Babies Overalls in Bergere de France Ideal - 71136-356 - Downloadable PDF

Babies Overalls in Bergère de France Idéal – Pattern 71136-356

This beginner-level knitting pattern from Bergère de France produces a sweet pair of baby overalls worked in the classic Idéal yarn. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and covers four sizes: Newborn, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months, making it a versatile project to knit as a gift or for a growing wardrobe.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a pair of baby overalls — a practical, all-in-one lower-body garment with bib-style front construction. The overalls are designed to be comfortable and easy to dress a baby in, thanks to press stud fastenings and button details. The clean, classic silhouette suits newborns through six-month-olds and works equally well in neutral or coloured yarn.

Yarn and Materials

• Yarn: Bergère de France Idéal — a DK weight yarn, referenced as Alpin 21821 in the pattern
• Yarn quantity: 2 balls for Newborn, 3 balls for 1 month and 3 months, and 4 balls for the 6-month size
• Needles: 3.0 mm needles (used for garter stitch borders and finishing details) and 3.5 mm needles (used for the main stocking stitch fabric)
• Accessories: 7 clear press studs (10 mm diameter, reference 60467, sold in a pack of 59 matching studs) and 6 brown buttons (13 mm diameter, reference 64764, sold in a pack of 7)

Techniques and Construction

The overalls are constructed in separate pieces — a back and a front — which are then seamed together. Both pieces begin with the same lower section and diverge at the armhole shaping. This straightforward, flat-knitting construction makes the pattern very accessible for a beginner knitter who is comfortable with basic shaping and reading a simple pattern.

The back piece is worked upward in stocking stitch until the piece reaches the armhole point, at which point stitches are cast off at each side to shape the armholes. The stitch counts vary by size: the main body is worked over 53, 57, 63, or 67 stitches depending on the chosen size, continuing until the piece measures between 26 cm (Newborn) and 40 cm (6 months) before armhole shaping begins.

The front piece begins identically to the back but diverges at the armhole stage, where a series of decreases are worked to shape the bib front. The decrease method varies slightly by size — for example, Newborn and 1-month sizes use a k2tog decrease sequence spaced across the row, while the 3-month size uses a slightly different repeat. This creates the characteristic narrowed bib shape above the waist.

Stitches Used

• Garter Stitch (G. St): Worked on 3.0 mm needles by knitting every row. Used for borders and finishing sections, garter stitch creates a firm, non-curling fabric edge that is ideal for baby garments.
• Stocking Stitch (St St): Worked on 3.5 mm needles with Row 1 as a knit row. This is the primary fabric stitch used throughout the main body of the overalls, producing a smooth, flat surface on the right side.
• k2tog (knit two together): A basic right-leaning decrease used during armhole and bib shaping to reduce stitch counts neatly and create a clean, angled edge.

Sizing and Shaping Details

• Newborn: Main body worked to approximately 26 cm; 5 sts cast off at armhole
• 1 month