Pattern Description: Baby Sleep Sack. I made View A, the sleeveless version.
Pattern Sizing: XS, S, M, L, XL. I made the size M. I made it for my three month old niece Chloe. The medium size is for 3-6 month olds. My parents are bringing Chloe’s and Haley’s pj’s to Madison tomorrow. I hope they fit!
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes! Well, except for the embroidery I added.
Were the instructions easy to follow? The instructions were great. I didn’t have any problems with them.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? Likes: Very simple pattern with only a few pattern pieces. It was relatively quick to sew because of it. From start to finish it was about a 3 hour project.
Dislikes were:
- I did not like the finishing for the armholes. They instruct you to overcast the edges and then just turn it over and stitch it down. I think a binding would look a lot nicer, but due to holiday time constraints, I just did as instructed. It’s fine and most likely a non-sewist would not notice the finish.
- The neck band is a little fiddly to attach. Make sure you read all the way through to the end of the instructions for that section or you’ll make the same mistake I did of sewing the zipper SA’s prematurely. It wasn’t a fatal flaw, but it would have looked nicer had I followed the letter of the law. Live and learn I guess.
Any difficulties encountered? Aside from the neckline issue mentioned above, the only other thing I had a hard time with was the top stitching around the zipper. The instructions tell you to stitch 1/4 in away from the zipper, I, of course, stitched too close, so it was hard to get around the pull and the end of the zipper. My stitching is a little wonky in that area, but I don’t think anyone but a perfectionist would notice.
Fabric Used: I used a polyester fleece from my local sewing store P&S Fabrics in Downtown NYC. It was soft and fluffy and perfect for this sleep sack. It will be soft against a baby’s skin and will keep Chloe really warm on those cold Madison nights.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I added some hand embroidery to relieve the simplicity of the project, a little snowflake in ivory embroidery floss. Normally I would only use 2 or 3 threads of the floss, but I really wanted it to stand out, so I used all 6 threads.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I will definitely sew it again. I think it makes a great baby gift and you can personalize it rather easily. I do recommend it for any sewist. Beginner’s might find the neckband a bit of a challenge, but not out of reach skill-wise if done carefully and slowly. It’s a pretty quick project compared to flannel pj’s.
Conclusion: I love the sleep sack and am pleased to give it to my new little niece Chloe. Hopefully I will have a picture of her in it soon.