The other evening, I was trying to pull double duty. I held the baby on one hip while tossing some vegetables in the skillet. My husband walked in the kitchen to see if I needed some help, and then it happened. The biggest, grossest projectile spit shot from the baby’s mouth to the wooden floor … in the next room!
If you’re a new mom, you may have experienced this scenario. You’ve probably even discovered your favorite kind of burp cloth for cleaning up the worst messes. A pre-fold diaper works great as a burp cloth, because it is super absorbent. Felt and minky fabrics look cute, and they can absorb pretty well, but they can also get kind of smeary.
Another great fabric (and my favorite) for absorbing baby messes is terry cloth. Feel free to cut up an old towel, like this smallish green one I’m pretty sure went with me to college. If you don’t already have a favorite burp cloth, maybe this will become your go-to burp cloth sewing tutorial!
Sew up a set of three burp cloths, or a diaper pouch and changing pad for a sweet gift idea.
Materials:
For each towel you’ll need a 10″ x 14.5″ piece of each the following:
– Terry cloth or old towel to cut up
– Fabric
– Quilt batting (perfect for scraps!) for extra absorbency
1. To make the patchwork version, cut the following fabric cuts:
Green
– 7.75″ x 11.75″Black
-3.25″ x 11.75″ for side strip
-3.25″ x 10.5″ for bottom strip
– 5″ x “3 for monogram
2. Stitch together the green to the black fabric along the long sides. Press seam open. Stitch the other black strip to the bottom. Press seam open. Trim to 10″ x 14.5”.
3. Want to add a letter or picture? Here’s how to make an applique. I used Pellon Steam-a-Seam II Lite fusible and also stitched around the edge to secure.
4. In this order, stack: 1) the terry cloth, 2) cotton fabric (right side up) and 3) batting. Pin together stack at the corners.
5. Stitch 1/2″ seam allowance around the perimeter, leaving a 4″ gap on one short side for turning.
6. Trim seam allowance to 1/4″ around the perimeter. Cut off the points on each of the four corners (being careful not to cut too close to your stitches).
7. Turn the cloth right side out.
8. Press cloth flat, making sure to close the gap. Fold cloth into thirds and mark your folds with a pin.
9. With the quilting cotton side up, top-stitch the burp cloth around the perimeter 1/4″ from the edge. Make sure to catch the gap with your stitches, adding another row of stitches if needed for reinforcement.
10. Stitch along the marked fold lines (from step 8). This is a simple way to quilt all of your layers together while making it easier to fold the cloth into a cute, giftable stack.
That’s it! These are so easy and inexpensive to make, and they are a great way to use up scraps!
The fabric I used is Modern Eclectic by Khristian Howell for Blend Fabrics. These are a few of my favorite prints!
2 comments
These are great! I like the applique idea. Your scientific testing with Elliot is like the Craft Bud’s seal of approval. 😉
Adorable. I never had burp cloths like that!
I’d think though, that since you’re such a great sewer, you’d have made yourself a sling, instead of holding babe on your hip. I’d love to see what you could do with a sling (creative-wise). I’m new to your blog, so please excuse me if you have already done this 🙂