The Sweetest Things

“Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”~Winnie The Pooh

Over the years I’ve sewn lots of different things. With this sew, I think I’ve sewn the cutest outfits ever! So let’s get right to it!

My cousin Noelle was expecting grand babies. Her son’s wife, and her daughter were pregnant at the same time! Emerson was born first, and Connor would soon be arriving. I just happened to be in the fabric section of a store, and saw this bee fabric. Something about it made me think it would be the perfect fabric to use to make the new babies matching outfits. I bought the fabric and I waited.

I knew what I wanted to make with it. These vintage, summer time rompers. When summer rolled around, it was time to get the fabric out, and get sewing!

I cut out all of the pattern pieces for Emerson’s romper, view A. Then the pieces for Connor’s romper, view C. I laid out the pieces of both outfits and got them cut out. I put Emerson’s pieces in one pile, and Connor’s in another.

I had to decide which outfit to make first. I decided to make Emerson’s first. It would require rick rack, and I am a sucker for rick rack!

I first stay stitched the neck openings on the front and back pieces.

Then I sewed under the raw edges for the ties that go around the back.

I gathered the edge of the ties, then pinned them into place.

I then pinned the front and back pieces together at the shoulders.

I sewed the bottom of the romper together.

Then came the extra fun part, rick rack!! I had this rick rack in my stash that matched the green in the fabric almost perfectly!

Sometimes it’s really hard to date sewing notions. I could tell from the packaging and price that it was old. I tried to guess how old it was.

There was no year on the back of the packaging. I did agree with the Wright’s rick rack company though. “Well made rick rack should have short clean points, not waves.” Also, “..the color should be clear..” Then at the bottom I saw the best offer. Send off three labels and 10 cents for postage and handling, and they would send you clippings of rick rack for children to sew doll clothes with! If only the offer still stood!

Still no year on the inside, but the dresses gave me a clue. The one on the left could be a silhouette from the 1940’s or 1950’s. The dress on the right has a fuller skirt. Fuller skirts did not come into fashion until the 1950’s. During WWII fabric and the fashion industry were regulated by the government. The government wanted the amount of fabric used to make clothes to be conservative. Once the war was over, you could use as much fabric as you wanted. It was then that full skirts came into fashion!

So my guess, is this particular package of rick rack is from the 1950’s, just like the style of the romper it was going on.

Told you rick rack was fun!

The pattern has a liner in the bodice, so I had chosen this lightweight white fabric. Here, I’m pinning the bodice to the bottoms. The liner will then come down over the waist seam, and hide it on the inside.

I then ran elastic through the leg hems, and pinned on the snap tape.

I then matched up the snaps and pinned the other side of the snap tape.

Yes! Fun with rick rack again! I sewed the rick rack around the neck opening.

Then I pinned it around the arm holes and sewed it in place.

It was then time to pick out buttons, another love of mine! I chose these vintage green buttons for the back closure.

Trying to date buttons is almost as hard as dating rick rack. I have no idea the age of these buttons. My guess is 1950’s-1960’s. If anyone remembers when buttons cost 80 cents, let me know!

With Emerson’s romper finished it was time to get to work on Connor’s. I used a zig zag stitch along the bottom of the front piece.

Then I pinned it together wrong! HA!! I caught the mistake but did not take a picture of the fix before I sewed it.

It was time to sew on bias tape onto the front for the embellishment that it has. I had this green bias tape in my stash that matched the rick rack on Emerson’s outfit well enough. It was not still in the package. It was a remnant piece that Grandma had saved and wrapped around an old wooden spool for safe keeping. I’m glad she saved it!

The result.

The pattern called for the straps to be lined with bias tape as well. I had run out of the lighter green remnant piece. There was on the same old spool, another piece that was slightly darker. Would anyone notice?

I finished the edges of the straps off with a zig zag stitch. The pattern did not say to do this, but I thought it was for the best. I then pinned the straps where they needed to go.

It’s not too noticeable that the color is slightly off!

I then pinned the back to the front on the sides, after I ironed down the upper part to be ready for the elastic casing.

Hemming the legs. No elastic around the legs of this romper. The pattern does not call for it, the legs are straight.

Ironing the elastic casing around the back.

Running the elastic through the back casing.

Time for snap tape!

I then had to choose two buttons for the back of this romper. I chose some that were similar to Emerson’s buttons, but were more boyish in my opinion.

Sewing the button holes on the straps.

The outfits were delivered!

Emerson’s looking adorable in her vintage romper!

Connor is looking handsome as ever in his!

Cuteness overload!

The back view! The babies and outfits are so sweet!

No doubt about it, these rompers were the cutest things I’ve ever sewn. The fabric was perfect for both babies. The vintage styles are sweet and timeless.

It’s the babies that make the outfits so cute though! Seeing the pictures makes me smile. I hope it made you smile too!

As for me, onto the next!