Our client has a precious wee one who battles severe eczema. She discovered clothing with fold-over cuffs at the wrists and ankles to prevent scratching during sleep time and during his most severe outbreaks. As he continued to grow however, those little fold-overs are not available in larger sizes. She brought me some of her favorite pieces and asked if we could create something in his size. After looking over all her darling outfits and talking through what was really working for her, we set out to create something just right!
Our internet search turned up several helpful YouTube videos and the Lullaby Line at the Peek-a-Boo Pattern shop. Using the Lullaby Line Bodysuit & Lap Tee pattern, and the Toasty Toes Convertible Pajama pattern, I made a few modifications to make the cuffs even longer, to meet our client’s requests. She showed me a darling pair of overalls, so I drafted a similar look, incorporating longer cuffs.
The fabric is the most yummiest (I can say that, right?) Tencel fabric is a natural fiber known for being very soft and comfortable for sensitive skin, similar to bamboo in silkiness and drape. It is eco-friendly, organic, similar and naturally itch suppressing. Isn’t that perfect for a little one with eczema?
- The overalls are made from Tencel Lyocell Organic Cotton Spandex Jersey Allspice, 200gsm, 4 way stretch
- The bodysuit is made from Cielo Tency Jersey from Robert Kaufman Off-White PFD (white without whiteners), fluid drape, 210gsm, 4 way stretch
Both fabrics shrink 3-4% in the first wash, so I pre-washed everything (in eczema aware laundry detergent), dried it a bit in the dryer, then let it dry the rest of the way laying flat on my tables. If you hang this fabric while it is wet, it will pull and dry distorted with those hang lines.
The first view is the front of the pants, with one cuff rolled up for wearing and running around, and the other cuff extended to cover the foot while sleep. The second view is the back of the pants, which shows you the little flap that will fold over and cover the foot. The cuffs at the wrists fold over in a similar manner to cover the hands. The wrist cuffs are very long, to make it harder for a little one to unfold them while trying to scratch. On the whole outfit, there are just a few tiny snaps at the diaper area, and everything else is soft and stretchy so there are no zippers, snaps, or buttons to cause discomfort.
This is a super close-up of the Tencel fabric. You can see the tiny ribbing, and also just how soft and fluid the fabric is. I didn’t add any elastic into the waist, to further reduce abrasion on baby’s skin. It’s a simple fold-over waistband that still holds because of the 4-way stretch. If you look again at the first image, you will also see the overall straps have a small amount of elastic in the back – just enough tension to keep the straps on baby’s shoulders without digging into tender skin.
Couldn’t you just squeeze him? What a cutie pie!
Quick Links from this post:
Peek-a-Boo Pattern shop
Tencel Lyocell Organic Cotton Spandex Jersey Allspice
Cielo Tency Jersey from Robert Kaufman Off-White
