuck the arms in and cross the legs so that they don't get too big, this sleeper is meant to be REALLY snug to the baby's body.}
• Use your first cut edge as a guideline on where to cut the other side (fold in half, then cut)
• Use your zipper to measure how far into the front piece to cut your zipper opening. {cut it right down the center of the FRONT only.
• End with pinning your neck in so that it is small enough for the baby. {i just made simple darts}
• You will also need an extra scrap of fabric cut 4 inch by 1.25 inch - this will become the button strap that covers the top of the zipper.

1. Sew the long side of your button strap, as well as one short side,
2. Turn it inside-out then topstich the three edges that are closed,
3. Add a button hole on short sewn edge.

4. Sandwich the button hole piece (with the raw edge side) between the right side of the zipper and the right side of the zipper opening --baste to keep it all together.
5. Check your basting stitches to be sure you got the zipper sewn on the right side of the fabric.
6. Sew your button onto the other side of the zipper opening.

7. Sew the zipper down on each side, backstich once you get to about .5 inch to the end of your zipper.
8. Sew under the zipper to close off the bottom of the zipper opening.
9. Topstich down the entire zipper, to keep the fabric from getting caught in the zipper. -no photo-
10. Sew the neck smaller, and make sure the shoulders lay right, this took me two or three times before it looked just right.
11. Sew down both sides, of the sleeper, and backstich once you get about 1.5 inches below the zipper line. -no photo-
12. Trim all excess fabric and threads.

Sorry, It was kind of hard to see the stitches I was making with the black on black. please leave a comment with any ququestions you come up with along the way! Happy Sewing!