Sewing Machine Appliqued Onesies

Need a way to dress up a plain white bodysuit or baby tee? Machine appliqued onesies are a fun and exciting twist on a common baby gift.

Here's what you'll need...

• Plain Onesies (white or other color that coordinates with your applique)
• Matching Thread
• Fusible Web (such as Wonder Under or Steam-a-Seam)
• Cotton Fabric Scraps
• Stencil or pattern for applique design
• Iron

Get Started...

This is a really quick and easy baby gift to make. The trickiest part is bunching the onesie up properly and fitting it under the needle on the sewing machine to do a zig-zag stitch around the applique when finishing it. The beauty of machine appliqued onesies is that they can be abstract if you like. So, a bold flower pattern for instance, could be cut into the shape of a rabbit, and be super cute!

1. Pre-wash your onesie to be sure it has done all the shrinking it will do. Iron it if it's wrinkled.

2. Follow the instructions on your fusible web and fuse the web to the fabric scrap or piece you will be cutting into your desired shape. This will become the actual applique.

3. Once you have fused the webbing, it's time to cut your fabric into the shape you desire. Get your design on paper and make a stencil- draw free form, or search for a stencil online. I used a fabric that was rows of circles and cut it into a butterfly shape. A less detailed applique will be easier to stitch around later, so keep that in mind when you do your first design.

4. Fuse your cut-out to the onesie or body-suit where desired. Some brands of fusible webbing claim to be washable, but a zig-zag stitch around the entire applique will give a finished look and leave no chance of peeling off after multiple washings.

5. Remember that zig-zag stitch I was just talking about? Now is the time. Your goal is a nice even stitch all the way around the edge of the applique. You don't want the stitch to go off the edge of the applique, but you want it as close to the edge as possible. Being careful to only do one layer of the onesie stitch all the way around your applique. Pull and rearrange the onesie as you go so you get a nice even stitch.

Because I did a butterfly, I hand stitched the antennae using a chain-stitch. It was a nice finishing touch and made a world of difference for my applique actually looking like a butterfly. You may want to play around with other types of embellishments, such as buttons, or ribbon to add to the machie appliqued onesies you make as baby gifts.