One of the magical things about babies is that no matter their shape or size, they always seem perfect. Long and lean, totally chubby or just a little pipsqueak, every baby I meet makes me think, “Oh, yes! That is exactly the way a baby should be!”

Unfortunately, baby clothes don’t come in as many sizes as the babies themselves. From the day my daughter, Nieve, was born she was too tall for newborn sizes but was too small to fit in anything larger without looking like she was on an early enrollment plan for clown school. Knowing that my baby couldn’t be the only one struggling to find a suit that fits, I designed this one-pattern-fits-most Fleece Baby Jumpsuit. With just a few easy adjustments, this pattern will fit almost any baby of almost any shape or size from ages 0-9 months. That’s right, we’re talking bespoke babywear!

Not only did I want this Jumpsuit to fit, but I also wanted it to be cozy and warm. Michael Miller’s Organic Cotton Fleece makes this piece so soft and cuddly, and the juxtaposing fuzzy and smooth sides of the fabric add a bit of playfulness to the monochrome palette.

Despite its made-to-measure details, the simple lines, limited seams and forgiving fabric make this Jumpsuit a breeze to whip up. This is a very good thing, since my little beanstalk may need a new one every month! — Corinne

Materials

1 1/2 to 2 yards Michael Miller’s Organic Fleece, 100% organic cotton

Gutermann’s 100% cotton thread, color 1040

1 -2 snaps (We used magnetic snaps for their ease in use. The snaps shown here are currently discontinued.)

A Baby Fleece Jumpsuit Template available for free download here

These are enough materials to make one Jumpsuit to fit sizes 0-9 months.

Sizes

These are the finished measurements of the standard template without any alterations:

Notes Prewash and dry the fabric before starting. The Fleece will shrink a little and get a beautiful, fluffy texture. Both sides of the fabric are used as right and wrong sides in the pattern. When necessary, the two sides are referred to as “fuzzy” and “smooth”. Use ¼-inch seam allowances unless otherwise noted. Pattern

Print and Prepare the Template

Print all pieces of the Template from the pdf. Cut and piece the paper as indicated on the Template.

Add Length to Torso

To add length to the torso of the Jumpsuit, cut along the line marked “Lengthen Here” on the Jumpsuit Front and Back, and the two Front Facing pieces.

From a separate piece of paper, cut three 11-inch strips whose width measures the amount you wish to add. I wanted to add 2 inches to the length of the torso, so I cut three 2 x 11-inch strips.

Insert one of these strips into the Jumpsuit Front template at the “Lengthen Here” line, lining up one short end of the strip with the curve on the right side of the template. Tape in place.

With a straight edge and a pen, draw a line connecting the Template pieces through the newly added paper strip on the left side.

Cut along this line.

With a straight edge and a pen, draw a line connecting the Widen Here line from the top Template piece to the bottom.

Repeat with the remaining two strips for the Front Facing and the Jumpsuit Back.

Add Width to Torso

To add width to the Jumpsuit, cut along the line marked “Widen Here” on the Jumpsuit Front and Back pieces.

From a separate piece of paper, cut four 11-inch strips whose width measures a quarter of the width you wish to add. I wanted to add 1 inch to the width of my Jumpsuit, so I cut four ¼ inch x 11-inch strips

Insert one of these strips into the Jumpsuit Front Template at the “Widen Here” line, lining up the short edge of the strip with the shoulder edge. Tape in place.

Insert a second strip, lining up the short edge of the strip with the bottom of the leg. Tape in place.

Repeat with the remaining two strips and the Jumpsuit Back.

Add Length to Legs and/or Arms

To add length to the legs, cut 2 strips whose width measures the amount you wish to add. I wanted to add 1 inch to the length of the legs, so I cut two 1-inch wide strips. Make sure the strip is at least as wide as the leg.

Tape one strip to the bottom of the leg of the Jumpsuit Front. With a straight edge and a pen, extend the outline of the Template to the bottom edge of the newly added strip. Cut along these lines.

Repeat with the remaining strip and the Jumpsuit Back.

Add length to the arms in the same fashion.

Cut

You will use the prepared Template pieces to pin and cut the following pieces:

2 Front Facings

2 Jumpsuit Fronts

1 Jumpsuit Back, on the fold

1 Back Facing, on the fold

1 Gusset, on the fold

But first, be sure to line up the grain line properly. Here’s how . . .

The Organic Fleece has one grain line and it runs parallel to the selvedge and along the line of the knit. This line should run length-wise on all pieces of the Jumpsuit.

Also, be sure that you cut the Front Facing and Front Jumpsuit pieces with the proper orientation. Here’s how . . .

For the Front Facing, cut one with the right side of the fabric facing up and one with the wrong side of the fabric facing up. The two Front Facings should be mirror images of each other.

For the Front Jumpsuit, cut both pieces with the fuzzy side facing up. The two Front Jumpsuit pieces should look exactly the same.

Attach the Back Gusset

To find the midpoints of the Gusset and the Back Jumpsuit, fold the Gusset in half lengthwise and press. Unfold. Fold the Jumpsuit Back in half lengthwise and press. Unfold.

With the fuzzy side of the Gusset facing the smooth side of the Jumpsuit Back, lay the Gusset upside down on the upright Jumpsuit Back, with the center creases lined up and with the top edge of the Gusset meeting the bottom edge of the Jumpsuit Back, as shown above. Pin together the two pieces at the bottom edge of the center crease.

Moving out from the center, first in one direction and then the other, pin the Gusset to the Jumpsuit Back along the curve, making sure to match up the cut notches.

Sew around the pinned curve. Press the seam in toward the Gusset.

Sew the Shoulder Seam

Lay the Jumpsuit Back flat with the smooth side facing up. Lay the Front Jumpsuit pieces on top, lining up the shoulder edge. Lay the Front piece on the left with its fuzzy side facing up and the piece on the right with its smooth side facing up.

Pin along the shoulder edge. Sew along the pinned line.

Press the seam open.

Sew the Facing Pieces

Lay the Back Facing piece flat with the smooth side facing up. Lay the Front Facing pieces on top, fuzzy sides up, lining up the shoulder edges.

Pin along the shoulder edges. Sew along the pinned lines.

Press the seams open.

Attach the Facing

With right sides facing, line up the top edge of the Back Facing with the top edge of the Jumpsuit Back. Pin in place, making sure to line up the shoulder seams on both pieces.

Now line up the Front Facings with the curved lines of the Front Jumpsuit pieces and pin.

Sew along the pinned lines of the front and back pieces.

Fold the Facings inside the jumpsuit and press flat.

Stitch along the raw edge at the back of the neck through both the Back Facing and the Jumpsuit Back, making sure not to cross the shoulder seams onto the front pieces. Backstitch at the beginning and end of the seam.

Sew the Inseam

With a fabric marker, make a small mark on the center crease of the Gusset crease ¼-inch up from the bottom edge. (If you need to refresh the Gusset’s center crease, fold the Jumpsuit Back in half lengthwise and re-press the gusset and unfold.) If you do not have a fabric marker, you can also mark this spot with a pin.

Starting with the left Jumpsuit Front (the side with the fuzzy side as the right side), and right sides facing, line up the notch on the leg of the Jumpsuit Front with the Gusset seam on the Jumpsuit Back. Pin in place.

Continue to pin along the inseam curve and down the leg.

The inseam of the Jumpsuit Front will not reach the center point of the gusset, but the sewn hem of the front flap should meet on the mark you made on the center crease. Pin the Jumpsuit Front in place where the sewn hem meets the center mark.

Sew along the pinned edge, backstitching at the beginning and end of the seam.

Repeat with the other side. The two Jumpsuit Front pieces should overlap at the center crease of the Gusset.

Sew Front and Back Pieces Together

With right sides still facing, pin all the sleeve and side seams on both sides. Sew along the pinned edges.

Hem

Turn up the bottom of the legs and sleeves ½ inch toward the wrong side, press and pin. Edge stitch, backstitching at the end of the seam.

Attach the Snaps

The number of snaps you will use depends on how much length you added to your template. Since I added 2 inches of length, our example uses two snaps.

Turn the Jumpsuit right side out. With a fabric marker, make a mark on the inside of the top flap where you would like to place your snaps. We placed ours ¼ inch in from the two rounded edges of the flap.

Close the top flap and make a mark on the bottom flap at the point where the snap marks hit.

If you do not have a fabric marker, you can also mark these spots with pins.

Sew the snaps in place. When sewing the snaps on the top flap, make sure to sew through the Facing fabric only.

Close the Jumpsuit up and it’s ready to wear!