Nautical Baby Dress Using Simplicity Patterns 1447 and 1205
Find out how I made this sweet handmade nautical baby dress made using two Simplicity Patterns, sailboat fabric and few extra special modifications.
Happy Fourth of July weekend! Today I’m sharing this cute handmade Fourth of July baby dress I made my little one using the cutest nautical sail boat material. When I was little, my mom used to make my sister and I matching Fourth of July outfits. In keeping with tradition, I thought it would be fun to make my daughter a little Fourth of July outfit this year.
The Fabric
I bought this cute sailboat fabric from Florence Eiseman and thought it would be perfect for the Fourth of July with the red, white and blue colors. The fabric is a cotton twill with a light ribbing.
Combining Two Patterns
This outfit was creating by mixing two baby patterns together. I used the Simplicity Sew Easy pattern 1447 (Dress F and Hat G) to make the dress and hat and I used Simplicity Pattern 1205 (Dress B) for the bloomers, collar and sleeves. Once you are comfortable using commercial patterns it is fun to mix and match parts of them.
The sleeves from Simplicity 1205 are my favorite sleeves for baby outfits. They are little flutter sleeves that are super easy for little ones to move and groove. Since they do not attach to the entire armhole, not only can they can work with just about any pattern but they aren’t constricting like some puff or tulip sleeves are.
I shortened the dress from the Simplicity 1447 pattern and used an invisible zipper in the back. I decided to shorten the dress so it could be worn as a tunic with navy leggings when it was cooler out. It also looked cute when paired with the bloomers being a little shorter and made it was easier for my toddler to move around in.
Adding Piping
One of my favorite things to add to commercial sewing patterns is piping to either the collar or the waistline. I think it adds a lot without changing the pattern in any way. For my Little Red Riding Hood dress and Halloween Black Cat Dress I added piping to the waistlines. For this nautical dress I added navy piping to the collar. You can make your own piping from coordinating fabric or buy pre-made piping. For this dress, I purchased navy piping and it was perfect!
Matching Accessories
One of the best parts of making a handmade baby dress is the matching accessories you can make to go with it! The hat came from Simplicity 1447 and although this pattern also came with bloomers, I prefer the bloomers from Simplicity 1205. They are simpler looking without the added leg ruffle.
The dress turned out so sweet and looks adorable for the Fourth of July and all summer long! It has such a nice vintage look especially with the hat and bloomers, yet it looks so modern when paired with navy leggings.
More Cute Baby Clothes Using Simplicity Patterns
I love creating baby clothes for my little girl and have actually used the Simplicity 1205 many times to create lots of different dressed that all look different.
Choo Choo Train Dress – with Free Train Applique Pattern – Simplicity 1205
Little Black Cat Dress – Simplicity 1205
Little Red Riding Hood Dress – Simplicity 1205
