Design considerations with baby clothes.

[Sabra]

Not having the patience for large projects, I mostly make and design stuff for babies and toddlers. So I thought I would get some input from other hookers as to what things we need to take into consideration when making/designing baby clothes.

 

Foremost for me is comfort. I don't have the money to buy the expensive guaranteed-to-be-soft yarns, so I can easily be found in the yarn aisle at Wal-Mart groping Red Heart and Caron Yarns. I've got a couple of crocheted dresses that I bought my girls at the thrift store that are crocheted with a rough sort of yarn. It honestly never seems to have bothered them, but it bothers me!

 

Yarn plays a big part in comfort but so does design. Worst offender of this have ever seen published was a preemie sweater with bobbles that ran from the front down the back of the sweater. For a baby who's spending most of his time on his back, laying on two rows of bumps doesn't strike me as particularly comfortable (I made the sweater, but with plain, flat stripes in the back instead of the bobbles). For the sake of comfort I try to avoid anything that has a lot of detail in the back (ruffled panties are cute, but I don't think they can be too comfy).

 

Safety is another important concern. I've seen lots of scratch mitts with ribbons threaded through to cinch the wrists. This would never fly with ready-to-wear, so I try to avoid it with my work. It's a pain to work over elastic instead, but I think it's safer. For a similar reason, I try to be very careful with any sort of ties.

 

Then there's weather-appropriateness. I twitch when I see babies bundled up around here (I live by the rule of thumb that your baby needs to be dressed much as you are). I'm fighting right now with a design for a blanket for my baby-to-be that will allow me to swaddle him/her without giving the poor tyke heat stroke at the same time. I'm having to avoid the countless cute sweater patterns for much the same reason, but I'm still paranoid about anything made with yarn (though I've made summer-weight stuff for my girls before).

 

Simplicity is another good one. I want the on-and-off of a garment to be obvious. One would think this is a no-brainer, but some of the patterns I've seen belie that theory. I know that snap-crotches are very popular, but as a mama I've always found it simpler just to pull bottoms off, or at least down enough to be out of the way. I also find simple pieces of clothing to be more aesthetically pleasing, but I realize that's a matter of taste.

 

Other thoughts?

[AidanM]

Wotcha, Sabra!

 

I read an article earlier tonight (this morning? lol) On JUST this thing, in fact the bobble sweater was mentioned there as well. Hmm, bizarre. In the article it was mentioned that for preemies especially there should be a minimalist approach, so that nurses and doctors can easily get the clothes off of the child in case of an emergency or just because of routine medical care. Let's face it, most if not all preemies spend a lot of time with all kinds of tubes running in and out of them, clothing needs to accomodate that or be resigned to the hope chest.

 

I think that the weight of the yarn, as you said, is important. I admit however that until you had mentioned it I had never thought about it, but it makes sense!

 

Ease of washing, too, is something that should be kept in mind. As I understand it, babies go through quite a few clothes and it should be considered how often you would be washing certain things. Make sure they're things that wash easily, eh?

[Sabra]

LOL, sounds like you were reading my blog, actually. I know I posted on the topic of preemie clothes not too long ago. I had a friend whose first son was born prematurely educate me on what constitutes good clothing for preemies. Access is incredibly important.

[AidanM]

It probably was your blog. I remember that it was particularly amusing to me, and judging by your FO Bonanza it was you. How uncanny!

[sjkmaurice]

I like cotton to crochet with for the summer. My daughter tends to be hot-natured like me. I also hate to see poor babies in 80 degree heat all bundled up like burritoes - I want to ask their mothers where their jackets are!

[CraftyChristine]

I love cutesy baby outfits, but I also know that they're usually not that practical. One of my biggest pet peeves on baby clothes is buttons. I know they can be sewn on tight enough that Superman couldn't get them off...but maybe, just maybe, it could come undone and get lodged in a baby's throat. I'm a big fan of snaps on shirts and elastic pants.

 

To be honest, I used to be anti-crochet for baby. That was, until I became a hooker myself and realized you could use yarns that were softer than your standard acrylic. Acrylic is a beautiful thing for babies, but if you hold a skein of Caron and a skein of Red Heart, I'll pick the Caron every time.

 

I live in Arizona and so of course it gets hot here. I see people in stores with so many blankets (fleece no less!) that it doesn't even look like they've got a baby in there. I understand the importance of keeping your baby warm, but this totally baffles me. Babies sweat too!

 

*end incredibly long winded rant*

[xaviera]

I've always been concerned about with lacy-er designs... I've always been afraid the baby will get their finger stuck in a "dc, ch5,dc" type mesh, and then break something. Their little hands seems so fragile.

 

I don't have chidldren (well, besides the ferrets, and the cat, but no human kids yet). Can any Moms/Dads clear this up for me? Am I being paranoid, or appropriatly concerned?

[benee16]

I can't stand the buttons either. I usually add ties instead. I've also used velcro dots when necessary. Easy on, easy off is best. I've also found that quite a few of the dresses I made my daughter fit her like shirts as she got older. So I make things that are simple or that can be changed a little and still look good on her. Thats about all I can think of right now.

Denise

[MOhooker]

I always tend to avoid light colors. Baby's get messy!

[Sabra]

Their little hands seems so fragile.

 

Babies are actually amazingly resilient. Both mine had the habit of rolling off the bed frequently as they taught themselves to climb down, and retain a total lack of fear, which basically translates out to they fall a lot. A bruise is generally the worst result.

 

I cannot imagine a baby would break a finger getting it caught in mesh. But your point is still a valid one, since both girls have on occasion gotten a toe stuck in a lacy pattern, and the reaction to that is a high-pitched scream. Just the sort of thing we'd all rather avoid!

[xaviera]

I can't wait to have my own. Atleast then I'd have my own little model instead of borrowing my (adorable) cousins.