If you're running short on time, like I was this past weekend, but really want to bring a nice, handmade gift to a baby shower then I've got your solution! This is my go-to gift these days and although it's a simple one I'm always amazed at how much awe and appreciation a home made gift gets.
I actually have a stash of plain onesies and baby/toddler t-shirts for decorating. If you see any good sales just grab a package to stick in your gift stash.
First I whipped up 4 burp rags using my tutorial here (with downloadable pattern!). I got smart this time and traced the pattern onto freezer paper. I ironed the freezer paper onto the top of a stack of fabric (4 layers of printed cotton and 4 layers of dotted flannel) and used my rotary cutter to cut everything at once. I had 4 soft, absorbent burp rags finished in under 10 minutes (I serged the edges so that made it a quick process).
Then, using scraps from the burp rag fabric, I cut out the designs I wanted to applique onto the front of my two onesies. I used to iron Wonder Under onto the wrong side of the fabric first but now I have a better solution that removes that step from the process....
Glue! I swiped the whole thing with glue, especially around the edges and set it in place on the front of the onesie. You have to work fairly quickly at this stage because the glue dries pretty quickly. I ran over it with a dry iron right away to set it in place.
Then I swiped glue onto a piece of tear away stabilizer for the inside of the onesie behind the applique (I cut a piece big enough to cover the area I'd be stitching around).
I slid the stabilizer into the onsie right behind the fabric and patted it into place after making sure it covered the area behind the applique completely. Here you can see the stabilizer peeking up through the neck so the front of the onsie is sandwiched between the applique and the stabilizer.
Slide the onesie onto your sewing machine arm and zig zag all the way around using a short, fairly tight stitch. You want to make sure you do a good back stitch or lock stitch when you start and finish so it doesn't unravel with all the wiggling and stretching babies do. When you're finished just remove the stabilizer and you're done.
I like to fold the onesies and burp rags, stack them, and put a cute ribbon around them. Throw them in a cute bag with a package of diapers (you can never have enough diapers, right?) and you've got a beautiful, unique, and practical gift to give!
