Last week I showed you the cinch drawstring bag and Kayla was wearing an adorable little matching romper. Well I thought I would show you how we (my cousin and I) made it. Ok so this isn’t technically a pillowcase. I know, I know. But with vintage sheets on the brain the fabric is the same size as a pillowcase. I am thinking some vintage sheets would make an adorable romper. Although I used regular fabric, the process is just the same. I love this for my daughter because it is very comfortable, breathable and it covers her panties! (Anyone else have a problem with their daughter’s keeping their dress down? Anyone? Anyone?)
Supplies:
Pillowcase or 1 yard of fabric (I used Riley Blake’s Verona Main Rouge)
2” x 36” piece of coordinating fabric for tie (I used Riley Blake’s Verona Dots Gray)
Elastic
Sewing machine/coordinating thread
scissors
1. Measure your child’s collarbone to the knee and add 2” for total length. For a 3T I did 25” x 19”. Cut out two pieces to that size. Next angle the cut so it doesn’t look so boxy.
2. Next cut out armholes. Measure down 6 1/2” from the top and make a mark on the side of your fabric and then go in 2” from the side at the top. Fold both of your fabrics in half to cut the holes symmetrical. Cut out armhole.
3. Hem armhole by folding fabric down 1/4” and then again another 1/4”. Press and sew. Do that with the back piece as well.
4. Now press the top under 1/4” and then down 1” and sew. Repeat for the back fabric too.
5. Line up both front and back (right sides together) and sew sides.
6. Next measure the thigh of your child and then subtract 1”. Cut the elastic to that length.
7. Press the bottom of the legs under 1/4” and then under again 1/4” sew.
8. Next tack the elastic onto each side of the leg hole just above the sewn edge. Find the middle of the leg hole and the middle of the elastic and mark that so that you keep the elastic evenly spaced. Next sew and stretch the elastic as you go. Repeat with the other leg hole.
9. With right sides together sew the front and back together at the crotch. Cut notches in it so it will curve well.
10. Make a casing out of a 2” x 36” piece of coordinating fabric. Using a safety pin thread it through the front and back of the romper. Tie a bow at the shoulder.
Make your child pose and snap a hundred pictures…
Make one more romper for good measure. Take 100 more pictures. Watch the cute little model break down.
I have been wanting to make one of these for my little one. Thanks for the inspiration. I also have a red and white vintage pillowcase. I see making an adorable patriotic romper in my future:)
Beckie it’s perfectly cute and easy to make as well. Love, love that it covers her undies especially for the playground or nearly anytime they sit on the floor to play – inevitably the dress goes up and we got a lovely — shot of hello kitty!! PS – Thanks for featuring my clubhouse bed this morning, my kids are truly in love with the new ‘fort’ and making memories to last a lifetime.
And I am just jealous we don’t live closer so that I could learn how to build stuff. So jealous. My skills in that area are seriously lacking.
Oh my that would be adorable. Perfect timing. 4th of July is right around the corner.
Super cute! I’m saving the link for future reference and oh stumbling it.
Thank you for the share Anshu!
Adorable romper since I am ALWAYS saying “We don’t want to see your underwear” to my 4 year old! The pictures at the end of her “breakdown” were hilarious! Thanks for the laugh this morning!
Featured it here:
http://sewprettysewfree.blogspot.com/2012/06/pillowcase-romper-pattern-and-tutorial.html#
I hope you don’t mind my using one of your picture. Please let me know if its not ok, I’ll remove it ASAP.
So, so cute! I love your comments about “make another romper and take 100 more pictures…” haha. :^) Do you think this would work for a boy if you just did the legs straight with no elastic and substituted buttons for the bows?
Anshu thanks for sharing That means a lot to me!
Absolutely that would be adorable!!!
Love the idea of your pillowcase romper, I’m excited to try it. One thing: you don’t tell how to make the crotch area. I would hate to guess at the measurement. Please help!
So fun! Love the romper. I have been in dress mode around here but have the undie issue as well with them unless I put bloomer’s on her. Thanks for the great tutorial!
Oh my goodness. I can’t even handle the amount of raw cuteness.
I used a large plastic cup to cut out a half moon at the bottom.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I’m a totally beginner girl, got my machine for my bday, which was in July, so you can imagine all the great skills I have with the sewing machine 🙂 this is just the thing I wanted for my youngest one – I’m babywearing her and she has all kind of cuuuuute dresses from her old sis, but when I put her on my back, the cute dress becomes a shawl. So I was looking for something cuuuuuteeee even she can wear while being worn and yes! This is it! And man, even I can make it. I didn’t have any fancy stuff though, but realised, that one leg of one pair of stretch jeans from “the shelf, where the old jeans go” just makes a perfect sized “pillowcase” 🙂 and so it was, and her new romper is ready in no time, and I absolutely love it!! Thank you very much again! 🙂
I wanna seeeee!!!!!
Love this! Am making this outfit for my giant 14mth old (she towers over most 2yr olds) out of some cute gingerbread man fabric. I thought it would be adorable for Christmas day. It is summer in Australia where we live at Christmas time. I can hardly wait to finish it- have to wait until she takes her nap to get anything done!
That sounds so cute! Wish it was warm here during Christmas!
Thanks so much for sharing the tutorial. I can’t wait to try it out!
You are welcome I would love to see pictures.
I’m making this for an 18 month old, would I still cut out the same size armholes? Also how did you decide what size to cut the crotch area?
Also how wide is the fabric?
I used 45″ wide fabric.
I would use another one of her onesies or dresses to help figure out the sizing. I know that doesn’t help much.
Any advice on deciding the width of fabric for a smaller size or how to cut out a crotch area? Thanks for the tutorial!!
I would use another outfit of hers for measurement.
I just tried this for my 1 year old and it was too small. How do I adjust the measurements? You measured her as stated but its still too short. 🙁
I would try to use a dress as a pattern for it and see if that helps.
Have you ever done a pants length romper like this? Would you have any idea how much fabric to use to make it into pants?
No, I haven’t, but I am guessing another yard of fabric should do it.
Hi! I’m so excited to make one of these. A few questions:
– do you put elastic all around the leg hole? It looks like you just showed one side…
-have you tried buttons in the crotch rather than sewing shut? My little one is still in diapers (10 months).
Thanks!!
The elastic does go all around each leg hole, and I have never used buttons or snaps in the crotch since my daughter was older when I made there. However, you could certainly change it up. I am sure it would make it much easier with diapers.
Your romper is cute! but it’s not the one you have pinned on Pinterest bringing us here. That is the one I was looking for 🙁