Fit to a T baby romper tutorial part 3: gusset and closures

The following steps may or may not apply to you, depending on the closure you choose. This is a nother long one! I will discuss adding the gusset, a back placket and shoulder snaps (if you’d like to see an envelope neckline, go here, here, or here.

GUSSET

Pretty simple: Mark the center of the romper back leg opening and the center of the gusset. Line them up. Pin, pin, pin, pin, then stitch, using the zig zag and straight stitch method described here.

BACK PLACKET

(This is like doing half a welt pocket):

You will need the romper back, along with two T shirt strips for the placket. My two strips were about 2 1/2″ by 6″, with the grain running the long way (so that it goes in the same direction as the rest of the back when the plackets are applied). You’ll also need two or three snaps to finish the placket eventually.

1) Cut the back. Determine the center of the romper back. Measure 1/2 inch on either side of the center and mark it for cutting. Measure down about 4 1/2 inches (or whatever length you wish to use) and mark the bottom of the placket. You now have a hole in the center of your romper back, about 1 inch wide and 4 1/2 inches long.

2) Pin placket sides. Fold your placket pieces in half, long sides together and press. With the romper back right side up, line up the cut edges of the pressed placket pieces with the cut edges of the romper back. The tops of the placket pieces should line up with the neck edge of the romper back, and the bottoms should extend below the bottom of the cut section.

plackets pinned in place

(view from right side)

3) Stitch placket sides. Stitch, using the double seam technique (you don’t have stretch the straight stitch, since the placket area doesn’t need to stretch). Fold and press plackets out with seam allowances going toward the romper back. One placket will lay on top of the other so that they cover in the hole you cut in the center of the romper back.

plackets stitched and pressed  (view from wrong side)

plackets stitched and pressed, here pulled apart to show both placement of both plackets

(view from wrong side)

4) Clip back at bottom of placket. (Warning: here’s where my words are failing me, and the pictures aren’t much better. So sorry.) Clip the romper back at angles toward the plackets. Then trim the top of this newly created flap to 1/4″.

back bottom clipped

(view from right side)

5) Pin bottom edge of placket. Turn the romper back so that the wrong side is facing you. Fold the plackets out, and finger press this flap toward the back. The wrong side of the flap should be flat against the wrong side of the romper back.

back bottom held to wrong side

(view from wrong side)

6) Stitch bottom edge of placket. Lay the plackets back in place over top the flap, one side over the other. Trim the bottom edges of the plackets even with the edge of the flap and pin through all of these layers (pin and stitch only through the plackets and the flap, leaving the romper back free). Stitch, first zig zagging back and forth at the edge and then with a straight stitch 1/4″ away, but do not stretch the straight stitch.

placket bottom stitched

(view from wrong side)

5) Topstitch. Press all seams flat and away from center back opening, if you want to press (but be careful–I accidentally ironed a wrinkle into mine). Turn romper back so that the right side is facing you and topstitch approx. 1/8″ away from the edge of the placket on the back. Aren’t you amazed at yourself?

completed placket

SHOULDER CLOSURE

Self-faced shoulder carriers:

It’s the same for both shoulders: First, zig zag the raw edge of the shoulder. Then cut interfacing to fit from your fold line (your added inch) to the edge. Fuse interfacing, fold at the fold line and press, and baste the sides to keep it in place. You may wish to topstitch, or you can count on the snap and side seams to keep it in place.

Added shoulder carriers:

Front: Fold the shoulder carrier (pieces about 2 1/2″ wide and the length of the edge of your shoulder) in half. You may wish to baste the raw edges together. With right sides together, stitch the folded carrier to the desired shoulder, using the double stitch method of zig zagging then a straight stitch. Fold the carrier under the romper front. You may wish to stitch it in place, or you can baste it to the side seams and count on the snap and side seams to keep it in place if you don’t want the stitching on the front.

romper front snap carrier stitched to shoulder & topstitched

(view from right side)

Back: Fold the shoulder carrier (pieces about 2 1/2″ wide and the length of the edge of your shoulder) in half. You may wish to baste the raw edges together. With right sides together, stitch the folded carrier to the corresponding  shoulder, using the double stitch method of zig zagging then a straight stitch.

romper back snap carrier stitched to shoulder

(view from right side of romper, with seams exposed)

Press the snap carrier out, with seam allowance toward the romper back, and topstitch in place. The romper front snap carrier will go over this one when it comes time to align them for adding the sleeves.

Hurrah! Next we get to make it actually look like something! Thanks for reading, and let me know if I can help in any way.

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