[KellyNYC]

I would like to make a dress for a friend’s new baby. She is two months now and lives in New York where summer is just about to roll around. I was thinking of making the bubble dress and though it might be big right now she could wear a long sleeve shirt underneath it as fall and winter come. Does the bubble dress look silly with long sleeves under it? I could do the Ice Cream dress I suppose, that looks cute layered.

Any other suggestions for good pattern in this small size? Maybe something more practical? I know when my daughter was that tiny dresses were rather impractical, but I can’t resist making such a pint-sized little treasure.

Thank you!

[sayiamyou]

TEA PARTY!!! This is my go-to baby gift.

I don’t own the Bubble Dress pattern, but I bet it could look cute layered. I have given the Ice Cream dress in the 6-12M as a gift as well, but haven’t personally seen it layered. There are pictures in the Flickr pool of girls wearing it layered though.

[Rpankow]

Oh, the Bubble would be totally cute, I’ve seen it layered here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nzgreenbuttons/3826043916/

I guess my personal choice would be the hopscotch dress. Super simple, comfy, layers well and quick while taking very little fabric. I wonder if you could even “upcycle” an old t-shirt to make the dress for that size. Granted the hopscotch doesn’t have the same “wow” factor as the tea party or bubble, but it is more practical and moves with an active baby. The ice cream also looks very good layered, I do it all the time with my daughter.

Whatever you choose, I’m sure it will be incredibly cute! Good luck making a decision! (too many great patterns and fabric and too little time :))

Rebecca

[JohannaO]

I really like the 2+2 in baby sizes. The skirt has enough room to spread across those adorable chubby baby legs, and move into walking, and the shirt buttons up on the back, making it easy to get kids in and out of. I would probably eliminate the ties on the front, or they’ll end up in a mouth. It can be made up in short or long sleeves, so it could last all the way through the winter seasons. I also like that you can use button hole elastic if you want to on the skirt to help a shrinking baby belly as they begin to get good and mobile.

That said, if you can track down a baby size of the Playdate Dress, that is one of my ALL time favorites, and it’s a pretty fast one to sew up. Because of the simplicity of the bodice, it works really well in heavier fabric like cords or wool.

[meleliza]

tiny dresses are impractical – my baby is wearing 6-12 month sizes right now – though I will admit I sometimes can’t resist. She had a puppet show dress for Easter and it was darling. I also made her a playdate dress, which was reasonably practical because it pulls over her head rather than buttons up the back. Also, the three quarter sleeves stay out of her way while she sucks her fingers and arms. However, babies hate stuff pulled over their heads and it was a little tricky to make in such a small size. The Ice Cream dress tops my practical list. It’s very loose and comfy and can be made for just about any season. No buttons down the back to bother her. She sometimes wears it over a long sleeved onsie and leggings and sometimes with little bloomers. I made a long tunic length so it won’t interfere with her learning to crawl. It is an adorable pattern so cuteness is satisfied, though it’s definitely not fancy. But if it’s summer time, how fancy do you want to be anyway?

I’ve found that skirts don’t stay on tiny babies very well with all the kicking and writhing.

[Nicole]

I love dresses,especially little short ones,on babies.

My baby wore the 2+2 as a ‘just sitting up’baby and it was soooo cute! http://www.flickr.com/photos/motherof5/4444579604/

I must have been lucky with my babies,they never minded things put over their heads and they have all had good head control,so I lay them on their tummies while dressing them.

I wish I had owned the Tea Party when I had a tiny baby,I would have made a dozen of them!

What a lucky friend to get a gorgeous dress for her baby!

[Rebecca W]

My daughter is 9 months now and I have made several dresses for her- ice cream, bubble, and tea party. My favorite is the bubble dress. I don’t like the ice cream for little babies- it is pretty baggy and I ended up giving it to my older daughter as a tunic.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39449645@N06/5599638216/in/photostream

I have layered both the tea party dress and the bubble dress over long sleeves, (and the ice cream dress) and I think that they all work.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39449645@N06/4201619303/in/set-72157623710638777

I have a picture of the tea party dress over short sleeves, but I have also put it over long sleeves.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39449645@N06/3724467167/in/photostream

I do agree that dresses are impractical when they are crawling. I keep making them for my baby, even though they kind of drive me nuts. 🙂 That is another reason why I wouldn’t do Ice cream- it is longer. Tea party seems to be ok for that. I also don’t really like skirts for little babies- in my experience they ride up and I don’t like that. But I do really like the 2+2 blouse. That is on my “to make for the baby” list. 🙂 Right after I finish another tea party dress…

[KellyNYC]

Thank you all for your advice! I have decided to stick with the bubble dress, mostly because I already had the pattern, and realized it has size 3-6 months which will be perfect sizing for summer. I’m using leftover Liberty fabric in a whimsical paisley print. Even if she doesn’t get all that much wear out of it, at least it will look pretty hanging in her closet!