Baby gift Idea #2. Are you brave? How brave?
Brave enough to sew with knit? What if it were free? (Well… free according to the craft hoarders rule book.)
Photo Credit ThisMamaMakesStuff.com
If you have a spare t-shirt, you could make a darling infant gown with it and if it doesn’t work out….you only lost the shirt. Even better, The pattern is free from This Mama Makes Stuff. Her tutorial includes how to make the fold over cuffs to protect the babies from their own sharp fingernails.
Here are my sewing with knit tips: Use a ball point needle to keep from tearing permanent holes in the knit. Use a longer stitch length. If you can reduce the pressure on the foot a little to keep the fabric from stretching out of shape. If you have a walking foot, you could do that instead. If things do get stretched out of shape, try to steam them back with the iron. Then just relax and enjoy it. Sewing with knit is my FAVORITE! No basting to ease in seams, it just goes together like a dream. You are going to love it!
If you have some fabric leftover from the shirt make a matching hat:
Free pattern here:
and a less ink printable pattern PreemieKnottyHat
If the knit is fairly stretchy it will fit a newborn well too. It’s on my 9lb 2 ounce bouncing baby boy above.
So Let’s say the shirt was “free” and you got the gown and hat out of it. And then spent $3.75 on flannel to make a blanket and 2 burp cloths….You could wrap the gown, hat, and burp cloths inside the blanket (using the blanket as “wrapping paper”) and man, what a cute gift you have for less than $5 and about 2 hours worth of sewing. Aren’t you clever?!
I’ve made that baby gown several times – very easy, and always a hit!
Kris, I’m glad to hear that! I haven’t tried the pattern yet, but made a similar one with a ribbing neckline. So fast and very useful. My newborns live in gowns their first few weeks for easier diaper changes.