Ruffled Smockable Bubble

The six month size fits her perfectly with a crotch extension.

This past week with our grandchildren has been delightful—and exhausting!  Laurel wants to teach two of her friends to sew, so she did a practice lesson.   Robert spent an entire afternoon with his grandfather assembling a free standing basketball hoop.  Alastair spent time with his cousins handling and socializing the feral kittens we have housed in the old chicken house.

Alastair with one of his favorite kittens and one of his favorite bandaids.

Each day, I thought surely tomorrow this bubble would be completed!  Finally it is, after this special time with Robert, Laurel, Alastair and baby Vivian Rose.

Our daughter Rebecca, mother of Alastair and Vivian Rose, is crazy about bubbles for her baby girl, especially with ruffled bottoms.  I figured out a long time ago that the quickest way to fill up Baby’s wardrobe with the sweet garments her mama prefers is to begin with ready-to-smock items.

Of all  the things I have sewn for Vivian Rose’s big brother Alastair, now 4,  this is Rebecca’s favorite.    She asked if I could make a girlie version smocked in pale pinks and ivory for Vivian Rose.  And please add ruffles.

Vivian Rose’s big brother Alastair, at 3 months old, in his Smockable bubble.

Ellen McCarn’s Monogram leaflet was used for the smocking design.  This has been used again and again.

The smocking was easy, though now I wish I had used a lighter green and a darker pink for the monogram.

Adding ruffles was a bigger challenge, as I had to open the side seams all the way down to the elastic in the legs and join the ruffles over the free arm of the machine.  In retrospect, it might have been easier to cut through the leg elastic and redo it after the ruffles were attached.

This sweet ballet pink buttons and the scallop trim is from Farmhouse Fabrics.  

The trim replaced the shirttail hem on the smocked sleeves, edged  the ruffles and was hand whipped to the piped collar.

The scalloped trim was hand whipped to the collar under the piping.  The French knot flowerettes repeat the same flowerettes on either side of the “C” monogram.

Because Vivian Rose is a cloth diapered baby, she requires more length in bubbles and sleepers to accommodate the bulky nappies.  So for this and two other bubbles, the Old Fashioned Baby pattern made of Liberty and Sara Norris’ Sweet Baby Jane,  I added a2 1/2″ extension at the crotch.  Now  they fit perfectly.

All things considered, I am quite pleased with this Smockable bubble.  I  think Vivian Rose agrees.