Bloomers

I've had a lot of fun making a few things for Rugrat's Big Doll (as she calls her -- maybe one day she'll get a proper name) but several times I would put a new skirt on her and feel like there was something missing.

Well, there was. And really... no proper young lady would walk around in a skirt without them.

This site to the rescue.

Big Doll was in desperate need of some bloomers. These were made with -- again -- the bottoms of some old t-shirts and FOE (otherwise known as fold over elastic). She has pattern instructions both for using FOE and for using regular elastic.

I ordered some FOE some time ago for another project and it was pretty inexpensive (if memory serves it was about 50 cents a yard) so I just got a few colors and several yards of black and white. Fold over elastic simply has a scored (for lack of a better word) line down the middle. It is meant to act kind of like elastic binding tape. But using it saves you from having to put in an elastic and bind the edges too. It works well especially for thinner fabrics that couldn't handle the bulk of both -- like underwear for instance.

For Big Doll, I made 4 pair in all, two red and two blue:

There is definitely a learning curve so plan on making a couple at least.

If you use FOE, here are my tips:
*****Don't stretch it quite as much on the legs but more on the waist.
*****Use a wide zig zag stitch. It should be wide enough to go close, if not all the way, to being from one side to the other of the elastic. If you have to choose, keep the edge of the stitch near the side of the elastic that encloses the fabric. Not only does that keep the fabric in more firmly, but it keeps the edge flat.
*****She says to start the waistband in the middle of the back but I had more luck starting it near a side seam. She also says to end the waistband (which to me was the hardest part of the whole thing) by cutting the elastic, then folding it over to cover the raw edge already sewn on. I found it easier to clip it, then sew it down over the raw edge without folding it. Yes, there was a raw edge still but I just went over it and back a couple of times with the zig zag stitch. It seemed to be a smoother finish than when I tried to do it the other way.


These were fun to make once I had the hang of it. All four took about an hour to sew and that included my learning curve as well as having to remove some of the elastic that I accidentally sewed on too far around the leg.

(I'm seriously considering making myself some of these. Can you imagine how comfy that soft t-shirt material would be?)

If you decide to make some for your 'big doll,' I would suggest going ahead and cutting out 4 or 5 at once. After all, it's not like she'll grow out of them, soil them, or even need backups for laundry day. Make her up a few colors and unless your little girl is really conscientious about changing them, a few is all she'll really need.

Plus now she's covered properly like all young ladies should be. And her little mommy will have no excuse for not doing the same.