[Sewmakeone]

We just found out our first grandchild’s gender! Any recommendations for a good choice for a newborn girl due early July? I found 4 OOP patterns from farmhouse fabrics thanks to these forums and I’m looking forward to toddlerhood. But I don’t know if I can wait that long! The bubble with a plain skirt? Tea party? Lengthened swing set tunic? also have playdate but it’s a “3 scissor” so I thought I’d start simpler.

[meleliza]

Congratulations! It’s so exciting to have a little girl on the way! Honestly, I didn’t sew too many things for a total newborn. They dislike having clothes pulled over their heads and anything with buttons down the back is impossible. And the spend all their time sleeping and lying around. I spent more time knitting for a baby than sewing. Once she was about 6 months, she really liked the Ice Cream Dress as a top. It’s roomy and comfortable to wear. It can be layered and made from flannel or cord for cooler weather. The Picnic blouse is also cute and verstile. I like the 3/4 sleeves for a baby because long sleeves get messy and slimy. I made the playdate for her about that time too, but honestly it wasn’t the most easiest thing for a non-mobile baby to wear, though it’s cute and I do love that pattern. Be aware that the head opening for both of these was too small for my daughter. I include extra head room in these patterns. The Popover sundress (free on the blog) shortened to a top was a great one for the summer she was crawling and easy to sew. The Bubble has a full lining and might be a good Christening dress in some ivory silk.

[Sewmakeone]

I noticed the picnic and ice cream on the Flickr group. So I guess I will be buying those patterns right away as well! Thank you!

I’ve taken up knitting. Who can resist? (and love ravelry) But working on Soakers first. Not quite as cute.

[Nicole]

Oh,lots of lovely things to sew for a newborn.

Mine never minded being dressed,I used to lay them on their tummies and do up buttons.

I just made a teeny tiny Tea Party dress in the 0-3 months-so cute! The newborn Bubble dress is divine and would use a tiny scrap of fabric.

I want to make it in a white voile with a pink or blue lining to just be visible through.

The Tea Party romper would be divine and would easily be adapted to have buttons between the legs for nappy time.

I found the Ice Cream dress very full and the neck very wide but lovely for a chubby sitting up bubby.

If your climate is warm a Swing Set would be divine.

I would suggest sewing one or two special outfits in each small size as they grow quickly. I recently made a pair of dresses for a friend that doesn’t iron and part of the gift is I launder and press them for the next wear,could you do this?

Congratulations! I am eagerly awaiting your tiny sewing.

[Tamara]

I didn’t use these patterns for my newborns as they are older but if I were to sew for a new baby girl (which I hope to do sometime in the future) I would make the bubble dress and the swing set and maybe the tea party dress and certainly the Puppet show set for summer and I would use the sandbox pants pattern for the trousers to go over little bodysuits for winter.

My babies were huge at birth so I would have had to sew the next size up from the start. It can be hard to tell what size to start from so I would advise making just a couple of really tiny things just so you are sure they will fit (and that your time wouldn’t be wasted making things the wrong size). I would then get on with making some pretty things in the next size because she will be needing them sooner than you think.

Congratulations! It is such an exciting time to sew for a tiny girl. I really do love the idea of the bubble dress christening gown if that is at all required. It would be just so pretty.

[Sewmakeone]

Ladies,

Thanks so much for your replies!

We are hoping for a smallish baby since my daughter is tiny. But family histories have 10+ lbs babies so I won’t sew much beforehand, for certain. (So far ultrasound measures are in the 53 percentile.)

I did purchase the picnic and ice cream patterns. 🙂 and 3 voiles. Motherof5 I love your color lining behind white idea! I will most definitely do one like that.

I forgot to order lining to use with the voiles. Have you used anything particular? I have some Anna Maria Horner solids on hand for immediate use but should purchase some yardage for future sewing. Any recommendations? Does fabric.com carry any non-designer yet quality batiste/voile?

[meleliza]

I find fabric.com a bit of trial and error. They carry Rrobert Kaufmann which are good quality fabrics and available in basic colors and substrates. I recently lucked ou there on some georgeous no name voile. But I’ve also ordered things that look nothing like the picture online. Fortunately, they are very good about returns. I have found some lovely quality fabrics at Hart’s fabric too. Not fabric.com prices, but reasonable for the quality.

All of mine screamed bloody murder if you tried to pull stuff over their tiny heads. It terrified them! I would buy only things that snapped/zipped up the front. I would lay the clothes out first in layers then lay the baby on top to dress. I knitted lots of cozy cardigan sweaters.

[Tamara]

Oh yes huge babes run in my family too! Imagine a barely five foot nanny giving birth to great huge boys and my own son was a whopping eleven pound three! I hope she is tiny too especially if she is a first babe! I’ve been told they get heavier but I’m yet to see this theory proven (apart from my two that is).

The 2+2 top would be a great one it looks as though the opening is rather roomy. Although it isn’t in newborn sizes I don’t think ( I have only just ordered the smaller sized pattern so am yet to find out). My kids hated tight stretchy things going over their heads and I pretty much had them in long baby bonds grow suits when they were really little ( apart from my daughter being born in October of a very hot year and sweltering in a lovely winter twill dress I had spent painstakingly embroidering through my last months where her little body was bright red from the heat! )

If you plan to use buttons, I would suggest flat not shanked especially if they are placed on the back as a laying down baby will not feel comfortable – a bit like laying down on bumpy hard rock filled bed. Buttons at the front, no drama and very easy for dressing. I would use popper buttons also.

Hope this helps.

[Sarvi]

I’ve had good luck with fabric.com in the past but recently the customer service has been pretty awful, not sure what’s up. There are so many choices for buying online, though. Fabric Mart has some good deals, they have some AMH voiles for $5.99 right now, for example.

From what I remember, young babies outgrow their clothes with terrifying speed, so something like the Tea Part or Ice Cream which isn’t a huge time investment is good. Shorter lengths once they start to crawl, so their knees don’t catch on long skirts.

Mine was like Nicole’s, didn’t mind being dressed or buttoned (assuming the diaper area is accessible for potty trips). Ah, the good old photoshoot days when she couldn’t run away and it was possible to photograph something other than the blurry back of her head!

Maybe have a look through the beginning pages of the flickr group and see what you like the looks of?

[Aviatrix51]

Oh I’m so glad someone else has had issues with fabric.com’s customer service lately. I thought it was just me. Right now I really like natures fabrics, Banbury place fabrics, hawthorne threads as good on-line fabric sources.

Kate