Sewing Small

A weight check yesterday with our midwife confirmed that Maya is growing nicely. After dipping to a low of 5 lbs 5 oz at 2 days old, she was gaining steadily but slowly. Last week's weigh-in at the pediatrician put her at 5 lbs 9 oz. Now, just past the three-week mark, she has surpassed her birth weight (5 lbs 14 oz) and broken into six-pound figures. Way to grow, little one!

Still, nearly all the clothes we have on hand are too big for this little peanut. Even the smallest hats I'd made fell off her head, so she has been wearing the teeny-tiny stocking cap from the home birth kit all this time.

And that sweater suit? I knew when I finished it that it had turned out too big for most newborns, but on Maya it's positively comical.

She has worn it out on a few excursions simply because it was the best option we had to bundle her up for the still-very-wintry March we're having.

But I knew I could do better for these early, tiny days. And what's the point of stockpiling fabric and sewing patterns if not to be able to quickly turn out a few necessities for the family? I'm not working at top speed these days, but I did manage to get up to my sewing room last week to finish a few items. Maya now has a new going-out outfit: a green fleecy suit in just her size and a cozy hat scaled down for her little head.

I originally cut out the fleece to line the blue sweater suit, but it was too bulky so I set it aside and used flannel instead. As it turns out, I was happy to have it ready to go! I laid Maya on top of it and marked off where to shorten the hood and sew up the arms and legs to make a quick little bunting.

The hat is the Winter Baby Bonnet (a free pattern from the Purl Bee). Even the 0-3 month size would have been way too big, so I scaled it down when I printed it for a custom fit. The inside is fleece and the flower-patterned outside is from a rather large knit dress from Goodwill, so it'll likely make more appearances!

Suit Pattern: Ottobre Design Winter 2011, #2, size 50 cm but then chopped considerably smaller
Hat Pattern: Purl Bee Winter Baby Bonnet, printed at 80% and then cut on the 6-12 month line

Although I've made heaps of baby pants, not a single pair fits yet, and even the smallest ready-made pairs I had gathered aren't quite working. A few fit but lack feet, and keeping socks on those teeny toes is an impossible task. So my other finished object is a pair of  footed pants made from one of my old sweaters. Even these turned out a bit big, but they are soft and cozy and keep her feet toasty, so they'll do!

Pattern: Ottobre Design Autumn 2011 #2, size 62 - but without seam allowances (except for the feet) and with no waistband to shrink it to tiny-newborn size.