Smocked Diaper Shirt & Rhumba Pants

One more little outfit is ready for our due-at-Christmas granddaughter.    How I LOVE making baby things!

The diaper shirt and ruffle-butt bloomers are Swiss pique, trimmed with candy pink microcheck. The ruffles were made on the serger,  finished with a 3-thread rolled edge.

My last little bit of pink Swiss edging trims the angel sleeves and front placket.  I wish there had been enough left on the card to trim the bloomer legs.  Instead, they were bound with microcheck like the neck binding and front placket.

I certainly enjoyed adding the little details.  The pin stitch which joined the Swiss edging to the angel sleeve was woven with green floss.

French knot flowerettes embellish the four-hole pearl buttons.

I learned something about buttonholes.  According to Elizabeth Travis Johnson, buttonholes should be made in the direction of stress, usually horizontal to the garment. But I discovered that the width of the stitching for the 4-hole button added width to the attachment.  If it had been a simple two hole button or one with a small shank, the buttonhole would not have bulged as it does.  Oh well.  I’ll remember that next time.

The shirt pattern is probably 30 years old, purchased when smocking was my new passion.  But this is the first  time I have used it.

Directions were nothing more than a half page of text, written like a run-on sentence.   There were no paragraph indentations, no diagrams and no step numbers. Still, it was adequate for anyone familiar with smocking construction.  Compared with today’s patterns that include not only illustrations, but photos, this was a reminder of just how far we have come.

Alastair, 3 1/2,  and his family arrived last night.  He is so excited about being a brother but the time frame is incomprehensible to him.  Along with his excitement, he requested 20 little cot covers for his pre-school class.  That should be quick and easy and then I’m back to baby sewing.

Rebecca looked over the stack of baby patterns I had picked out for upcoming projects. What is your favorite baby pattern?  (As if I need more ideas!)  I’d like to know.  Since this is likely our last grandchild, I’d hate to miss out on a dee-vine new pattern.  So let me know, okay?