How to Make a Onesie Dress {Tutorial}

It’s a good thing I had some projects archived. Because I am dang dog tired. And not just because I’m up at night with the world’s cutest newborn. I’m also taking meds to help be be able to breastfeed. They cause drowsiness. Lots of it. And I’ve come down with a nasty cough that’s keeping me up at night. Don’t want to take any medicine for it, because it might impede the whole milk coming in thing. So I’m pretty much a walking zombie. It’s a good thing I have lots of helpers!!

This tutorial is part two of making an embellished onesie. I already blogged the steps for  how to add the ruffle to the onesie a few weeks ago. Now I’m showing you how to make a onesie into a dress.

How to Make a Onesie Dress
Measure across the waist of your onesie. Mine was 7″.
Next you need to cut the strip of fabric for your skirt. You want it four times the width of the waist, and however long you want it plus 2″.  I cut mine 28″ wide (4 x 7″), and 9 1/2″ long (I wanted it 7 1/2′ long, so I added 2″.
Now you need to make the top and bottom hem. Fold the long side of the fabric down 1/2″ and iron it well. No you don’t need new glasses. It’s possible that there may have been a bit of photographer error in this shot.
Now fold it down 1/2″ again, and iron that crease really well.
Now match up the side seams right side together, and pin them.
Using a 1/2″ seam allowance, sew up the side; then press the seam open.
Now you need to gather the top of the skirt so that it will match up with the waist of the onsie. You can use your favorite method of gathering. I simply used my widest stitch length, then pulled on one of the threads. I started at the back seam. I used a piece of tape to hold my thread in place so it wouldn’t slip while I was taking pictures. You can obviously skip that step. I’m just telling you so I don’t get a bunch of e-mails asking me what the tape is for. 😉
It will look something like this on the outside:
Make sure the gathers are spread evenly, and pin your skirt to the waist of the onesie. Don’t forget to put the seam in the back!
Now stitch all the way around, right on top of your gathering stitch. Be very careful not to catch the bottom of the onesie under the needle. I did that myself, and had to patch a little hole. Not fun.
Now all you have left is to hem up the bottom of the skirt. Use the same method as you did for the top of the skirt. Fold over 1/2″, iron, repeat.
Then stitch the hem. You want your stitches to be close to the inside fold. When you are finished, turn your skirt right side out and clip all your threads.

Then put it on the cutest baby girl you can find. 🙂