Burp Cloths - Having Fun With Spit Up

I wish I had thought to make some of these when my babies were little babies. Spit up is spit up....but at least with a "prettied up" burp cloth, you can have some fun with it, right (okay, your shoulder will look GREAT)?

This is my lazy woman's busy Mama's version of the burp cloth. I'll also add what I do when I have more time (ummmm...never?).




6-ply (cushy goodness) cloth diapers and awesome Michael Miller fabric

What You'll Need:

Cloth pre-folded diapers (I use Gerber 6-ply)
Fabric
3/8" grosgrain ribbon
Pins
Sewing Machine/Thread
Scissors
Iron/Ironing Board
Fabric Marker & 5" x 20" template (if you choose the quick, skip as many steps as you can method like I do)

Wash and dry your cloth diapers and your fabric and iron them. Ironing cloth diapers is NOT as fun as it sounds. :-)    Next, take your template and mark your fabric to be cut.

5" x 20" template

Okay, the other way I (used to) do this is to cut the fabric about 7" wide instead of 5", and then iron the long sides over about an inch...so the piece you put on the cloth diaper is still approximately 5" wide. The way I'm doing it skips the step of ironing the long sides. I tend to get frustrated if when it doesn't come out perfectly straight.

After your fabric is cut, take the ribbon you've chosen to compliment your fabric, and cut 2 pieces at least as long as your fabric (about 20" long).




The fabric is Michael Miller Groovy Guitar in Lagoon


Next lay your fabric on top of the cloth diaper, and center it as best you can. I run a finger down each side of the center and see how far off I am (hope that makes sense). I don't worry too much about it being exactly centered. I promise the baby you're making it for won't care. :-) 

Now lay your ribbon along the edge of the fabric. You want the outside edge of the ribbon to line up with the outside edge of the fabric. Fold the top of the fabric and ribbon under until it lines up with the top of the diaper.

The ribbon is folded under along with the fabric at the top.

The photo above is NOT how I have my fabric before I start to sew everything in place. It was a good visual for the top of the fabric and ribbon being folded under, and for those of you that will prefer to pin everything in place first. I have found, after lots of trial and error, that it is easier for me to not pin it. I've had issues with having to readjust fabric and ribbon halfway through, fabric bunching up, and having the ribbon slide off so that it wasn't being stitched to the fabric.

Which ever way you have your diaper/fabric/ribbon, when you start sewing, be sure to sew the inside edge of the ribbon first. That way, you pretty much eliminate any chance of not having the ribbon stitched to your fabric. Don't forget to back stitch! :-)

The inside edge of the ribbon on each side is stitched.

That pin is just a prop. : -)   Stitching the inside edge first. I just hold the ribbon and fabric together with one hand, and guide it through on the machine with the other.

A better view of the inside edge done on one side.

Before you get to the end of the diaper, make sure you fold the bottom edge of your fabric/ribbon under so it lines up with the bottom edge of the diaper, and then continue sewing to the end. Next, do the same thing on the other long edge with your other length of ribbon.

Now your fabric and ribbon are securely sewed to the diaper turned burp cloth. Stitch along the outside edges of the ribbon. If you took the easy route along with me, check for any frayed edges on your fabric, and clip them before sewing the outside edges.

Pesky little stragglers. Snip, snip.

One more step. Do a zig-zag stitch (or any stitch you prefer) on each end to secure the fabric to each end of the burp cloth.

ZIG-ZAG

If you have a serger (which I do not), these babies (yes, pun intended) could practically make themselves. You could skip all the folding under nonsense. Just stitch the ribbon to the edges of the fabric, and then trim the ends to line up with the ends of the burp cloth/diaper, and serge the ends.


You're done! Yee-haw! Time to step back (do a happy dance if you want) and admire your work.

These 4 are for a friend that is having a boy at the end of this month.
The other fabric is Michael Miller Hoopla Dot Lagoon.

2 more I made today. The fabric on the left is Michael Miller Lazy Daisy Gray Fabric. The pink polka dots is fabric I got at Hobby Lobby last weekend. Not sure who is responsible for its making. ; -)

: -)

Here are a few that I made last summer.

That's it! Here's your chance to give Spit-up a black (and yet fashionable) eye. Have fun with it. I love taking a piece of fabric, getting out all my ribbon, and just start laying them next to it, seeing what looks good and/or funky together.

~ Thanks for stopping by! ~

Jaime