How to make an applique onesie

I am frequently asked how I make my applique onesies for the twins.  They are actually pretty easy once you know the steps and only cost around $3 each to make (with nothing on sale).  They are even no-sew if you choose!! :)  This time I am making a cute St Louis Cardinals onesie for Liam.

 Here are the supplies you need: Steam-a-seam (don't get the lite unless you plan on only hand washing), your colored fabrics (I use cotton crafters quarters and I honestly don't even prewash them and it hasn't been an issue), a blank onesie (I buy carters brand from walmart.com to save a trip, love their 99cent shipping), and a needle and thread (optional).  I also used an exacto knife bc this logo is hard to cut with scissors.

 You can get your design from just about anywhere.  Freehand, coloring books, cookie cutters, or look online for ideas.  I like to use my laptop screen as a light box to trace my design.  When tracing it is important to note that there are two sides to the steam-a-seam  One side is a protective coating and the other side is the glue.  If you are drawing something that is not directional, you can trace right onto the glue side (textured side).  If you are drawing something like the logo or letters that have to face a certain direction, trace onto the protective coating first.  I then flip it over and trace the design backwards onto the glue side (you'll see why in just a minute). 

Designs drawn on the steam-a-seam.  I like silver colored sharpies to trace.  You can see the design when cutting but its not so dark that you can see it when the onesie is finished.

Cut them out crudely, don't worry about detail here.

Peel the glue side off of the protective coating and stick to the wrong side of your fabric (the wrong side is the part you don't want showing on your finished product). 

Cut your shape out using your traced lines as a guide.  I try to cut just inside my lines so that the marker isn't on my applique.

Place a piece of paper or cardboard inside your onesie to make sure it doesn't glue together if any seeps thru.  Layer your pieces exactly where you want them, once ironed you can not move them. 

Follow the directions on your steam-a-seam package.  I usually iron, allow to cool, then iron again just to make sure it has bonded completely.  The you've got yourself a super cute onesie!!

You can machine or hand stitch around the edges of your applique just to make it look nice but it is not necessary.  This is the first one I haven't stitched and it washes just fine.  I try to avoid machine drying bc I am afraid it will re-melt the glue but my handmade onesies have snuck into the dryer a few times and turned out fine.  Hope this helps anyone interested in trying this out!  Each of these onesies took about 45 minutes from start to finish but a simpler design can be accomplished very quickly.

My super cute baby models :)