Entertaining Baby Shower Ideas Easy-to-Sew Cotton Baby Bloomers By Martha Stewart Editors Martha Stewart Editors Facebook Instagram Twitter Website An article attributed to "Martha Stewart Editors" indicates when several writers and editors have contributed to an article over the years. These collaborations allow us to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available.The Martha Stewart team aims to teach and inspire readers daily with tested-until-perfected recipes, creative DIY projects, and elevated home and entertaining ideas. They are experts in their fields who research, create, and test the best ways to help readers design the life they want. The joy is in the doing. Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 20, 2018 Share Tweet Pin Email Easy-to-sew baby bloomers make a useful, fun gift for any new bundle of joy. The how-to comes from the book Weekend Sewing, by Heather Ross. What You'll Need Materials Baby bloomers template Scissors Layout diagram 1/2 yard of 45-inch wide, lightweight, woven, prewashed cotton Fabric scissors Water-soluble fabric-marking pen Pins Sewing machine All-purpose thread to match fabric Pinking shears Iron Elastic thread 1 yard of 3/4-inch waistband elastic Large safety pin Instructions Download and print baby bloomers template, and with scissors, cut out pattern. Download layout diagram to act as a guide while working. Numbers of steps below correspond to numbers on diagram. Matching selvage edges, fold fabric in half and lay out pattern as shown on layout diagram. With fabric scissors, cut out pattern to make two mirror-image pieces. Using a water-soluble fabric-marking pen, transfer "Front Seam" and "Back Seam" labels to appropriate seams on right side of both cut pieces (for reference). With cut pattern pieces right sides together, align and pin raw edges of front and back seams. With a sewing machine, sew each seam together, leaving a 3/8-inch seam allowance. To prevent unraveling, use pinking shears to trim raw edges of each seam allowance to 1/8 of an inch. With an iron, press seam allowance on front seam to one side and seam allowance on back seam to opposite side. With bloomers still turned wrong side out, align and pin raw edges of crotch seam. Sew crotch seam with 3/8-inch seam allowance and, with pinking shears, trim seam allowance to 1/8 of an inch. Hem each leg opening with a 1/4-inch double hem. Do this by turning and pressing the edge of each leg opening 1/4 of an inch to the wrong side and then turning the folded edge another 1/4 of an inch to the wrong side and pressing the double fold. Edge-stitch double fold on its inner edge. Turn bloomers right side out and, with an iron, press hemmed edges flat. With elastic thread wound in bobbin of sewing machine, sew around each leg opening 1/4 of an inch above edge-stitching Turn bloomers wrong side out. To create casing for waistband elastic, first turn and press top raw edge 1/8 of an inch to wrong side, and then turn and press folded edge again 7/8 of an inch to wrong side. Starting 1/2 an inch from front seam, edge-stitch around entire folded edge, stopping 1/2 an inch from front seam. With scissors, cut length of elastic that matches baby's waist measurement plus 1/2 an inch for seam allowance. Attach large safety pin to one end of elastic and guide elastic through waistband casing. Ensuring that elastic is not twisted in casing, pull both ends through opening in casing. Overlap ends of elastic 1/4 of an inch and use a zigzag stitch to join them, backstitching at beginning and end of seam. Be sure sewing machine is set to the widest zigzag setting and a short stitch length. Reset sewing machine to regular-length straight stitch, turn bloomers right side out, and sew the casing opening closed, backstitching at the beginning and end of stitching.