Reversible Pinafore Dress and Bib

I came across a free pattern for an infant pinafore dress at Smashed Peas and Carrots and I’ve made two of them so far. It’s an incredibly satisfying piece: The pattern is easy to download and tape together, the instructions are fabulous (and include lots of helpful hints and illustrations), and the sewing is straight forward. The dress itself is adorable.

I bought some cute buttons to match the different fabrics I used, but I wasn’t sure which side of the reversible dress would be worn the most, so I couldn’t decide which side to sew the buttons on. Also, buttonholes are a pain in the neck to sew, so I kept putting off finishing the dresses… Until I made a coordinating bib, that is, and broke out my “Easy Attacher” for its inaugural run. 

I picked up the Easy Attacher at the fabric store for about $7.50. The kit includes a small plastic contraption that holds the pieces of a snap. You align the snap pieces, close the tool, and give it a few whacks with a hammer. It’s about a million times faster than sewing button holes or sewing on snaps. Of course, the plastic will probably break quickly and I haven’t had a chance to test the strength of the snaps yet, but as of this moment, I love this thing!  

Note: I put the Easy Attacher on the carpet before using the hammer.

Disclosure: I have not been paid to endorse any products or companies on this blog. All opinions are based on my own experience.