Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Ottobre's New Star bodysuit


I've been taking a "music and movement" class with L, and the babies are supposed to wear a onsie, something unrestrictive. She's in cloth diapers which are more bulky than disposables, so a lot of RTW onsies leave her diaper cover exposed. I decided to make this Ottobre bodysuit with the goal of keeping her diaper cover hidden.


Incidentally, there is an identical bodysuit in Ottobre 6-2009, in that issue it's called the "Puolukka" bodysuit, and it's also the first pattern (6-2009-1). I compared the pattern pieces and they are shaped the same as 1-2011-1, the only difference is that the neckband and hems are finished differently.

One thing I didn't know about Ottobres until I started buying them - they give the names and ages of all the little models - how cute is that?



Fabric
The cotton knit is from a thrifted Lane Bryant t-shirt, I was even able to reuse the neckline binding for the cuffs and leg inseam/snap area. Snaps are from Snap Source.



Notes on construction/alterations
I made a size 74 several months ago, and it still fits her now at 11 months and nearly 20 pounds. The only change I made was to lengthen the strip for the neckline binding. I can't remember what measurement Ottobre used, but it seemed like it would be way too small to fit over L's head.



Conclusion
The one thing that annoys me (and is totally my fault and not a pattern drafting issue) is that the top crotch seam is longer than the botton crotch seam, so it doesn't stay closed very well between the snap fasteners (especially visible in the flat garment photo).  I'll pay more attention to that next time.  Otherwise, it's a great piece that can be worn solo or with pants.

17 comments:

cherri said...

Very cute! She looks so happy in it!

katherine h said...

Super cute (baby + outfit)! It looks so snuggly and comfortable.

Good on you for sticking with the cloth nappies, and taking them in your fashion stride. Enjoy those music and movement classes..

Jenny said...

Cuteness! I just made my first onesies, too, for a niece. They were so tiny and fun to sew up. I'm kicking myself for never making any for my own kids. Love how the thrifted t shirt turned out.

Mary Beth said...

This is darling...something I should learn how to make for the constantly growing crop of nieces, nephews!

Rachel said...

That is so cute and she is so cute!!! I am so happy that you are posting and sewing again.

Katharine said...

Cloth nappies--yay! We do cloth too. Great choice for covering them. Clever restyling of a LB tee. Our wool 'culotte'-style covers are very visible under a bodysuit, although we've recently switched to a very popular hybrid system (using prefolds as the inserts) we bought on a recent trip to the States. They don't peak out of the leg holes but IMO look adorable, much more cute than a paper and plastic nappy.

Amanda S. said...

Great job! Baby L is super cute!

The Slapdash Sewist said...

Adorable! Love the stripes and the little bit of extra coverage on the legs.

Tini said...

How cute is L.? The onesie is great. We tried cloth diapering but with 2 it was too much hassle and they were wet all the time... ( E & M. are 8 1/2 months old and they aren't at 16,5 yet so I guess I would be safe with a size 74... if I ever find the time to sew for them...)

amber said...

That is way cute! It reminds me of the practice leotards young gymnasts wear - with the little shorts instead of a just a brief at the bottom. I like it!

Robin said...

Too cute! And practical too. I'm going to have to give this one a shot for my little dude. Thanks for the fabulous review. :)

Angela said...

So very cute!!

Gay McDonell said...

I see the "cute" word written in nearly every comment - I guess there is no other way say it ...... WOW CUTE!!! And good for you for making it!

Unknown said...

love it! i need to subscribe to Ottobre. maybe i will request it for my birthday next month:)
i would love to try this one for my little Qbird!
so nice to see you posting again, which gives me hope that one day i will get to sew again. i did just finish a sleep sack for her- a kwik sew pattern.

Inkstain said...

Welcome back!

glayla said...

she sure is a cutie pie! I absolutely love Ottobre, and I'm happy to see this pattern made up. I thought the proportions seemed odd in the mag but your version is adorable!

Diana said...

She's beautiful and reminds me of my little grand-daughter Riley.