Favorite Tutorials: Ruffle & Flower Onesie

So my pile of white onesies were looking a little sad and need of some personality. (I also made an amazing sewing machine purchase...a ruffle foot.) After I learned how to use it, I was wanting to do a project involving ruffles.

I found this great tutorial on U-Create for a Ruffle Onesie. I don't have a serger, sigh, and didn't want raw edges for my ruffles. So I thought to use ribbon! So cute. I attached my ribbon following the tutorial directions except with my ruffling foot...so fun! You can ruffle your fabric/ribbon the regular way too. If you use ribbon I reccomend at least 1" wide, that is what I used. Anything less might make it not so fun...for you to sew. I also recommend heat sealing the ends of your ribbon with a lighter. Easier than turning the raw edges under and sewing.

Then the front was looking a little lonely and in need of personality too ... enter the fabric flower. I used Heather Bailey's fabric flower tutorial for inspiration, then did my own thing. (Her tutorial is great...so use it! Especially if you will be gathering the traditional way.) I want to make a fabric flower to wear with cardigans this fall. Just attach a broach pin on the back and you're in business. They are so easy you could make one for just about every outfit...not really...but you get the idea. :) Below is just what I did...no pictures...

I cut a 2" x 12" piece of fabric, folded it wrong sides together. I pressed the strip in half to make it easier to feed through my ruffler. (Again, you can just baste long stitches and pull to gather it up.) After ruffling I turned under the raw edges on the short ends and straight stitched them where the stitching wouldn't show. Then I made the fabric strip into a flower shape by turning it on itself. Then I sewed it into place just below my ruffling stitches. The leaves are two cuts of ribbon looped, and tacked to the back. I have a bunch of flower die cuts so I cut some different flower shapes out of felt and decided on the fun fushcia color. This helped cover up lots of my stitching lines. Then I sewed on a button, going through the felt and fabric flower, to secure everything in place. Then I tacked it onto the onesie. Easy peasy.

And so cute!