Tuesday, March 27, 2012

(DIY) Lace Ruffle Petti Romper Tutorial

As promised, I've completed Izzy's petti romper and I can't wait to share it! I've seen these everywhere for portraits lately, and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. For starters, head over to Frame Worthy Shot for the full tutorial that I followed. Then, look below for my small alterations to her tutorial.



Materials
-lace (I used about 10 or so yards of 1 1/2" flat [non-elastic] lace. I wouldn't go any larger than 1 1/2" wide ribbon, but I wouldn't go smaller than 1")
-coordinating satin lining (I ordered a yard, but it only takes about half)
-elastic thread on a bobbin
-thread that matches your lace, and matching bobbin
-3/4" elastic

1) I cut my lining into a rectangle. Mine was 30"x15"for my 11 month old, but she's on the smaller side

2) Once I had my rectangle, I sewed a 1/4" hem on the bottom of the romper, and a 1" hem at the top to accommodate the elastic.

3) Next, start sewing that lace on! I ordered my lace online from Lace Heaven. They have a huge selection and it is very reasonable. I started at the bottom and began sewing the lace onto the satin lining using the elastic thread on the bobbin. Turn your tension all the way to up (to "0" on my machine). If you've never used elastic thread, you might want to practice on some spare fabric just to get a feel for it. You also may want to draw a guide line on your satin before sewing on each layer of lace. Work your way up the romper, sewing the lace on in horizontal rows, making sure to reverse stitch at the beginning and end of each row to secure the elastic thread.

4) When all your lace is sewn on, fold the scrunchy rectangle so that the lace is on the inside. Put your regular thread in the bobbin, and stitch the resulting tube shut with about a 1/2" seam allowance. Don't sew the top hem shut so you can still put your elastic in. You may want a bigger seam allowance if you need to make it smaller. You can just cut off the excess.

5) Once you have your lovely ruffled tube, pull the elastic through the top so it fits your little one and stitch the ends together. Once you have that done, stitch your tube the rest of the way shut.

6) Finally, turn your romper right side out, and, using a straight stitch, sew about a 1/2" seam in the center on the bottom to create little leg holes. You really don't need much of a seam unless you want the "shorts" part longer.



And now for the best part- try it on your baby! I got the pleasure of seeing this on Izzy at around 4 in the morning the other day when she decided to wake up from 3 until 7:30 am. Although I haven't tried making one with elastic lace like Frame Worthy Shot did, I think using regular lace with elastic thread in the bobbin is easier because you don't have stretch the lace out as you sew, but do whatever seems easier for you! So excited for Izzy's pictures so I can see her posing in all of the cute outfits I have for her!

~Annie

14 comments:

  1. I would love to make this! The tutorial at Frame Worthy Shot is not working. Do you happen to have the full tutorial somewhere else? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Stephanie!

    Thanks for visiting my blog! Sorry it took me so long to get back to you, but it took quite a bit of investigating to locate the new page. It seems the author may have switched it to a new blog. I've updated the link, but here it is again (just in case).

    http://womenwhodoitall.blogspot.com/2011/04/lacey-petti-romper-tutorial.html?m=1

    Thanks again for stopping by, and let me know how it turns out if you make a romper!

    ~Annie

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have been searching every where for a diy, thank you so much, my daughter is 1 and she loves her some elmo, so I wanted to do a twist on her own elmo costume. So excited

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That sounds adorable, Regina! Sorry it took so long to get back, but you should send some pictures if you ended up making that! Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  4. LOve this awesome can't wait to try it !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Priscilla! Let me know how it goes- thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  5. I love these and can't wait to TRY to make some for my baby girls; I just have a few questions. How much space did you have between each row of lace and did you sew at the top on the lace or in the middle, or does it matter? Thanx for you tutorial, hope mine will eventually look as great as yours!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jess,

      First of all, thanks for stopping by my humble little blog! For my petti romper, I believe the seams were just under 1.5" apart. I used 1.5" lace, so basically you just want your lace to overlap slightly. I sewed mine in the middle of the lace, but it's really personal preference. You can just sew some lace onto a spare piece of fabric to see which you like more. Thanks again for your interest. Let me know how it turns out!

      ~Annie

      Delete
  6. I love this! I'm new to sewing, so do have a pattern for the romper before adding on the lace?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there Allyssa! Thanks for stopping by- sorry it took me so long to reply. We've had a crazy couple of weeks with moving then traveling. I couldn't reply from my phone and I didn't have a chance to get on my laptop until now!!! Anyway- there really isn't a pattern. Just cut a rectangle out of your lining material (I used satin lining). For my smaller 11-month-old, the rectangle was 30"x15", so use that as a jumping off point. Then you just hem the top and bottom and sew on the lace according to the tutorial. It really is super simple- this was one of the first projects I had ever sewn! Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions! I'd love to see pictures if you end up making one!

      ~Annie

      Delete
  7. Did you use the elastic in the top and the bobbin when you sewed this?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hello Rinda! I apologize for taking so long to reply. No laptop/wifi here in the sticks and my phone does not play nicely with my blog! In response to your question- I just used the elastic thread in the bobbin, and normal thread in the top. Thanks so much for stopping by! I'd love to see a photo if/when you finish it!

    ~Annie

    ReplyDelete
  9. I absolutely love this!!!! Ive been trying to make some for my twins and i cant seem to get the sizes right.... Do you have a size chart or do you know where I can find one....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jessica, thanks for stopping by! I just guessed on the size for this one, but you can use this as a starting point then add or subtract if need be. I would say this one would be a 9-12 month size. I know that's not much more information, but I hope it helps! Let me know if you need more information.

      Delete